Floriculture

Revised November, 2021.

Overview

Floriculture is an international, multi-billion dollar industry that includes the production of bedding and garden plants, foliage plants, potted flowering plants, cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, and floriculture materials. Floriculture item sales at all retail outlets was $31.3 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures (2016). Consumer trends indicate 46 percent of U.S. consumers purchase outdoor bedding and garden plants, 34 percent of consumers buy fresh flowers and 20 percent buy flowering/green houseplants.


According to the 2020 Floriculture Crops Summary, the most recent USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Summary, the 2020 wholesale value of sales of floriculture crops increased 8 percent from 2019. These operation account for 97 percent of the total value of the $4.80 billion in floriculture crops. Florida represents 24 percent of the total wholesale value. Following Florida is California with 21 percent and Michigan with 11 percent. Then rounding out the top five states are New Jersey and Ohio with 6 and 5 percent. The number of producers for 2020 reached 5,930 which is up 14 percent from 2019. Of those 5,930 operations 4,310 of them hired workers. The average peak number of hired workers for an operation was 19. 

Bedding and garden plants

The wholesale value of all bedding plant production, which include herbaceous perennials, is the largest contributor to total value sales and represents 49 percent of the wholesale value of all the reported floriculture crop produced in the United States. Michigan, California, Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina were the top five states in this category. These states accounted for 53 percent of the total bedding and garden value in 2020. In 2020 the wholesale value of all bedding and garden plants reached $2.27 billion, which was up 13 percent from 2019. 

Potted flowering plants

Production of potted flowering plants for indoor or patio uses was valued at $850 million in 2020, down 11 percent from 2019. California accounts for 31 percent of the value in this category and Florida accounts for 29 percent. The value of potted poinsettias totaled $157 million, up 3 percent from 2019.  

Foliage plants

The value of foliage plant sales in 2020 was $756 million, up 23 percent from 2019. Florida continues to lead in foliage plant production with 69 percent of the total value. Potted foliage plants represent 89 percent of the total foliage value. The remainder of the value is from hanging baskets. 

Cut flowers

The wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers was $295 million for 2020 down 10 percent from 2019. California's is the US leading producer of cut flowers with a wholesale value of $203 million, accounting for 69 percent of the total cut flower value of the other leading states. 

Marketing

The 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties, a survey conducted every 10 years, determined the primary outlets for floriculture products were retail garden centers and nurseries (6,462), other mass marketers (1301), direct to consumer sales (13646), landscape contractors (6864), non-profit groups (2286) and supermarkets (1982). 

References

Floriculture Crops. 2015 Summary. April, 2016. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.