About Michael Baer
Founder, CEO, Master Gardener

The roots of GreenTree’s landscaping operations are personal. It all started with a small boy following behind his father’s tractor, enjoying the feel of cool, freshly tilled soil against bare feet. “I grew up on four acres of orange and avocado groves and I can’t remember a day of my childhood when I wasn’t fascinated by the sight, the smell, the texture of nature and the farm around me. My happiest memories are of me and my brothers riding on the fenders of that old Cletrac, or sitting under a plum tree with my dog, eating fruit right off the branch.”

At 15, Michael inherited his older brother’s car, invested in a lawn mower and lined up neighbors as his first clients. Eventually he left the farm, worked his way up as a fire fighter to become Captain of an engine company, finished a political science degree at UCLA and traveled the world (literally) as a foreign-post journalist. But after living and working in more than 13 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and South America, Baer returned to Southern California and his childhood home.

Formally opening GreenTree Landscaping in the early 1980s, Baer designed the business around twin aspirations: inventing surprising, beautiful natural surroundings and building lasting creative relationships with his clients.