1. Issue 2
Nursery and Floriculture Production Sector in Orange County
by Luis Nieves-Ruiz, AICP
Introduction
In these difficult economic times, the Economic Research Initiative examines Orange County’s
economy in a comprehensive way by examining some of the industries that drive the local
economic activity. This second article studies the impact of the Green House and Nursery
Production sector (NAICS 1114), otherwise known as the nursery and floriculture industry. It starts
with a background that covers the history and general characteristics of this industry, looks at areas
of concentration within the County, and discusses some of the challenges faced by the industry.
Establishments within the Green House and Nursery
Production (NAICS 1114) sector grow a variety of plants
under cover, including nursery stock, shrubbery, foliage
plants, and flowers. The local industry is ranked eighth
in the nation, and local nurseries reported more than
$237,000,000 in sales (USDA, 2007). Despite these
impressive numbers, the nursery and floriculture sector
tends to be a minor component of local economic
development efforts. The fact that Orange County is
considered an urban county may play a role in this
omission. This position ignores the history of the
industry, its drive to innovate, and its future potential.
History of the Industry
The commercial nursery industry emerged in northwest Orange County in the early 1880s to supply
seedlings to the local citrus growers. Soon after, several horticulturists started to experiment with
other crops for commercial purposes, and fern nurseries started to emerge just before the First
World War. The Boston fern was the major breed produced locally, but soon the industry expanded
to include other types of indoor foliage. Innovations in scientific and mass marketing helped to
boost production. Local growers organized the Zellwood Fern Growers Association in 1922 and
started to sell their product under the Dewkist trademark. By 1927, local nurseries were shipping
over one million ferns. The major buyers were large national chain department stores like Kress,
Krege, McCrory, and Woolworth’s. The 1934 freeze highlighted the need for greenhouses to
protect the plants. By 1949, Apopka had 49 green houses, with others rapidly being built. In the
1960s, the O.F. Nelson and Sons Nursery east of Apopka developed an assembly line method that
produced container grown plants on a hardy root stock. In 1980, the third largest tissue culture
facility in the United States opened in Plymouth. The tissue culture method of plant reproduction
works very similar to cloning, as it involves placing a small piece of plant tissue in test tube with
nutrients to grow a perfect plant.
Nurseries have become an important fixture in Northwest Orange County. As can be seen on
Exhibit 1, most of Orange County’s nursery production is concentrated near the City of Apopka and
the unincorporated areas of Plymouth and Zellwood. Nurseries occupy over 4,000 acres. The
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AUGUST 2009

2. majority of these nurseries are dedicated to the production of ornamental plants (1,654 acres) and
container nurseries (1,597.7 acres).
This large concentration of nursery businesses has also led suppliers and other related industries
that support the nursery industry to locate in the area, creating economic “clusters.” A cluster is
defined by the relationships between nearby firms, which can include organizations from a variety of
industries. For example, supporting industries may provide local nurseries with important production
inputs, such as seedlings, fertilizer, and pesticides.
To verify if there is indeed a cluster in Northwest Orange County, staff used the infoUSA business
database to identify nursery establishments and other associated industries. The establishments
were separated into two different categories: producers and suppliers and related industries. The
“producer” category includes nurseries that produce plants mainly to be sold at the wholesale level.
It is comprised of firms within the following industries: Nursery and Tree Production (NAICS 1114),
Nursery and Florist Merchant Wholesale (NAICS 4249), and Nursery Garden and Farm Supply
Stores (NAICS 4442). There are 162 establishments within these three categories in the area.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AUGUST 2009

3. The “suppliers and related industries” category includes suppliers, retailers, and the direct users of the
products. There were 117 firms from a variety of categories, including tissue culture producers, fertilizer
manufacturers, farm equipment providers, and landscaping companies. Figure 2 above shows the
number of firms within these categories. While the absence of actual sales data makes it hard to prove
the linkage between these firms, their geographic proximity hints that there is a strong connection
between these companies.
Exhibit 2: Number of firms by NAICS Group in Northwest Orange County
Cluster NAICS Number of
Group Code Industry Description Establishments
1114 Nursery & Tree Production 13
4249 Nursery & Florist Merchant Wholesale 85
Producers 4442 Nursery Garden & Farm Supply Stores 64
1114 Nursery and Tree Production 3
3253 Fertilizer Manufacturing 3
Suppliers
and Related 4238 Farm & Garden Equip Merchant Wholesale 2
Industries 4246 Other Chemical Merchant Wholesale 2
4249 Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesale 4
4442 Nursery Garden & Farm Supply Stores 12
4531 Florists 2
5417 Research & Development In Biotechnology 1
5617 Landscaping Services 87
5619 All Other Support Services 1
Source: infoUSA Business Database, 2009
An important component of clusters is the educational and research institutions that provide the
technical expertise and allow innovation to happen within the industry. The University of Florida’s
Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS) Mid Florida Research and Education Center in South
Apopka fits this role in northwest Orange County. This institution provides research on different aspects
affecting the nursery and foliage industry, including plant development, plant production, and pest
management. Figure 3, on the next page, shows the location of some of these suppliers and related
industries in the nursery and floriculture industry cluster.
Challenges and Conclusions
To facilitate the growth of an industry, it is important to honestly assess the challenges facing it. From a
planning perspective, the biggest challenge faced by the nursery industry is recognition. In a time when
cities and governments favor strategies to attract both high tech industries and a higher-value tax base,
focusing on agriculture may not be part of the economic development strategy. Agriculture is still
perceived as an industry that consumes enormous amount of land, employs few people, and creates
low value added products (Fulton, 2008). Most likely, this is the reason why agriculture is seen by some
as a “holding” land use until urban development arrives.
This debate is more common on the fringes of big metropolitan regions, where urban growth is pulling
agriculture out of business. While urban development increases the demand for ornamental plants, it
can also put pressure on some nurseries to relocate or shut their doors. For example, Knox Nursery in
unincorporated Orange County moved from their original location on the outskirts of Pine Hills, because
it was encircled by residential growth. The company relocated to a new site in Avalon Road in 1997.
Now, as urban growth migrated to southwest Orange County, the location is also encircled by new
subdivisions and commercial outlets.
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4. The perception of agriculture as a losing land use proposition was recently questioned by the Orange
County Farm Bureau. In a study partially funded by the Orange County Board of County
Commissioners, the Bureau compared the community revenues and expenditures created by the
different land uses. The study found that for every dollar generated by the local agriculture industry, the
County and schools spend only 22 cents in direct services. On the other hand, residential land use
consumes 34 cents more in services than the revenues it produces.
The challenges faced by the floriculture and nursery industry are mainly local in nature, since local
jurisdictions still control both economic development strategies and urban growth. Therefore, local
economic development organizations must recognize the importance of the nursery industry has in
northwest Orange County’s economy. Moreover, several of the plant technologies developed for the
nursery industry, like tissue culture production, could be used to develop plants for biomedical studies.
At the same time, the nursery industry will also need to learn to adapt to urban development. For
example, as communities continue to consume rural land for urban purposes, nursery gardens could be
built on rooftops of urban structures. Hydroponic nurseries can grow food with just 15 percent of the
water used by a typical farm (Mackay, 2009). Similar initiatives would help the nursery industry to
continue to thrive and preserve its important role in the County’s economy.
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5. References
Rahmani, M, Hodges, A.W, and Mulkey, W.D. Profile and Economic Impacts of Agriculture and Natural Resource
I Industries in the Central Region of Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences Food and Resource Economics Department (2002) Gainesville: FL
Chamberlain, Alex S., Durak Michael L., Gerken, John L., Vigh, Charles A. Agricultural Development in East
Central Florida (1967) East Central Florida Regional Council 1965 Research Series. Titusville, FL
Shofner, Jerrell H., History of Apopka and northwest Orange County, Florida (1982), Rose Printing Co.
Tallahassee: FL
Evans, Craig (2007).The Contributions of Agribusiness to Orange County, Florida. Orange County Farm Bureau.
Orlando: FL
Corthright, J. Making Sense of Clusters: Regional Competitiveness and Economic Development (2006).
Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.
Jackson, J.W. Industry is back in bloom: Nursery sales top $3 billion, UF Survey says. Originally posted
September 29, 2006
Fulton, W. Down on the Farm. Governing. October 2008. p.58
Jackson, J. Nursery meets the challenge. Orlando Sentinel: Central Florida Business, May 9-11, 2008
Mackay. R. Up on the roof-future of gardening? Orlando Sentinel. April 14, 2009.
Mills. K.G, Reynolds, E.B., and Reamer, A. Clusters and Competitiveness: A New Federal Role for Stimulating
Regional Economies. Brookings Institution. Originally Published on April 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2009
from www. brookings.com
Orange County Growth Management Department
Issues Month of Publication
Planning Division
Research & Intergovernmental Coordination Section
Post Office Box 1393
Introduction May
Orlando, FL 32802-1393
Telephone: 407.836.5600
Fax: 407.836.5862 Nursery and Floriculture Production August
E-Mail: planning@ocfl.net
www.ocfl.net/planning
High Technology Sectors October
Leisure and Hospitality November
Health Care and Biotechnology December
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AUGUST 2009