Apr 28, 2017
Did You Know That #PlantsDoThat? By Tim Hodson

Did you know that consumer horticulture contributes more than $196 billion to the U.S. economy and creates more than 2 million jobs?

Most people in our industry are pretty familiar with the many different benefits that plants have to offer, but the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) recently published a new infographic — “#PlantsDoThat, Horticulture: The Art, Science & Business of Plants” — that really helps illustrate how consumer horticulture can make a difference in America.

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture is a consortium of industry leaders who are promoting the benefits and value of horticulture. NICH brings together academia, government, industry and nonprofits to cultivate the growth and development of a healthy world through landscapes, gardens and plants — indoors and out, and to get 90 percent of U.S. households gardening by 2025.

According to a new report from the NICH:

Plants in the workplace reduce employee sick time by 14 percent;
Well-landscaped homes are more valuable; since homes represent 25 percent of personal wealth, outdoor plants pack a powerful personal finance punch;
Americans are growing more of their own food — 25 percent of all Americans grow berries, veggies or fruit trees;
Shaded roadways save 60 percent of repaving costs; and
America’s public gardens generate $2.3 billion in tourism spending.

The NICH infographic (pictured above) uses data compiled by green industry economist Charlie Hall, the Ellison Endowed Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University, and was produced by the NICH Economic Committee.

The #PlantsDoThat infographic is the first in a planned series of releases that will showcase how plants can help improve everyday life. “We envision the infographic as a tool showcasing the power of consumer horticulture for the purpose of building support for more plants in our personal and public spaces,” says Debbie Hamrick, NICH Economic Committee chair.

The series of infographics is available (at no charge) on the NICH website — ConsumerHort.org.

If you want to help spread the word and let everyone know how great our industry is and that you are a part of that greatness, be sure to check out #PlantsDoThat.

— Tim