The expert designers of the master planned community Sterling Grove used a pallet of our trees to furnish this southwest neighborhood and golf course.
Sterling Grove, nestled near the White Tank Mountains in Surprise, Arizona, is one of the most celebrated master-planned communities in the Southwest — and a testament to what's possible when world-class landscape design meets a premium, large-scale plant supply partner. Developed by Toll Brothers in collaboration with landscape architects Greey-Pickett, the community earned the National Gold Award for Community Landscape Design, a distinction made possible in part by the mature, established trees and plants sourced exclusively from Moon Valley Nurseries.
Moon Valley Nurseries has spent decades becoming the preferred wholesale plant supplier for master-planned communities, resort developers, and golf course operators across the Sun Belt. Our unmatched growing scale — spanning thousands of acres of growing grounds — means we can fulfill large-volume orders with specimens that arrive at full size, giving new developments an immediately finished, high-end appearance. Sterling Grove is one of many landmark communities in our wholesale portfolio, alongside golf clubs, resort communities, and mixed-use developments that demand nothing less than the highest quality plant material.
First impressions matter, and Sterling Grove's arrival experience sets a tone of understated elegance from the moment guests cross the threshold. Moon Valley Nurseries supplied the mature trees that frame the community's signature entry: a citrus orchard positioned against a backdrop of waterways, a grove of Ficus trees anchoring white farm-style fencing, and stately Chinese Elm trees arching over water features throughout the arrival corridor.
The gatehouse landscape telegraphs the community's design philosophy immediately — one of manicured, park-style beauty that departs sharply from conventional desert xeriscaping. Achieving this look required trees with significant caliper and canopy at the time of installation, something only possible through a supplier with Moon Valley's growing infrastructure. Our catalog includes hundreds of species in sizes ranging from standard nursery stock to specimen-grade trees that can be installed as mature anchors on day one — no waiting years for a landscape to grow in.
Winding through Sterling Grove's interior, residents and guests pass a series of waterfront gardens and shaded walkways that give the community its distinctly livable, resort-like character. Moon Valley Nurseries supplied the backbone of this planting scheme: yellow-flowering Tipu trees lining pedestrian corridors, hardy Ash trees providing canopy over quiet resting spots, and a diverse mix of drought-tolerant shade trees that deliver seasonal color — vibrant blooms in spring and summer, warm reds and oranges in fall — across every street and common area.
The design challenge in a community of this scale is maintaining visual consistency and plant health across miles of streetscape and open space. Moon Valley's wholesale team is experienced in coordinating large, phased deliveries for master-planned projects, ensuring uniform sizing, species availability, and installation timing across every neighborhood zone. We have executed similar scopes for master-planned communities throughout Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and California, and our agronomists work directly with landscape architects during the specification phase to match the right plant to every microclimate, soil condition, and design intent.
Sterling Grove's crown jewel is its private Nicklaus Design 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, operated by Troon Privé®. The clubhouse grounds called for a planting palette that feels simultaneously lush, sophisticated, and unmistakably resort-caliber. Moon Valley Nurseries delivered: fruitless Olive trees shade the outdoor dining courtyards; Resort-Style Date Palms™ ring the pool to create a tropical oasis atmosphere; and an array of flowering plants — Bougainvillea, Lantana, Sage, Coral Fountain Grass, and Gopher Plant — layer in color, texture, and year-round visual interest throughout the fairways and gathering areas.
Golf courses represent one of Moon Valley's most established wholesale specialties. We understand the unique demands of supplying plant material for golf environments: specimens must be visually spectacular, structurally sound, and selected for long-term performance with minimal maintenance burden on turf management staff. Our growing operations produce palm trees, shade trees, and flowering accents at the scale and quality that signature golf properties require, and our team has successfully partnered with course developers, management companies, and architects on projects ranging from private clubs to destination resort courses across the Sun Belt.
