The Trailblazer

In 1915, J.B. King, Sr. began growing strawberries in the tiny little railroad town of Tenaha, Texas. The strawberries that were harvested were shipped by train to Shreveport, Louisiana for sale. This lasted until a number of other strawberry farms popped up in the area, making the business less profitable and sending J.B. Sr. in search of a new crop! He made the decision to stop growing produce and to start growing fruit trees. Grafting peaches, pears, plums, apples, persimmons and pecans allowed him to provide his customers with the latest and greatest in fruit varieties.

In addition to fruit trees, J.B. Sr. began growing select woody ornamentals. The alluvial, acid sands of East Texas proved to be ideal for these crops. He also added roses to the nursery offerings. Unlike with the woody ornamentals, customers needed illustrations to see the bloom type and color of the roses he sold. J.B. used a leather-bound book with color prints of many of the roses he offered to inform his customers.

The Plant Man

In 1949, J.B. King Jr. was called upon to take over the nursery. Having grown up there, he had a good idea of what the business would entail, but he brought some fresh ideas and a true passion for the art and science of horticulture. Though J.B. Jr. was very capable of dealing with the public, his true calling was to grow plants. Those closest to him have often said that he would have been totally satisfied to work with plants all day, everyday, without the need to hear from a soul.

During his time at the helm, J.B. Jr. oversaw the move from balled and burlapped (B&B) trees and bareroot offerings, to containerization. Containerized plants, became popular in the 1950s and 60s and allowed the consumer to plant 365 days a year, as opposed to the highly seasonal nature of the B&B and bareroot offerings. J.B. Jr. also greatly expanded the plant selection available on the nursery. His forte was propagating and growing woody ornamentals, and his fingerprints can still be seen on the nursery today.

The Performer

Just like his father, Aubrey King grew up on the nursery. Unlike J.B., Aubrey didn’t develop a natural passion for growing plants (at least not initially). Aubrey earned a B.S. in political science from Stephen F. Austin State University and proceeded to work for a Savings & Loan for a few years after college. One weekend however, he came home to help J.B. with a landscape project and it was all over! Aubrey turned in his two week notice the following week and spent the rest of his life on King’s Nursery, as his ancestors did. Aubrey’s love for people and his innate charisma made him a natural at chauffeuring customers around the nursery, all the time charming them with one of his many stories.

He had more than just people skills though! Aubrey quickly developed a love for rare plant material. He made his mark on the nursery by expanding the palette of rare perennials and antique roses that were offered. He offered what could only be described as an “eclectic” mixture of native and introduced, old and new. But one thing was certain, when you shopped at Aubrey’s nursery, you would get his full attention. Both the nursery and his customers will never be the same for the time he invested in them.

The New Kid on the Block

Dr. Andrew King is the 4th generation owner of King’s Nursery. Andrew, as his father and grandfather before him, grew up on the nursery. But unlike them, Andrew knew from an early age that he wanted to be a horticulturist. Earning a B.S. in Horticulture from Stephen F. Austin State, Andrew became the first of 4 generations to be formally educated in Horticulture. Not long thereafter, he earned a M.S. and PhD, both in Horticulture, from Texas A&M University. After teaching Horticulture at A&M for 5 years, Andrew made his way back home to take his turn at operating King’s Nursery.

When asked about his return, Andrew relates a story that impacted him. “I ran into a former classmate from SFA a year or so after I’d taken the job at A&M. She asked what I was up to and I told her about my faculty position. She looked grief-stricken! I asked her what was wrong, and she said that she thought I’d end up at King’s. “It’s Your LEGACY!” she said. After a few years, it became apparent that she was exactly right!”

The next chapter in the “King’s Legacy” is yet to be written, but the story goes on! Andrew will offer some of the old, much of the new and will continue to focus on providing a horticultural shopping experience unlike any other! So after 105 years, come and see what King’s has to offer!