Rooted in Upstate South Carolina for over 40 years

Our Story

Harold and Roberta Head founded Head-Lee Nursery in 1982.  The nursery was later owned and managed by Bill and Karen Head who built a wonderful legacy and foundation for Head-Lee Nursery and grew it to include numerous acres and a 15,000-square-foot tropical greenhouse.  Bill and Karen have since retired (and are loving it!), but they remain meaningful members of Head-Lee’s story and can be found every now and again visiting the nursery.

Matt Fowler now leads the next generation of Head-Lee Nursery and continues to preserve the values, knowledge, and relationships Bill and Karen established while ensuring that Head-Lee Nursery is at the cutting edge of horticultural research.

With over 50 years of horticultural experience, we provide the community with the highest-quality plants, nursery products, and gardening supplies. We also offer a large variety of indoor and outdoor plants as well as friendly, knowledgeable, and professional gardening advice.  So, whether you’re a seasoned gardening pro or just starting your gardening journey, we welcome you to your one-stop shop for all things gardening.

We are located between Walhalla and Seneca on Highway 28 in the upstate of South Carolina, and we can’t wait to help make your garden dreams come true.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide the upstate South Carolina community with the healthiest plants and finest nursery products while offering expert, friendly, and professional guidance every step of the way. With an all-abilities greenhouse, we ensure that everyone has access to the joy of gardening. We are committed to creating a welcoming and knowledgeable space where quality and care thrive for all.

What Makes Us Different

With over 40 years of horticultural knowledge, our team offers unmatched gardening expertise and customer service. We don’t just sell plants—we partner with you on your gardening journey. At Head-Lee Nursery, we provide you with personalized recommendations, hands-on guidance, and insider tips.

We also carry the largest selection of top-quality plants in the area that are carefully curated to thrive in our South Carolina climate. From curb appeal to kitchen gardens, we’re here to help you grow your gardening dreams into reality.

Meet the Team

  • Matt

    PRESIDENT
    Since 2007
    Matt lives on a large family farmstead where he gets to be a devoted husband to his beautiful wife and a loving father to his kiddos. He enjoys discovering new plants and ideas at Head-Lee Nursery, and Matt is constantly innovating to improve plants and plant growth.
    Favorite Plant: Japanese Maple

  • Bill

    RETIRED
    Since 1982
    Bill is the owner of Head-Lee Nursery and one of the most passionate horticulturalists you’ll ever meet. When he’s not working hard to bring the best of Head-Lee Nursery to our customers, you can find him out fly fishing and making the best roll casts on the river.
    Favorite Plant: Amethyst Falls Wisteria

  • Amanda

    OFFICE MANAGER
    Since 2010
    Amanda loves to travel—everything from the planning, to the logistics, to the destination. It’s all a grand and new adventure each time! But she’s always excited to come back to her Head-Lee community where the team feels more like family than coworkers.
    Favorite Plant: Snake Plant

  • Madison

    OPERATIONS MANAGER
    Since 2017
    Madison not only likes rock-crawling plants, but he also enjoys rock-crawling trucks! When he’s not climbing steep terrain in massive machines, he enjoys the calmer activity of watching our baby plants grow into their full, healthy adult selves.
    Favorite Plant: Dawn Redwood

  • Amanda

    SHOP MANAGER
    Since 2023
    Amanda’s passions are herbalism and foraging. She loves being able to learn from the Head-Lee Nursery team and learn about the natural world around us.
    Favorite Plant: St. John’s Wort

  • Jeff

    CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
    Since 2007
    Jeff is a “huge cat dad.” He’s the purrfect person for all things customer service, and he’s passionate about helping the upstate community enrich their landscapes.
    Favorite Plant: Goshiki Osmanthus

  • Cody

    SHRUBYARD MANAGER
    Since 2018
    Cody loves being in the outdoors and with his family. Put the two together, and you’ve got a happy man. He enjoys helping customers learn about the ins and outs of shrub and tree care as well as finding the perfect shrub or tree for their homes.
    Favorite Plant: Blueberry Bush

  • Cassondra

    GREENHOUSE MANAGER
    Since 2024

    Bio

    Favorite Plant: Morning Glories

Our Mark on the Horticulture World

Head-Lee Nursery is proud to be a longstanding contributor to South Carolina’s gardening community. With over four decades of expertise, we’ve helped shape the way upstate residents garden including supporting native plants, introducing new trends, and mentoring generations of local green thumbs. Head-Lee Nursery, the Head family, and the Head-Lee team are excited to be the innovators behind numerous plant patents (including those below), and we continually develop new and exciting varieties that will reach the market in the future.

Our Plant Patents

  • Amber Glow Metasequoia

  • Amethyst Falls Wisteria

  • Skyline Yaupon Holly

  • Snow Girl Gardenia

  • Snow Globe Gardenia

Achievements

South Carolina Outstanding Retailer of the Year (2001) South Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

The Journal Best of the Best Reader’s Choice Awards, Best Garden/Nursery (2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025)

South Carolina Green Industry Association Member

Water Conservation

We’re committed to sustainable watering practices, and we take our environmental watershed very seriously. So, we have retention ponds and canals to filter all runoff water from our facility. Also, our facility recycles all claimed runoff water from the property, and we rely on our irrigation water and rainwater to reduce the use of municipal water.

We are able to accomplish this through painstaking efforts that have been done over the course of decades. While we recognize that not everyone can have such a closed watering system, we endeavor to be good stewards to the land and be a hub of watering knowledge for the community. If you want to learn more about sustainable watering practices and management for your home, we’d love to help you.