Top States

Horticulture Sales, 2019 ($ mil)

California 2,629

Florida 1,932

Oregon 1,016

Michigan 695

Texas 599

North Carolina 556

New Jersey 505

Ohio 469

Georgia 354

Pennsylvania 310

New York 310

Washington 300

Top States

Horticulture Operations, 2019

Florida 1,689

Pennsylvania 1,365

California 1,331

Oregon 1,124

Michigan 1,092

New York 978

North Carolina 885

Ohio 854

Wisconsin 789

Washington 699

Texas 614

New Jersey 555

Horticulture 

ACH17-25/December 2020

Highlights Results from the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Horticulture Sales 

California, the top state in horticulture 

sales, sold $2.6 billion in horticulture 

products in 2019, down 9% from 2014. 

Unlike California, many of the other 

top producing states had increases in 

sales, yet experienced a decrease in the 

number of operations. Florida, the state 

with the most horticulture operations, 

had an 18% decrease in the number 

of operations. Horticulture products 

were primarily marketed wholesale, 

accounting for 86% of the value in sales 

compared to 14% retail.

The number of operations producing horticulture products in 2019 

decreased 11% from 2014. Sales of horticulture products decreased slightly 

(by $10.1 million), while expenses increased 6%. Five states accounted 

for 50% of horticulture sales and 28% of horticulture operations. Nursery 

stock, annual bedding plants, and sod were the largest sectors in 2019, with 

combined sales of over $8 billion. 

20,655

operations

$13.8 billion

horticulture sales

$11.9 billion

sold wholesale

2019 Sales

($ million)

% Change

Since 2014

Nursery stock 4,545 7

Annual bedding 2,244 -13

Sod 1,272 12

Potted flowering 1,200 11

Potted herbaceous 923 -2

Food crops grown under 

protection 703 -12

Propagative materials 720 4

Foliage 691 -4

Cut flowers and cut lei 

flowers 386 -17

Transplants for 

vegetables and 

strawberries 370 -1

Cultivated Christmas 

trees 357 -3

U.S. Horticulture Sales, 1929-2019 ($ billion)

0.2 0.3 0.5 1.0

3.2

4.8

10.6

11.7

13.8 13.8

1929 1949 1959 1970 1979 1988 1998 2009 2014 2019

Horticulture Production

Land Area Used for Production, 2014 and 2019

2014 2019 % Change

Acres in production

In the open, excluding 

under shade structures 497,339 549,063 10%

Sod 320,566 334,206 4%

Cultivated Christmas trees 178,000 172,000 -3%

Natural shade 5,404 6,729 25%

Million square feet 

under protection

Greenhouses 895 885 -1%

Plastic film 640 666 4%

Glass covered 123 109 -11%

Rigid plastic 132 111 -16%

Shade structures 430 392 -9%
About the Survey

The 2019 Census of Horticultural 

Specialties is a Census of Agriculture 

special study. It includes any operation 

that produced and sold $10,000 or more 

in horticultural specialty products in 2019. 

The 2019 data as well as results of 

previous NASS horticultural surveys are 

available in the NASS Quick Stats database 

at quickstats.nass.usda.gov, and as a PDF 

file publication at www.nass.usda.gov/

go/hort. 

Source: USDA NASS, 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Nursery stock was the largest horticultural 

category by value of sales and accounted 

for 33% of all horticultural sales. Broadleaf 

evergreens was the largest category of 

nursery stock sales and accounted for 6%

of total horticultural sales.

Horticultural operations reported 

$11.6 billion in production expenses in 2019. 

Operation Characteristics

66%

The share of horticultural operations that sold directly to consumers. 

Retail sales accounted for only 14% of all sales of horticultural products. 

Expenditures, 2019

$ Million

% Change

Since 2014

Labor 4,878 10

Seeds, growing media, 

containers 2,902 5

Fuel, utilities, supplies, 

repairs 1,369 -8

Rent, interest, taxes 759 9

Other 751 38

Fertilizer and chemicals 675 -9

Marketing and packaging 302 -1

Total 11,636 6

Nursery Stock Sales, 2019

$ Million

% Change

Since 2014

Broadleaf evergreens 853 6

Fruit and nut plants 735 -3

Deciduous shade trees 711 26

Deciduous shrubs 674 0

Coniferous evergreens 652 15

Deciduous flowering trees 377 1

Ornamental grasses 179 13

Woody ornamentals

and vines 141 -9

Landscaping palms 133 -13

Cacti and succulents 79 92

Bareroot herbaceous 

perennials 11 -36

Total Nursery Stock Sales 4,545 7

Operation Characteristics by Sales Class, 2019 (percent of total)

Operations

Wholesale 

Sales

Retail

Sales Sales Expenses 

Hired 

Workers

$10,000 to $99,999 58 1 15 3 5 12

$100,000 to $499,999 24 6 25 8 10 16

$500,000 to $999,999 7 6 13 7 8 10

$1,000,000 to 

$2,499,999 6 14 17 15 15 15

$2,500,000 + 5 73 30 67 62 47

Marketing Channels Used, 2019 ($ million)

Interiorscapers 86

Non-prot groups 100

Retail orists 206

Wholesale orists 497

Landscape redistribution yards 909

Supermarkets 1,110

Other 1,707

Consumers (direct sales) 1,965

Other mass marketers 2,342

Retail garden centers/nurseries 2,377

Landscape contractors 2,481

Sales to landscape 

contractors was the 

largest marketing 

channel by volume of 

sales, accounting for 

18% of total sales. Retail 

garden centers and 

other mass marketers 

accounted for 17% each.

Operations with $2.5 million or more in sales accounted for only 5% of total 

operations but the majority of wholesale sales (73%), total sales (67%), and 

expenses (62%). Operations with $10,000 to $99,999 in sales accounted for 58% 

of total operations.

Snapshot: Horticulture, 2014 and 2019

2014 2019 % Change

No. of operations 23,221 20,655 -11

Total sales ($ billion) 13.8 13.8 0

Avg. sales per operation ($ thousands) 594 667 12

Wholesale (as percent of total sales) 86.0 86.0 0

Corporations (as % of total operations) 37.6 37.0 -1

Production expenses ($ billion) 11.0 11.6 6

No. of operations with hired workers 17,086 14,861 -13

No. of hired workers 274,759 242,695 -12