About Us
For over 40 years, JFT Nurseries has set the standard for quality, reliability, and service in the Australian horticultural industry. As a third-generation, family-owned wholesale nursery based in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, we specialise in supplying premium deciduous fruiting, flowering, and ornamental standard trees to garden centres, advanced tree growers, orchardists, landscapers, and commercial growers across Australia.
Our Story
JFT Nurseries is a proudly family owned business established in 1981 by Murray and Beryl James. Located in Silvan, at the heart of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, our nursery has thrived for over four decades thanks to its rich volcanic soil, high rainfall, and ideal growing conditions.
From humble beginnings, Murray and Beryl set out with a clear vision… to grow strong, healthy trees and deliver outstanding quality to nurseries and landscapers across Australia. Their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction quickly earned JFT Nurseries a reputation as a trusted supplier for retail and advanced tree nurseries.
Today, the business is managed by the third generation of the James family, including Andrew James, Chris Sands, Billie Hicken, and Renee Byrne. Together with a dedicated team of approximately 40 staff, JFT Nurseries continues to build on its legacy – always focused on delivering the best possible trees and ensuring every customer, from nursery owner to end gardener, has a positive experience.
Our nursery now spans over 100 acres, allowing us to grow an extensive range of fruiting, flowering, and deciduous ornamental trees. Our fruiting range includes apples, cherries, plums, peaches, and nectarines. Among our flowering trees, you’ll find lilacs, prunus, cherries, and crab apples, while our deciduous ornamentals feature maples, ash, poplars, birch, elms, and many more – including a large selection of weeping and standard trees.
In the past five years, we have expanded our offering with a growing range of potted stock, with a special emphasis on dwarf fruiting trees and other popular varieties. This ensures we can provide our customers with a reliable, year-round supply.
At JFT Nurseries, we take the quality of our stock very seriously and pride ourselves on the trees we deliver. We recognise that for gardening to grow, every consumer must have a positive experience – and that starts with strong, healthy plants from a nursery you can trust.
Affiliations & Licensed Partners
We are proudly licensed with some of Australia’s leading horticultural IP organisations. These partnerships ensure the authenticity, quality, and compliance of the varieties we grow and supply.
Accreditations
We operate under strict quality and quarantine standards that support safe, compliant interstate movement of plants and nursery stock.
- ICA-29 Accreditation
- ICA-62 Accreditation
- PS-57 Accreditation
- PS-59 Accreditation
- PS-62 Accreditation
Our Mission
A dedicated family business, producing top quality trees and, which prides itself in being a place where our team enjoy coming to work as part of the JFT family.
Our Vision
Grounded in family. Growing exceptional trees for generations to come.
Our Values
At JFT Nurseries, our core values shape everything we do:
Quality Trees
We aim always, to grow trees that thrive for generations to come
Customer Experience
We are committed to a positive experience for all, treating our customers as our extended family
Communication
We are approachable, communicate honestly and clearly to ensure we are all on the same page
Respectful
We hold each other in high regard and value everyone’s input
Teamwork
Recognising that everyone has an important role to play, we work together to produce exceptional trees
Experience You Can Trust
With decades of hands-on horticultural expertise, our team brings unrivalled knowledge and a genuine love for growing. Our mentors pass on their technical skills and passion for the art and science of horticulture, ensuring every tree we supply meets the highest quality standards.
Nationwide Reach, Local Roots
From our home in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, we supply customers throughout Australia (except NT). Our nine local properties and state-of-the-art facilities allow us to deliver healthy, robust plants efficiently and reliably, wherever your business is based.
What Makes JFT Different?
Our customers often tell us it’s our commitment to quality, our personal service, and our deep industry experience that sets us apart. We are proud to be a one-stop shop for a wide range of deciduous and fruiting trees, with hundreds of varieties available and the flexibility to fulfil both small and large contract orders. Our exclusive partnerships (including ANFIC and PlantNet) and licenced varieties ensure our clients always have access to exceptional, unique stock.
Our Commitment to Quality
Quality is at the heart of everything we do. Every tree is carefully grown, graded, and inspected to ensure it meets our strict standards. If a tree doesn’t meet our expectations, it doesn’t leave our nursery – simple as that. Our reputation for quality is why customers return year after year, and why we’re trusted by leading nurseries, orchardists, and landscapers across Australia.
Supporting Our Community
JFT Nurseries is proud to support our community through donations, staff wellness initiatives, and social responsibility projects. We also donate a portion of sales from select varieties (such as our popular “Cercis Siliquastrum ShowgirlA”) to the McGrath Foundation, demonstrating our commitment to giving back.
Contact Us
Ready to experience the JFT difference? Contact our team for more information, to request our current stocklist, or to discuss your requirements. We look forward to working with you!
Join Our Team
We’re always looking for passionate, dedicated people to join our team. At JFT, you’ll find a supportive environment, learning and development opportunities, and the chance to work in the beautiful outdoors. Grow with us and become part of our story.