Wild Roots Nursery, a local greenhouse, opened in January 2021. The nursery sells a variety of succulents, cacti and tropical plants. The plants’ prices range from low to high, depending on the plant.
Markley grows all the plants that are sold at Wild Roots through propagation (replanting cuttings from another plant) and breeding.
The Florida native learned to grow plants through his family farm, Markley Family Farms. The farm was a community-supported agriculture vegetable farm, where the community was able to gather a basket of vegetables weekly. But with Texas’ unpredictable weather, Markley found succulents were more successful and easier
to manage.
“I love growing vegetables, but it’s very challenging,” Markley said, noting the labor was difficult and Texas’ weather is harsh. “I made more money on those succulents than I did all that super-hard labor of growing tomatoes and all that lettuce, and the succulents made more [money] that day than all that hard work, so I was like, ‘OK.’”
One of Markley’s favorite parts of his job is watching the plants grow.
“I really like Philodendrons and Monsteras because they’re so easy,” Markley said. Philodendrons and Monsteras are both common families of houseplants.
His most popular plants are in the Aroid family, a family made up of houseplants such as Philodendrons and Anthuriums.
Wild Roots Nursery sells its products wholesale to Rainbow Gardens in San Antonio, Tillery Street Plant Co. in Austin, and Lot 59 and The Local in New Braunfels. It is also expecting to complete its website for mail orders by early summer.
Wild Roots Nursery
394 Union Wine Road, New Braunfels
www.instagram.com/wildrootsnursery
Hours: Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.,
closed Mon.-Fri.
