Hey there

Ninth Ward Nursery was founded in a backyard in New Orleans’ historic Ninth Ward in 2015. Beginning with a capital investment of $100 worth of plants, the tiny operation quickly became New Orleans’ go-to source for non-invasive bamboo.

In 2018, the nursery began expanding, doubling in size with an inventory of thousands of bamboos and a choice selection of tropical plants. Our success has been — and continues to be — mostly the result of word-of-mouth referrals from clients our nursery industry partners.

In 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, we turned our attention to reimagining the nursery’s design, incorporating artistic elements and transforming it into what we call “a botanical garden where the plants are for sale.” As a result, the nursery became a destination for magazine photographers and filmmakers. 

In 2023, the nursery doubled in size again, to accommodate a growing demand for bamboo beyond the New Orleans metro area. We now serve clients throughout the Gulf South who are interested in creating lush, natural privacy screening for their yards and businesses.

Nursery founder and president Mark Sanders is the editor of BAMBOO Magazine, the official publication of the American Bamboo Society, and handles the organization’s social media duties in addition to serving as a member of the ABS’s Board of Directors. Mark has served as an expert witness in legal proceedings involving bamboo, and in 2021 was recognized with a proclamation by the City of New Orleans for his volunteer work on behalf of Ninth Ward Nursery.


PRESS


  • thegardenpathpodcast.com

    Mark Sanders is owner and bamboo fanatic of Ninth Ward Nursery in New Orleans, Louisiana

  • itsneworleans.com

    It’s one thing to come up with an idea for a business and open it in Mid City or Uptown. It’s quite another undertaking to launch and run a business in the 9th ward. or the Lower 9th Ward…

  • bizneworleans.com

    Three years ago, in a completely haphazard fashion, Mark Sanders built a burgeoning business with only $100 and the engrossing desire for a bit of privacy…

  • nola.com

    Three years ago, Mark Sanders decided he didn’t want to see the neighbors' two-story house behind his home anymore. He hopped in his car, and after a four-hour roundtrip drive…

  • myneworleans.com

    Much like an empty canvas, a vacant lot is full of wondrous possibilities. Almost fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina, the Ninth Ward is still woefully full of vacant lots. However, some enterprising urban farmers continue to…

  • wwltv.com

    Sanders was able to make 58 stops Monday, picking up what he could before hauling to the drop off site, all for free.