TreeSap Farms, a major supplier of landscaping plants, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Texas court, staggering under a $229 million debt load. The Houston-based company blames years of relentless bad weather in Southern California, which it says crippled operations nationwide, leaving it starved for cash.

In a late Monday filing, TreeSap announced plans to sell off most of its assets, a desperate move for survival.

A Nursery Powerhouse Caught in a Financial Storm

TreeSap Farms, which cultivates over 33 million shade trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants annually across 15 farms in California, Texas, Florida, and Oregon, has long been a pillar in the landscaping industry. But its roots have been shaken by forces beyond its control.

For the past three years, extreme weather in Southern California has withered its once-thriving operations, with losses outpacing profits from its other farms. At the same time, ballooning debt and seasonal cash flow struggles compounded the crisis, pushing the company to the brink.

TreeSap's financial disclosures reveal a staggering $205.4 million in secured debt, alongside $24 million in unpaid trade obligations.

Bankruptcy Lifeline: A $51 Million Gamble

To keep its operations afloat through restructuring, TreeSap Farms is seeking court approval for $51 million in debtor-in-possession financing—a mix of $22 million in fresh funding and a $29 million rollup of prepetition debt.

Guiding its financial survival are Keystone as financial adviser and Armory Securities as investment banker. The company has enlisted McKool Smith’s John J. Sparacino, S. Margie Venus, and Adam D. Skrzecz, along with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s Timothy A. Davidson II, Joseph P. Rovira, and Catherine A. Rankin for legal counsel.

As TreeSap Farms fights to salvage its business, industry watchers will be keeping a close eye on whether this once-thriving nursery giant can weather the financial storm—or if this Chapter 11 filing marks the beginning of the end.