About Heritage
Our Roots
Founded in 1982 by Mark and Jolly Krautmann on just five acres of rented ground, Heritage Seedlings & Liners quickly established itself as a premier source of desirable and rare seed-grown landscape trees, including Acer griseum, Cercidiphyllum, and Stewartia. What began as a small operation has grown into a respected wholesale nursery, built on a shared passion for plants, horticultural knowledge, and lasting relationships with our customers.
Heritage's commitment to horticulture and Pacific Northwest landscapes also led to the establishment of a native seed program in 2002. Originally part of Heritage Seedlings & Liners, the program has since grown into Willamette Heritage Native Seed , a separate business specializing in native prairie seeds for habitat restoration and conservation. While the two businesses now operate independently, they share a common history rooted in a passion for plants and environmental stewardship.
Honoring Jolly's Legacy
Although Jolly Krautmann passed away on July 21, 2024, her vision, leadership, and spirit continue to guide and inspire us every day. We fondly remember her familiar reminder: "Make sure..." — a reflection of the attention, care, and high standards she brought to everything she did.
September 20, 1951 – July 21, 2024
Read more about Jolly's life and legacy →
Her dedication to plants, people, and doing things well remains a part of who we are. Both Mark and Octavio carry that legacy forward, ensuring the principles that shaped Heritage continue to guide its future.
Growing With Purpose
We have grown in management efficiency and size around the interests and strengths of our key people. Our management strategy is based on our experience that employees who are inspired by their work and career CARE. That care shows in every box or in the delivery truck when you open the door. Solid value delivered reliably, and transparent communication from start to finish – that’s our craft.
We train our staff to be competent and then trust them to do the right thing. That’s our enduring pledge to you, our customer. Verify it again every year, as you have done for almost two generations.
Our Next Chapter
Moving forward, we continue to promote capable staff from within, develop contract production arrangements with clients, and carefully choose the most promising of new woody plants. With Octavio Martinez at the helm as new owner, Heritage remains a family-run operation.
Mark and Octavio were paying close attention and will continue to honor Jolly’s legacy. Octavio is in charge now, but Mark is still involved on an advisory basis, a phone call away when we need him. He’s sticking around mostly for the fun of it, and because we’ll always be family. His favorite expression seems to be "Help me understand."
Octavio is making major upgrades in production capacity and developing new relationships with the best of plant breeders overseas and here in the States. His vision is to take Heritage to the next level. A first step in this effort is a $400,000 investment in transitioning from traditional containers to air-pruning pots that produce healthier, stronger root systems.
