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Meet the Team
Learn trusted bamboo nursery heritage.
Certified Bamboo Nursery
Tropical Bamboo® Nursery & Gardens is a 13-acre nursery specializing in tropical, clumping bamboo plants. The nursery is based in Loxahatchee (Palm Beach), Florida. As long-term members of the American Bamboo Society and the World Bamboo Organization, we have been directly involved with the most significant discoveries and events related to bamboo throughout the world.
We are certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture (Registration #47231849) and also have certificates to ship to most U.S. states (not Hawaii, as a one-year quarantine is required for plants from the mainland). Tropical Bamboo Nursery currently offers nearly 300 varieties of bamboo, from container sizes to field-grown specimens.
These include an exotic range of culm colors, variegation, and form. Our nursery prides itself on educating visitors about bamboo-related aspects and recommending the perfect species for each application.
Plant Sourcing & Quality Assurance
All bamboo species acquired by Tropical Bamboo Nursery were imported under strict USDA quarantine guidelines via the American Bamboo Society. Once released from the one-year USDA-APHIS quarantine, Tropical Bamboo Nursery tests and evaluates each species to determine its suitability for the local climate zone-ensuring client satisfaction for years to come. Tropical Bamboo is the premier supplier of non-invasive bamboo plant varieties that grow in a clumping form.
Nursery Operations & Production Fields
The garden serves as the central point for local retail and mail-order sales, with container areas and greenhouses surrounding it. To the north and west are three large production fields that grow specimens of various sizes for projects requiring more immediate landscape impact. A newer, larger production field is located on the same block, just south of the main nursery, visible along the road about a half mile before the main gate.
Display Garden Experience
The nursery features a display garden surrounding a large bamboo pavilion constructed primarily from Guadua bamboo. Restroom facilities are available. Bamboo benches, tables, and stools provide seating throughout the garden.
Visitors can enjoy waterfalls, a small winding stream, relaxing music, and ceiling fans that enhance the ambience. A Bali-style bamboo structure is featured, along with a two-level bamboo pagoda offering a bird's-eye view of the gardens.
A series of elephant grass and bamboo umbrellas cover picnic tables along the stream. Visitors are welcome to bring lunch and picnic in the bamboo garden. A new garden area is being introduced, featuring a large bamboo sculpture titled "Orbweaver," created by Gerard Minakawa of Bamboo DNA.
Team and Culture
Our staff is composed of a diverse, talented, and friendly group of bamboo specialists. When bamboo people gather, they feel like family, and our team reflects this spirit through pride in their work and enthusiasm for the plants they produce.
Leadership and History
Tropical Bamboo's owner, Robert Saporito, is the president of the Florida/Caribbean Chapter of the American Bamboo Society. In 1997, he helped develop and continues to maintain the ABS Florida Caribbean Chapter website, which remains a valuable resource for tropical bamboo information.
Robert began as a rare plant collector in the late 1980s and worked in aviation, specifically helicopters, often in remote regions of the world. His discovery of large timber bamboos (primarily Guadua species) while working in jungle environments led to a passion for growing giant grasses in South Florida.
Since bamboo is a grass (Poaceae) and restricted by USDA import regulations, Robert partnered with the American Bamboo Society's Florida Chapter and eventually became its president. Many tropical bamboo species were imported through USDA quarantine stations by the FCC/ABS in 1995 and 1997.
As these species gained visibility in the southern United States, demand increased. The nursery was founded in 2000, and its current Palm Beach County location was established in 2002. Today, Tropical Bamboo Nursery continues to collect and import new bamboo species through the USDA/APHIS quarantine facility in Beltsville, Maryland. More than 100 new varieties have been introduced to the U.S. since 2010.
Bamboo Bob Legacy and Customer Experience
Bob Saporito (Bamboo Bob) is Robert's father. Every bamboo operation seems to have a Bamboo Bob, and he embraced the moniker. It wasn't really difficult to bring him out of retirement to help with whatever was needed (sales, deliveries, creative projects). He became well-versed in bamboo and enjoyed sales most of all, so if you stop by, you might get the Bamboo Bob experience.
UPDATE: Sadly, Bamboo Bob passed away in 2022, but his influence and spirit will always be part of Tropical Bamboo Nursery.
Customer Service and Mail Order Operations
Andrea Andres manages everything customer service-related (and more). Shipment of mail-order plants is completed early each week (usually Mondays and Tuesdays). All mail-order plants are selected, packaged, documented, and shipped by Sam. If you visit our nursery, she will most likely be the first to greet you and provide information and advice on the many different bamboos. She is always cheerful.
Nursery Staff and Support Team
Mateo Diego Salvador is our newest employee. Mateo may be new, but he is already showing true leadership abilities. He is multilingual and very gregarious—a true asset to our team.
Nicolas D. Simon is most often working in production and propagation. Antonio is almost perpetually smiling (unless he has not eaten lunch by 2:00 or is still working after 4:30).
Mateo Santiago leads the nursery staff. He maintains all systems, assigns tasks, and solves problems. Mateo sets a fast pace but maintains quality. He often helps with sales as well, as he is one of the top bamboo experts worldwide and very personable.
Marcos Gonzalez is, like Mateo Santiago, very versatile at our nursery. Both are fluent in English and Spanish (plus two Mayan dialects) and go out of their way to make your visit Read More
Pedro P. Francisco (Repollo) is primarily in charge of large specimen production, weed control, and specialty propagation. He has been with us since 2004. Pedro is the unofficial comic Read More
Antonio D. Alonso is young, energetic, multilingual, and just a bit mischievous. He maintains the beautiful display garden at our nursery, so you will likely run into him when you arrive.
Alberto Pedro is our elder statesman (not literally—just the most mature member of our bamboo family). As a production and propagation specialist, he is steady and reliable, always leading by example.
Trademark Notice
The name Tropical Bamboo and logo are protected by a registered Federal Trademark.
Details on the trademark can be found at:
 Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval (TARR)
Patent and/or Trademark information at:
 United States Patent & Trademark Office
The words Tropical Bamboo are protected only when used as a proper noun, with uppercase first letters, for the sale of live bamboo plants.
