A Lineage of Horticulture
Our Roots
Our seeds were planted by Leonard Kent (1918–2009), a Los Angeles physician who began collecting bromeliads in the 1960s. After amassing a collection of up to 40,000 plants, Leonard turned his passion into a mail-order business. In the 1980's, he and his sons donated specimens from his collection to a featured garden at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, CA. The garden was rededicated as the Leonard Kent Bromeliad Garden in his honor in 2000.
Kent's Bromeliad Nursery
In 1973, Leonard and and his son Jeffrey bought land in Vista and built an initial 10,000 sq ft greenhouse. By 1975, Jeffrey, joined by his brothers Larry and Michael Kent, established Kent’s Bromeliad Nursery, Inc.
In the early 1980s, faulty equipment induced an entire greenhouse to bloom ahead of schedule. The Kent brothers turned the crisis into a series of lucrative supermarket deals. Increased production necessitated expanding the business up to 33 acres spread across multiple locations in the North County area. The bromeliad exclusive inventory enlarged to offer up to 100 + commercial varieties year-round to a clientele of mass merchandisers, supermarkets, wholesalers, interior designers, and landscapers.
Besides sales, Kent's Bromeliad Nursery has been responsible for the development of licensed patents of bromeliads still sold to other growers worldwide. Jeffrey Kent generated up to 47 unique varieties and holds more than 25 patents for bromeliads. These were hybridized for beauty and durability from specimens he collected during his many expeditions into the jungles of South America.
Transplanted to a New Garden
Elevate Living Design
In 2023, the Kent brothers sold 100% of the business to Elevate Living Design Inc, a joint venture of United Plant Growers Inc. and Grand Investments LLC. The goal of Elevate Living Design is to continue the legacy of Kent's Bromeliad Nursery in Vista while expanding on the scale of production and marketing.
Our most apparent change has been the introduction of tropical foliage to our catalogue. From the lush, velvety leaves of anthuriums to striking veining of Xanthosomas, this expanded catalogue introduces a wider variety of colors, shapes, textures to compliment our bromeliads.
Elevate Living Design also has made it a point to offer more options for hard goods and combination pots. Our new garden combination pots combine the warm colors of our bromeliads accentuated by the eye-catching patterns and shapes of our foliage plants. They are the perfect symbol for the new direction of the business and will serve as stunning centerpieces in your home.
With the sale of their company, Larry Kent and Michael Kent were able to retire. Jeffrey Kent continues to develop hybrids in semi-retirement and consult for Anthura B.V. Elevate Living Design continues to offer employment to Kent's Bromeliad employees.