We have history.

The Roots of a Legacy

The Speer family’s passion for growing trees began in the 1930s. As a young boy in Fairview, Oregon, Dan Speer watched his father, Benjamin, carefully bud trees—eagerly waiting for the day he would be old enough to work alongside him.

​

Benjamin Speer was a respected and highly skilled budder, and he took Dan under his wing at an early age. By twelve, Dan was tying buds himself, already developing a deep appreciation for the craft. It was clear from the beginning that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become a nurseryman.

After serving a tour in the U.S. Navy in the 1940s, Dan returned home determined to pursue his dream of working on a tree farm. But the country was still recovering from the Great Depression, and nurseries were struggling to survive. Jobs were scarce. Rather than give up, Dan chose a different path—he would start his own nursery.

​

In 1948, Dan and Benjamin founded Speer & Sons Nursery in Fairview, Oregon. On ten acres of rented land, they planted fruit trees and committed themselves to one guiding principle: grow the highest quality trees possible.

​

Growing Strong

Through years of dedication and trial and error, Dan refined the growing techniques that would become the foundation of the nursery’s reputation. By 1950, he had mastered the craft and purchased a 27-acre farm in Springdale, Oregon, expanding into fruit trees, shade trees, roses, and conifers.

​

Seven years later, the business outgrew its location. Dan moved operations to 40 acres along Gordon Creek in Corbett, Oregon. Sales increased, but the harsh Columbia Gorge winds proved challenging for the crops. Seeking better conditions, Dan purchased 178 acres in Hillsboro, Oregon, in 1965. There, he planted the shade and flowering trees that would become the hallmark of Speer & Sons.

​

Between 1972 and 1976, Dan acquired additional adjoining land, expanding the Hillsboro farm to 375 acres. During this time, his sons Patrick and Mike joined the business, learning firsthand from their father—just as he had learned from his own.

​

Expanding the Vision

As the nursery industry flourished through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Patrick and Mike assumed much of the day-to-day leadership. Dan, contemplating retirement, mentioned he might purchase a small ten-acre farm as a hobby.

​

Instead, he surprised everyone by buying 500 acres between Woodburn and St. Paul in 1980.

With nearly 900 acres between Hillsboro and Woodburn, the scale of operations more than doubled. Though his sons worried about managing such growth, Dan had confidence in the family—and in the future of the business.

​

The first crop was planted in Woodburn in 1981. That same year, Mike transitioned to outside sales, and for several years Dan and Patrick managed both farms. By 1984, bare root production was consolidated in Woodburn, while Hillsboro transitioned exclusively to B&B production.

​

Though Dan gradually stepped back, retirement never fully suited him. He returned each summer to work in the fields he loved. In the early 2000s, Patrick’s children joined the nursery, spending summers alongside their grandfather. Dan remained active in the industry until shortly before his passing in 2010, dedicating his entire life to the work he cherished.

​

Coming Full Circle

Speer & Sons remained in Woodburn until 2013, when Patrick and his son Dan—named in honor of his grandfather—moved operations back to Hillsboro. With the housing market in decline and demand reduced, the Hillsboro acreage proved to be a better fit for the business at that time.

​

By 2016, as the market recovered, Speer & Sons expanded once again, purchasing a new farm in Canby, Oregon. Today, the nursery is headquartered there, continuing to grow alongside the market it has served for decades.

​

Still Growing

With more than 70 years in the nursery industry, Speer & Sons has weathered economic shifts, industry changes, and generational transitions. Yet the heart of the business remains unchanged.

​

The nursery now grows more than 180 varieties of shade and flowering trees—many of them cultivated since 1965. It is still owned and operated by a Speer son, just as it was in the beginning. And each morning, the Speer family rises with the same passion that first took root nearly a century ago: a commitment to growing exceptional trees.