Welcome to Cooper-Payne Tree Farms & Landscapes

Your Premier Source for Cold Hardy Palms and Desert Plants, Specimen Trees, Shrubs and Conifers

Cooper-Payne Tree Farms specializes in specimen quality trees and shrubs that are well adapted to the climate of the Piedmont region as well as points farther North and South. Our specialty is large specimen landscape trees and shrubs ranging from not-so-common cold hardy palms, conifers and desert plants to old-time favorites with an emphasis on larger size shade trees and Japanese Maples. We also are known for our unique selection of heirloom plants.

We are the region's premier landscape design and installation source for large tree landscaping, tropical landscape design, and Japanese garden design. Our work with swimming pool landscaping is renowned throughout the region, creating a tropical backyard oasis for scores of discerning clients. We cater to both retail and wholesale clients.

Retail Store Grand Opening!

We're pleased to announce the grand opening of our new retail store location and display garden right off I-40, Exit 261 in Hillsborough. This location complements our much larger selection of specimen trees, shrubs and cold hardy palms at our nursery and farm. Winter hours are generally 12 to 5, seven days a week, and by appointment (be safe and give us a call at 919-801-0211 before making drive).

Take Exit 261, then turn South off the exit ramp and we're located about 200 yards off the freeway on the left.

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Jurassic Palms!

Cooper-Payne is delighted to announce the availability of giant "Jurassic" Sabal Palmettos or Cabbage Palms. These specimens palms are 30 to 45 feet tall and are approximately 100 years old. The frond canopies are removed for transport but the tree will refoliate within a year of transplant. Click here for more information and photos of our Jurassic Palms!


This Chapel Hill, North Carolina, garden was recently featured on a gardening segment on HGTV

Your New Source for Timber Bamboo, Giant Bamboo and Ornamental Grasses

We're very pleased to announce that we now offer a full line of rare cold hardy giant bamboos. From the popular Vivax and Japanese Timber Bamboo to a wide range of ornamental grasses, we have a selection to meet every landscaping project need.

Historic Landscape Restoration and Vintage Garden Renovations

We are also specialists in Historic Landscape Restorations and have sources for many of the older cultivars of heirloom plants that are no longer available.

Please browse through our Landscape Portfolio which showcases just a few of our many projects and features a new project just completed at Lake Hyco, North Carolina.

A Creative Landscape Design Team

Located near Chapel Hill in the heart of North Carolina's Piedmont, we have showpiece installations throughout the country ranging from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest to our home territory throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina as well as Northern Georgia. Our plants and our isntallations can be found in the coastal Northeast from the Washignton-Baltimore corridor to Long Island.

Gardeners in Zone 7, which encompasses most of the Piedmont regions of the Southeast as well as into the Coastal Northeast including Coastal New Jersey and Long Island, are uniquely able to grow a wide variety of plants that gardeners farther north and south are unable to.


This Windmill Palm is being planted in 14° weather in Central North Carolina in January. The plant experienced no stress or damage.

With proper plant selections and placement, gardeners can successfully grow several varieties of palms as well as Northern Evergreens in the same garden space.In today's world, many homeowners may not have the luxury of waiting 10+ years to see a newly planted tree or shrub reach maturity. Many of our trees shrubs and palms are already in their mature state which can provide the homeowner with instant screening or a mature landscape without having to wait for many years. Since our trees and shrubs are grown for longer time periods under ideal conditions, they are much larger and fuller than what is normally available.


This 8' Fat Albert Colorado Blue Spruce is known for its heat tolerance. We have a large selection of Fat Alberts as well as other heat-tolerant northern evergreens.

In some instances, we purchase individual specimen plants from property owners and relocate them to new homes. Since our trees and shrubs are usually dug with tree spades, the larger root balls provide more insurance against transplant shock and allow the plants to better handle variations in temperature and moisture.

Whether you are looking for a single specimen tree, palms for your landscape, screening your property or an entire property makeover, we have the plants and the creativity to design a unique landscape for you.