Natureworks Nursery is a family-owned and operated fruit tree nursery, a genetic “seed bank’’, and an educational resource center located in Haiku, Maui. The nursery features a wide variety of tropical fruit trees as well as ornamental trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials.
The purpose of Natureworks Nursery is to collect, host, propagate, and educate people about genetic diversity and the importance of perennial food systems that don’t rely on tilling the soil and will keep on giving long after we’re gone.
Natureworks Nursery is dedicated to supporting local food security by hosting, propagating, and spreading around genetic diversity, while educating people about the importance of biodiversity and different kinds of food production systems, which are the key to resilient, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture.
To promote food security and biodiversity, Natureworks Nursery provides high quality genetic materials and consulting services for projects ranging from one or two trees to complex agroforestry systems and orchards.
Meet the Founder
After completing a permaculture apprenticeship with Michael Howden at the age of 15, Natureworks founder and “tree man” Jayanti Nand knew he wanted to dedicate his life to trees.
At the age of 16, Jayanti moved to Kipahulu, where he spent the next 15 years living and learning permaculture, raising a family, and planting and caring for thousands of trees and plants. He helped clear, plant, and manage 80 acres of land, which is now one of the most amazing forests on Maui, full of food, building materials, medicine, fiber, and invaluable genetic materials.
After moving to the North Shore in 2010, Jayanti started collecting fruit trees and built a small home nursery. In 2014, he officially registered Natureworks Nursery as a business and moved the nursery to Haiku.
Jayanti is passionate about using his knowledge of plants, trees, and nature to help make this world a better, healthier, and more abundant place. In his own words, he says: “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life!”
In 2022, Jayanti Nand and Natureworks Nursery on Maui received the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association’s Service Award recognizing Jayanti’s expertise with grafting and providing a wide variety of cultivars for growers.
Our Team
Natureworks Nursery is currently owned and operated by Jayanti Nand and his wife Naima Audant Nand. The business is run by a small group of dedicated family members, friends, and people within the community who volunteer time and energy at the nursery while learning and developing their tree care skills.
Future Vision
Our goal is to expand Natureworks Nursery’s operations.
We’re working on acquiring a secure, long-term land lease to set up new infrastructures and plant a genetic seed bank so our “mother” trees can be in the ground.The seed bank will be a living garden that allows us to collect fresh seeds and to vegetatively (taking cuttings, airlayers, and scion wood) propagate greater genetic diversity across Maui.
Part of our vision is to also create an environment where people can come visit, bask in the beauty of nature, and try different exotic fruits while learning about various agricultural topics.