Greenhouse, Nursery, & Floriculture Production

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production covers establishments primarily engaged in growing crops under cover, propagating nursery stock, and producing floriculture products. This includes bedding plants, potted flowering plants, foliage plants, cut flowers, nursery trees and shrubs, sod, and vegetable transplants. Production takes place in greenhouses, shade houses, lath houses, and outdoor nursery beds, with operations concentrated in California, Florida, Oregon, Texas, North Carolina, and Michigan.

This subsector is distinct from field-crop agriculture in its reliance on controlled or semi-controlled growing environments. Energy costs for heating, cooling, and lighting are significant operational expenses, as are the costs of growing media, containers, and specialized structures. The product mix is diverse, serving residential landscaping, commercial landscaping, garden retail centers, mass-market retailers, wholesale distributors, and the event floristry trade.

The industry is highly seasonal in northern states, with peak sales concentrated in spring and early summer. Operations in the South and West benefit from longer growing seasons and year-round production capability. Import competition — particularly from Colombian and Ecuadorian cut flowers and Canadian greenhouse vegetables — shapes pricing and competitive dynamics in several product categories.