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What types of plants are produced by nurseries?
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horticulture
Interior of a commercial horticultural greenhouse.
Nurseries are specialized facilities dedicated to the cultivation and establishment of young plants for transplanting, stock propagation, or sale. While the industry primarily focuses on ornamental varieties, it encompasses a diverse range of plant types:12
- Ornamental Plants: This is the largest segment of the nursery trade, featuring a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Key categories include coniferous evergreens (e.g., yew, juniper), broad-leaved evergreens (e.g., rhododendron, holly), and deciduous plants (e.g., forsythia, lilac). The rose remains the most significant single plant grown for outdoor cultivation.123
- Bulb Crops: Nurseries produce various ornamental bulbous plants, including true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, and swollen roots.12
- Edible Plants: The business also includes fruit plants and certain perennial vegetables commonly used in home gardens, such as asparagus and rhubarb.12
- Native Plants: Some nurseries focus on the propagation of native species specifically for ecological restoration projects.1