Nancy B. Goldstein, Founder and Visionary

Read the speech John gave when accepting Nancy’s  Hall of Fame award,  posthumously,  on his mom’s behalf, Read here.

Nancy Goldstein vowed that getting into the horticulture business was the last thing she intended to do. “I was a doctor’s wife, raising orchids and what I thought were rare plants as a hobby. Now, we have a multi-million dollar company and all the responsibility that goes with it.” as expressed in The Nurserymen’s magazine.

When Nancy and her son John moved Plants Unlimited to San Lorenzo, CA. in 1977, it wasn’t your standard greenhouse business. Nancy had been dabbling in interiorscaping since 1970 and John  was growing plants for her use. John was fixing neighbors landscaping and producing plants while he was in night school.  At 16, John took on the cut flower industry and moved their part of that industry to tropical and subtropical plants and away from a dying industry.

Then, almost overnight, the interiorscape industry took off and demand for the Goldsteins’ acclimated Ficus and exotics for interiors put them in the wholesale business in a big way.  The 100,000 square feet of greenhouses thrived in the 1980’s and 90’s with an array of exotic plants that the interiorscapers loved. Since the interiorscapers had great success with the acclimated foliage, retail nurseries began to covet the products as well.  

Nancy lost her battle with Diabetes in 1997, but her heart and soul live on in the business. The San Lorenzo facility closed in the early 2000’s, but the business still continues to grow for you in Castro Valley, CA. 

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John R. Goldstein, Founder and President

John is our President of the Corporation a dedicated Botanist, deeply knowledgeable about plant biology and ecosystems. With his innovative approach to sustainable gardening, he consistently introduces cutting-edge techniques to our team. His commitment to environmental stewardship is truly inspiring.

With the rare tropical and sub-tropical plants that we are growing, they thrive outdoors in Castro Valley and will thrive in much of the 7 Bay Area Counties, indoors and out. You can find some of what we grow on our plants for your own paradise page. You can find plants that we have cared for almost 50 years on our plant care and maintenance page. We also offer a full range of services that are tailored for the professional clients as well as for homeowners.

John and his teams have also helped businesses and homeowners resolve flooding or drainage issues for almost 50 years. In that 50 years, his crews have helped some quite famous folks with their special occasions from weddings to trade shows, but we can’t leave out the award winning Holiday Design and Installation.

Roberto Alvarado-Rodrigues, Vice President Operations

Roberto, our Vice President of Operations and Lead Nurseryman, brings over 20 years of extensive experience in cultivating a diverse array of plants. His keen eye for detail and profound passion for horticulture, landscape design, and maintenance, ensure that every garden under his care flourishes beautifully. Roberto’s unparalleled expertise stands as a testament to his dedication and skill in the field.

Lorrie Rivers, Corporate Secretary

Lorrie has been with the corporation off and on for 35 years. She is a main cog in the corporation and helps keeps us rooted with all of the important updates required in California of the company.