07/01/2026
Yay Bob!!! 👏👏👏
Meet the Breeder: Bob Head
Some plant people grow crops. Others shape the future of landscapes one cross, one trial, and one breakthrough at a time. Bob Head has spent his career doing exactly that.
Alongside his wife Lisa, Bob has built Head Ornamentals into a respected name in plant development, where breeding is driven by patience, precision, and a clear understanding of what growers, retailers, and gardeners truly need. Together, they have helped turn years of evaluation and hands-on experience into plants with stronger performance, better habits, improved flowering, and wider market appeal.
Bob is especially recognized for his work in ornamental breeding programs that focus on meaningful improvements, not change for the sake of change. Compact forms, cleaner foliage, richer color, increased hardiness, and dependable rebloom are the traits that separate a novelty from a lasting success.
Among the standout examples of that work is the ReBLOOM® Azalea program, developed to bring repeat flowering, vibrant color, and season-long appeal to one of the South’s most beloved landscape plants. By combining classic azalea beauty with modern garden performance, the program reflects the kind of practical innovation that defines Bob Head’s approach to breeding.
The Head Ornamentals portfolio has also included notable introductions such as Summer Red™ Maple, Bloom-A-Thon® Pink Cupcake Azalea, Emerald Knoll® Boxwood, Ramblin’ Man® Weeping American Holly, Eureka Gold™ Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Christmas Jewel® Holly, Teddy Bear® Magnolia and Snow-N-Summer™ Asiatic Jasmine. Each represents years of selection, testing, and refinement before ever reaching the marketplace.
What sets Bob and Lisa apart is their long-view philosophy. Great breeding is not a quick spark, it is seasons of observation, careful decisions, and relentless standards. It is equal parts science, instinct, and endurance.
That is why Greenleaf Nursery values its relationship with Bob Head and Head Ornamentals. When innovative breeding meets world-class production, exceptional plants reach the market faster and stronger. Together, Greenleaf and Bob Head help deliver improved genetics, exciting new programs, and reliable garden performance to customers across the country.
Because the future of horticulture is not stumbled upon. It is bred, tested, and built by people like Bob Head.
