Ornamental Production

The nursery industry in Miami-Dade County is large and diverse. There are more than 1,500 nurseries in the county, and they produce everything from bedding plants to tropical foliage to tender perennials. We are the #1 county in Florida for ornamentals production and #2 in the country.

Our plants go to nurseries and garden centers all over the southern and eastern U.S. A surprisingly large number of our palms and other tropicals end up in malls and office buildings all over the U.S., and in Canada and Europe.

Field-grown palm and shade tree production is concentrated on the marl soils in eastern Miami-Dade. Large shrubs are also produced, often inter-planted with palms and trees.

Container-grown palms, trees, shrubs, and tender perennials treated as shrubs are produced in The Redland Agricultural District on rockland, often with tropical fruit and tropical vegetable crops as neighbors.

Walk-in diagnostic and plant identification services are available at the office, phone consultations and site visits can also be arranged.

Production Updates/News

2016 Annual Plant Disease Report in English, Spanish, and Creole.
Relevant information on WhiteFly Biotype Q pest information and management for nurseries.
Check out the The Greenfield Blog for additional news or updates!

Information for Commercial Growers

Upcoming Classes

View Upcoming Classes
For direct notification please send an email to q.liu1@ufl.edu and subscribe to nursery production email list.

Safety at Work

Coronavirus Safety Fact Sheets for Agriculture:

OSHA Updates for Plant Nurseries:

OSHA: Hazard Communication Guide for Employers
Examples of Hazard Communication Programs (Ranked #1 hazard in an OSHA inspection)

Example #1

Example #2

Example #3

Mosquitos and Zika virus protection for outdoor workers:

Protection for outdoor workers (English)

Outdoor workers may be at the greatest risk of exposure to Zika virus, which is primarily spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Your employer should inform you about the risk of exposure through mosquito bites and how to protect yourself.

Protección para trabajadores al aire libre (Spanish)

Los trabajadores al aire libre pueden estar en el riesgo mayor de exposición al virus del Zika, que se transmite principalmente por las picaduras (o las picadas) de mosquitos infectados. Su empleador debe informarle sobre el riesgo de exposición por las picaduras de mosquitos y cómo protegerse a sí mismo.

Warnings on Insects and Pests for Growers

UF/IFAS Whitefly Website
Gumbo Limbo Spiraling Whitefly
Oriental Fruit Fly (Spanish)
Giant African Land Snail (GALS) Factsheet
Giant African Land Snail and Plant Nurseries
Information on invasive lizards in nurseries and groves in English, Spanish, and Creole.