Floriculture

Floriculture is the branch of horticulture devoted to the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens, interiors, and the floral industry. It covers production, propagation, breeding, and postharvest handling of cut flowers, potted flowering and foliage plants, bedding plants, and related decorative crops, as well as floristry and design.

Most floriculture is conducted in greenhouses or other controlled environments, enabling year‑round production in temperate and tropical regions. Major crop groups include cut flowers such as roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, and tulips; orchids and other potted flowering plants; and foliage and bedding plants. Leading exporting regions include the Netherlands, Colombia, and Ecuador for cut flowers, with Kenya, Israel, India, and China playing significant roles as well.

Practices encompass controlled environment agriculture, propagation by seeds, cuttings, grafting, and tissue culture; and crop management involving fertilization, irrigation, climate control, and integrated pest and disease management. Breeding aims to improve vase life, color range, fragrance, uniformity, and stress tolerance. Postharvest handling emphasizes harvest at appropriate maturity, conditioning, precise cutting, cold chain transport, and packaging to extend shelf life.

The floriculture industry forms a global supply chain linking growers, wholesalers, retailers, and florists, with demand cycles tied to holidays and events. It is sensitive to energy costs, exchange rates, and biosecurity policies, and is exposed to market fluctuations and climatic risks.

Sustainability concerns include high energy use in protected cultivation, water management, pesticide management, and waste from packaging. Efforts focus on energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy, integrated pest management, and sustainable packaging and sourcing practices.