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Economic Aspects of the California
Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
Hoy Carman
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
October 2011
THE AUTHOR
Hoy Carman is professor emeritus of agricultural and resource economics in the Department
of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The assistance of Professor Peter Berck, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics,
University of California, Berkeley, with setting up and running the IMPLAN model for
California is sincerely appreciated. Elaine Thompson, former executive director of the
California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers, assisted with references, data
sources, and contacts with industry participants. She also provided support for the annual
updates of estimated economic impacts that are included in this report. Research support
was provided by a grant from the California Polytechnic University Foundation of San Luis
Obispo, California, with funding from the California Association of Nurseries and Garden
Centers Endowment. The report also benefi tted from reviewers’ suggested revisions.
©2011 by the Regents of the University of California
Division of Natural Resources
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission
of the publisher and the authors.
To simplify information, trade names of products have been used. No endorsement of named or illustrated
products is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products that are not mentioned or illustrated.
This publication has been anonymously peer-reviewed
for technical accuracy by University of California
scientists and other qualifi ed professionals.
PREFACE
This report is an updated and expanded version of Giannini Foundation
Information Series No. 04-1, Economic Contributions of the California
Nursery Industry by Hoy F. Carman and Ana Maria Rodriguez, issued in July
2004. The earlier publication was based on industry data through 2001.
Short annual revisions using new industry data for 2002 through 2008/09
were prepared for the California Association of Nurseries and Garden
Centers from 2004 through 2010. This report adds fi scal year 2009/10
and calendar year 2009 data, documents annual changes since the original
report, and summarizes industry impacts for the total period.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface .................................................................................................................................... i
Executive Summary.............................................................................................................. 1
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3
Data Sources ......................................................................................................................... 4
Nursery and Floral Industry Growth ................................................................................. 5
The Comparative Role of Nursery and Floral Production ................................................ 6
Structural Characteristics of California’s Nursery and Floral Industry .......................... 8
Location of Production ...................................................................................................... 10
Crops Produced .................................................................................................................. 12
Numbers and Types of Nursery Firms ............................................................................. 14
Retail Sales .......................................................................................................................... 15
Market Shares ...............................................................................................................17
Retail Margins ............................................................................................................. 18
Estimated Economic Impacts ............................................................................................ 19
Economic Multipliers.................................................................................................. 19
Estimated Economic Impacts ..................................................................................... 20
Concluding Comments ...................................................................................................... 22
References ........................................................................................................................... 24
Appendix ............................................................................................................................. 27
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
iv
TABLES
1. California’s Top Twenty Commodities with Value of Sales and Rank for 2003–2009 ..............................7
2. Selected Characteristics of California Nursery and Floriculture Farms, 1982–2007 ................................9
3. California Production of Nursery Products, Flowers, and Foliage, 2006–2009, and
Top Sixteen Counties’ 2009 Share of State Total .........................................................................................11
4. Wholesale Value of California Floral and Nursery Products by Major Categories, 2006/07
through 2009/10 ............................................................................................................................................13
5. Statewide Taxable Sales by California Retail Florists and Farm and Garden Supply Stores,
Calendar Years 1997–2009 ...........................................................................................................................15
6. Estimated Annual U.S. and California Lawn and Garden Retail Sales, 1997–2009 ................................16
7. Estimated Market Shares of Various Retail Store Types for Sales of Flower Products
in California, 2001 ......................................................................................................................................... 18
8. Estimated Percentage Gross Margin for Floral and Nursery Products by Retail Store Type,
Estimated Total Floral and Nursery Sales, and Total Margin, California, 2009 .......................................18
9. Estimated IMPLAN Multipliers for the California Nursery Industry ........................................................19
10. Estimated Direct and Total Economic Effects of California Flower and Nursery Production
and Lawn and Garden Retailing, 2009 ........................................................................................................21
11. Estimated Total Economic Effects of California Flower and Nursery Production and
Lawn and Garden Retailing, 2001–2009 .....................................................................................................21
Appendix Tables
1. Nursery, Flower, and Foliage Production for 2001–2005 for the Sixteen California
Counties Ranked Highest in 2005 ................................................................................................................27
2. Wholesale Value of California Nursery Products by Major Categories for 2000/01
through 2005/06 ...........................................................................................................................................28
3. Value of California Nursery, Flower, and Foliage Production by County, 1999–2009 ............................29
4. Population, Value of Nursery and Floral Production, and Number of Greenhouse, Nursery,
and Floriculture Producers in California by County, 2007–2009 .............................................................31
5A. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2002 by County ..............................................................32
5B. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2011 by County ...............................................................34
6. The IMPLAN System ......................................................................................................................................36
FIGURE
1. California Nursery and Floral Sales: Total and as a Percent of Total Agricultural Sales ............................5
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
1
California’s nursery and fl oral industry contrib-
utes signifi cantly to the state’s economy. It is
the largest in the United States with a farm
value for fl oral and nursery product sales totaling
$3.78 billion in 2009 (U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture, California Agricultural Statistics, 2010). Within
the state, information from the National Agricultural
Statistics Service for all agricultural commodities
typically ranks California’s total output of nursery
products at second or third ($2.85 billion) and the
fl oral industry at ninth or tenth ($0.93 billion). When
fl oral and nursery product sales are combined, the
industry ranks second among all California agricul-
tural products following the dairy industry, which had
$4.54 billion in sales in 2009.
The number of California farms producing nursery
and fl oral crops varies depending on when the count
is made and criteria used to defi ne a farm or producer.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
2007 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms pro-
ducing nursery and fl oriculture products increased
steadily from 2,845 in 1982 to 4,388 in 2002 and then
began to decline over the next fi ve years, dropping to
3,549 in 2007. The California Department of Food
and Agriculture’s (CDFA’s) Directory of Nurserymen
and Others Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California
(2002, 2011) listed 2,999 producers with sales of
more than $1,000 in 2002 and 2,959 such producers
in 2011. With total sales of nursery products growing
relative to the number of nursery farms, average sales
per farm also grew through 2002 and then jumped
signifi cantly in 2007, when average sales per farm
increased to a little more than $1 million. A similar
pattern of growth is shown for the average value of
land, buildings, machinery, and equipment; that total
increased to more than $2.1 million in 2007.
California’s nursery and fl oral industry enjoyed
steady increases in sales from 1993 through 2007.
Those increases raised the industry’s share of Califor-
nia’s total agricultural production from 9.3 percent in
1994 to a peak of 12.5 percent in 2002. After 2002, that
share began to decline, falling to 10.9 percent in 2009.
The variations in the nursery and fl oral industry’s
share of total output were mainly due to changing
sales for other commodities.
CDFA and California county commissioners report
fl oral and nursery production in 55 of California’s 58
counties in 2009, but just sixteen counties accounted
for more than 87 percent of the value of production.
Among these top sixteen counties, nursery and fl oral
crops were the number one ranked crop in value of
production in San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Ange-
les, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Siskiyou counties.
Of the sixteen California counties with the largest
nursery, fl ower, and foliage production in 2009, nine
had more than $100 million of production, two less
than in 2008 and three less than in 2007.
In terms of climate, nine of the top sixteen counties
border the Pacifi c Ocean and Santa Clara County has
a coastal type climate. Stanislaus County was the only
Central Valley county with production of more than
$100 million in 2008 and none of the Central Valley
counties broke $100 million in 2009.
San Diego County dominates the nursery and fl oral
industry with sales that topped $1 billion annually in
2007, 2008, and 2009. Since its 2008 and 2009 sales
increased while California’s statewide sales decreased,
San Diego County increased its share of California
sales from 26.0 percent in 2007 to 27.6 percent in 2008
and 30.3 percent in 2009. The next fi ve counties in the
ranking (Monterey, Ventura, Riverside, Santa Barbara,
and Orange) combined account for 29.9 percent of
California’s total 2009 production. The remaining ten
of the top sixteen account for 27.0 percent of produc-
tion. Only four of the top sixteen counties increased
total sales between 2007 and 2009: San Diego, Santa
Cruz, Santa Clara, and Siskiyou. Nursery and fl ower
production is a major agricultural enterprise in several
of California’s most urbanized counties, including
Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara, and
Riverside, which together account for more than 54
percent of California’s population.
California is the largest single retail market for lawn
and garden products in the United States, accounting
for 7.6 to 10.4 percent of estimated total annual U.S.
sales since 1997. The majority of California’s nursery
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
2
and fl oral products are sold to California consumers.
Total 2009 California retail sales of lawn, garden,
and floral products were estimated at more than
$9.3 billion. The gross margin (retail sales minus cost
of goods sold) on these sales was estimated at more
than $3.5 billion. Retail channels have been changing
over time with the market share for “big box” hard-
ware/home improvement stores such as Home Depot
and Lowe’s increasing signifi cantly.
The recession of 2008 and 2009 had a signifi cant
impact on retail sales and retail outlets. California
fl orists’ sales plunged almost 62 percent from a high
of $1.2 billion in 2007 to $461 million in 2009. Farm
and garden store sales also decreased 25.3 percent
from 2007 to 2009. CDFA licensing data for 2011
indicate that there are now 4,327 fewer fi rms offering
fl oral and nursery products at the retail level than
there were in 2002.
A regional economic model was used to trace the
direct, indirect, and induced effects of California
nursery and fl oral production and lawn and garden
retailing through the California economy. The impacts
of the industry are dramatic and far-reaching.
Estimated total output and total jobs attributed to pro-
duction and retailing grew steadily from 2001 through
2007 with total output growing from $10.34 billion to
$13.33 billion, employment growing from 168,867 to
217,557 jobs (28.8 percent), and value added growing
from $8.00 billion to $10.33 billion (29.1 percent).
Then, in 2008 and 2009, estimated total wholesale
revenue from fl ower and nursery production and
lawn and garden retail sales decreased signifi cantly
due to the economic recession. This sales decline
was accompanied by a similar decrease in total out-
put from $13.33 billion in 2007 to $10.37 billion in
2009, a decrease in the estimated total number of
jobs in fl ower and nursery production and lawn and
garden retailing in California from 217,557 in 2007 to
169,899 in 2009, and a decrease in total value added
from $10.33 billion in 2007 to $8.01 billion in 2009.
Unfortunately, estimated multiplier effects for basic
production and retailing are symmetric; decreased
sales lead to decreased total output, total employment,
and value added.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
3
Nursery and fl oral production is an important
segment of California’s overall agricultural
output and farm income. According to sales
fi gures compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) (California Agricultural Statistics, 2003–2010),
nursery production and sales typically rank third
among all California crops after dairy output (milk
and cream) and grapes, while fl oriculture usually
ranks somewhere around tenth. When sales for nurs-
ery and fl oriculture are combined, they rank second
among all California crops. While the California fl oral
and nursery sector’s ties to the real estate industry and
the unique nature of its crops contributed to fi fteen
years of uninterrupted sales growth between 1993
and 2007, the bursting of the real estate “bubble”
and ensuing fi nancial crisis in late 2007 resulted in
farm-level fl oral and nursery sales dropping from a
record $3.98 billion in 2007 to $3.45 billion in 2009.
Between 2001 and 2009, the period covered by this
report, nursery and fl oral sales varied from 9.9 to 12.5
percent of California’s total agricultural sales, ending
at 10.9 percent in 2009.
This report compares nursery and fl oral produc-
tion and sales with those of other California crops
and changes in sales over time for 2001 through
2009, covering the U.S. recession that began in late
2007. The report describes the changing nature of
California nursery and fl oral production and identi-
fi es the location of production within California using
county commissioners’ annual reports. In addition,
estimated retail sales and margins for California’s
lawn and garden sector are developed together with an
estimate of the value added to California’s economy.
A regional economic model traces the direct, indirect,
and induced-multiplier effects of California nursery
and fl oral production and lawn and garden retailing
through the California economy. Increasing sales
magnifi ed the total economic impact of nursery and
fl oral production and retail sectors, but the impact
of decreasing sales on income and employment also
magnifi ed downward. Estimates of changing produc-
tion and sales on employment, value added, and total
output are presented.
INTRODUCTION
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
4
Several sources of data that differ in purpose
and timing are used for this report. The USDA
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
publishes two annual reports: California Agricultural
Statistics and Summary of County Agricultural Commis-
sioners’ Reports. The California Agricultural Statistics
report contains estimated cash receipts by crop used
for farm income calculations while the Summary of
County Agricultural Commissioners’ Reports provides
estimated gross value of production by county and
crop. The annual commissioners’ data is also available
as Microsoft Excel fi les. NASS also produces the Census
of Agriculture, which is completed every fi ve years and
measures crop sales for calendar years.
The value of sales for a particular crop from the
California Agricultural Statistics reports is typically
smaller than the gross value of production provided
by the county agricultural commissioners’ data.
One exception is fl owers and foliage; in that case,
estimated sales are higher than estimated values of
production.
The most current annual data available for
California nursery and fl ower production come from
the annual Nursery Advisory series published by
the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) Nursery Program (see Table 4). Wholesale
values from the Nursery Advisory bulletins are used
in developing annual economic impact estimates.
There is no readily available published series
offering retail sales data for California nursery and
fl oral products. The California State Board of Equal-
ization publishes annual sales data by type of retail
outlet but not by product line. Annual retail sales data
for fl orists and for farm and garden supply stores, two
types of stores that tend to specialize in fl oral and
nursery products, are available in annual reports of
taxable sales from the State Board of Equalization,
which revised its “type of business” classifi cation
in 2009 from the Standard Industrial Classifi cation
(SIC) to the North American Industry Classifi cation
System (NAICS). Farm and garden supply stores
became “lawn and garden equipment and supplies
stores” while fl orists continued as “fl orists.” Large
multi-product retailers such as food stores, hardware
stores, and general merchandise stores are important
outlets for fl oral and nursery products. Aggregate sales
data for such retailers are available, but the share of
fl oral and nursery product sales within the retail store
categories cannot be determined. The trade journal
Nursery Retailer publishes estimates of U.S. retail sales
of lawn and garden products. State estimates of lawn
and garden retail sales were also reported through
2003 by Nursery Retailer.
Given the focus of the California Association of
Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC), which is
the major sponsor of this research, this report uses
estimated sales of all lawn and garden products rather
than solely nursery products in examining aggregate
economic impacts. The Nursery Retailer data do
not include fl oral product sales but information on
those is available, as previously noted. No attempt is
made to account for shipments of nursery and fl oral
products in or out of California since no information
on California’s balance of trade for these products is
available. Estimated total output effects, value added,
and employment are based on (1) farm-level sales of
California nursery and fl oral products and (2) esti-
mated retail sales of lawn and garden products. The
economic impacts outlined are thus a measure of the
contributions of CANGC-represented sectors that are
broader than nursery and fl oral products.
DATA SOURCES
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
5
California’s nursery and fl oral industry enjoyed
substantial, fairly constant growth over the
two decades ending in 2007 despite major
challenges presented by shipping restrictions related
to pests and diseases (glassy-winged sharpshooter
and Phytophthora ramorum), increased competition
from imported fl owers, the impact of increased energy
costs on production and transportation, limited and
expensive water supplies, and less than ideal weather.
California’s estimated cash receipts from fl oriculture
and nursery crops more than doubled between 1992
and 2007, rising from $1.93 billion to more than $3.97
billion (Figure 1). During the same period, annual data
indicate that California’s total agricultural sales also
grew—from a little more than $19 billion in 1992 to
nearly $36.4 billion in 2007 and $38.4 billion in 2008
(USDA, California Agricultural Statistics). Total U.S.
cash receipts from fl oriculture and nursery crops rose
from $11.3 billion in 1996 to just under $16.9 billion
in 2006 (Jerardo, p. 12).
The nursery and fl oral industry could not, however,
brush aside the impact of the 2007 fi nancial crisis and
bursting of the “housing bubble,” which led to the
recession of 2008 and 2009. California’s estimated cash
receipts from fl oriculture and nursery crops decreased
almost 4.8 percent in one year, dropping from $3.97
billion in 2007 to $3.78 billion in 2008 and then
remaining at that level in 2009 (Figure 1). California’s
total agricultural sales fell as well, from $38.4 billion
in 2008 to $34.8 billion in 2009 (USDA, California
Agricultural Statistics 2010). Some agricultural com-
modities enjoyed strong prices during the beginning
of the recession as investors shifted from stocks and
fi nancial assets to commodities. Floriculture and nurs-
ery crops did not, however, as consumers, businesses,
and homeowners reduced spending in response to
sharply reduced home values, rising unemployment,
and reduced incomes.
During many years, the growth rate for nursery
and fl oral sales exceeded the rate of growth of total
California agricultural sales. As a result, the nursery
and fl oral share of total sales rose from 9.3 percent in
1993 to 12.5 percent in 2002 After 2002, the proportion
held by nursery and fl oral products trended downward
to a ten-year low of 9.9 percent in 2008 before recover-
ing to 10.9 percent in 2009. The upper line in Figure
1, total nursery and fl oral sales in 2009 dollars, shows
that real sales in 2008 and 2009 were essentially the
same as they were in 2001 and 2004.
NURSERY AND FLORAL INDUSTRY GROWTH
Figure 1. California Nursery and Floral Sales: Total and as a Percent of Total Agricultural Sales
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Nursery Share of Total (percent)
Nursery Percent
Real Sales in 2009 Dollars
Total Current Sales
14.5
13.5
12.5
11.5
10.5
9.5
8.5
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
Total California Cash Sales (billion dollars)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Agricultural Statistics, 1993–2010.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
6
Many observers are surprised to learn that
nursery and fl oral crop sales individually
typically rank within the top ten California
crops and that, when combined, their sales rank second,
exceeded only by milk and cream (USDA, California
Agricultural Statistics 2010). Table 1 shows the annual
ranking by sales for California’s top twenty crops for
2009 and the rankings for each of those same crops
for 2003 through 2008. Note that nursery crops were
ranked third every year except 2003, when they were
ranked second. Floral crops ranked ninth in value of
sales in 2009 after ranking tenth in the preceding three
years. The commodities in the top ten in California that
ranked below fl oral and nursery products combined
in terms of 2009 gross cash income are grapes (2),
almonds (4), lettuce (5), strawberries (6), cattle and
calves (7), tomatoes (8), and rice (10).
The impact of the fi nancial crisis and economic
recession of 2008 and 2009 varies by commodity
(see Table 1). Sales of the number one commodity,
milk and cream, decreased 38.2 percent from an all
time high of more than $7.34 billion in 2007 to $4.54
billion in 2009, a $2.8 billion decline. Note that the
decrease in sales of milk and cream was larger than
total 2009 sales for all other California commodities
except grapes and nursery. Sales of other crops, such
as strawberries, tomatoes, rice, broccoli, and oranges,
increased in 2008 and again in 2009. Other top twenty
commodities for which 2009 sales exceeded those in
2007 were grapes, lettuce, pistachios, carrots, and
lemons. Total sales for nursery crops decreased from a
high of $2.94 billion in 2007 to $2.73 billion in 2008
but then increased to $2.85 billion in 2009. Thus,
nursery sales in 2009 were only 3 percent below the
2007 high. The sales response for fl oriculture was
much different. Sales increased from $1.04 billion
in 2007 to $1.06 billion in 2008 and then dropped
11.7 percent to $935 million in 2009.
THE COMPARATIVE ROLE OF
NURSERY AND FLORAL PRODUCTION
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
7
Table 1. California’s Top Twenty Commodities with Value of Sales and Rank for 2003–2009
Value of Sales (million dollars)
2009
Commodity 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Rank
Milk and cream 4,028 (1) 5,366 (1) 5,223 (1) 4,492 (1) 7,337 (1) 6,924 (1) 4,537 1
Grapes 2,298 (3) 2,765 (2) 3,198 (2) 3,000 (2) 3,079 (2) 2,923 (2) 3,268 2
Nursery 2,437 (2) 2,297 (3) 2,686 (3) 2,890 (3) 2,938 (3) 2,726 (3) 2,849 3
Almonds 1,600 (5) 2,189 (4) 2,337 (4) 2,259 (4) 2,402 (4) 2,343 (4) 2,294 4
Lettuce 1,932 (4) 1,749 (5) 1,688 (6) 2,054 (6) 1,697 (6) 1,581 (7) 1,726 5
Strawberries 1,172 (7) 1,206 (7) 1,110 (8) 1,199 (7) 1,411 (7) 1,578 (8) 1,725 6
Cattle and calves 1,556 (6) 1,634 (6) 1,740 (5) 1,676 (5) 1,784 (5) 1,885 (5) 1,676 7
Tomatoes 895 (9) 1,180 (8) 942 (10) 1,166 (8) 1,223 (9) 1,317 (9) 1,510 8
Floriculture 997 (8) 1,013 (10) 1,020 (9) 999 (10) 1,036 (10) 1,060 (10) 935 9
Rice 406 (16) 373 (19) 408 (18) 521 (16) 455 (17) 826 (11) 928 10
Hay 852 (10) 1,046 (9) 1,151 (7) 1,060 (9) 1,406 (8) 1,797 (6) 927 11
Walnuts 378 (18) 452 (17) 540 (15) 564 (15) 751 (11) 558 (17) 739 12
Broccoli 575 (12) 587 (13) 514 (16) 581 (13) 626 (14) 663 (13) 698 13
Chickens 537 (13) 714 (12) 715 (11) 630 (12) 713 (12) 725 (12) 692 14
Oranges 466 (14) 556 (14) 604 (13) 633 (11) 373 (19) 559 (16) 656 15
Pistachios 145 (32) 465 (16) 577 (14) 450 (18) 587 (17) 570 (15) 593 16
Carrots 427 (15) 451 (15) 455 (17) 431 (17) 462 (19) 518 (18) 500 17
Lemons 262 (20) 241 (25) 278 (20) 375 (19) 358 (20) 480 (19) 364 18
Celery 241 (25) 265 (22) 249 (23) 331 (21) 396 (18) 355 (21) 350 19
Peaches 247 (23) 251 (23) 280 (19) 270 (23) 332 (23) 295 (24) 326 20
Note: Rank for years earlier than 2009 is given in parentheses.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Agricultural Statistics, 2003–2010.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
8
Selected aspects of the changing structure of
California’s nursery and fl oral production are
shown by Census of Agriculture data reported
every fi ve years for the period from 1982 through
2007 (USDA). California leads the nation, and Florida
typically ranks second, in annual sales of nursery and
fl oriculture crops. Total California sales of nursery
and fl oriculture crops increased from just over $957
million in 1982 to almost $3.65 billion in 2007 (Table
2). California accounted for 21.9 percent of total U.S.
nursery, greenhouse, fl oriculture, and sod sales in
2007, followed in order by Florida (12.7 percent),
Oregon (5.9 percent), Pennsylvania (5.4 percent),
and Texas (5.2 percent) (USDA, Census of Agriculture,
2009). California’s average nursery farm sales of
more than $1 million in 2007 dwarfed similar sales
in Florida ($442,800), Texas ($440,340), Oregon
($383,080), and Pennsylvania ($328,160).
Data in each row of Table 2 describe changes occur-
ring over time in the California nursery and fl oral
industry. The number of farms producing nursery and
fl oriculture products increased steadily from 2,845
in 1982 to 4,388 in 2002 and then began declining,
falling to 3,549 in 2007. With total sales of nursery
products growing relative to the number of nursery
farms, average sales per farm also grew through 2002
and then jumped signifi cantly in 2007, when total
sales increased and the number of farms decreased.
A similar pattern of growth is shown for the average
value of land and buildings and the average value of
machinery and equipment. The average age of the
principal operator of California nursery and fl oricul-
ture farms increased from 50.7 years in 1982 to 56.3
years in 2007. This pattern is similar to the average
for all California farms: average age increased from
51.8 years in 1982 to 58.4 years in 2007.
The legal structure of California nursery operations
has also changed somewhat over time. The distribu-
tion of nursery farms by legal organization in 1982
was sole proprietors, 61 percent; partnerships, 14
percent; corporations, 24 percent; and other, 1 per-
cent.1 In 1997 there was a modest shift toward sole
proprietor control with sole proprietors, 69 percent;
partnerships, 11 percent; corporations, 18 percent;
and other, 2 percent. In the most recent census (2007),
the legal structure was sole proprietors, 67 percent;
partnerships, 9 percent; corporations, 22 percent; and
other, 2 percent. The share of corporations that were
family owned decreased from 81 percent in 1982 to
78 percent in 2007, while the number of non-family
corporations increased in terms of both numbers
and share. Note that corporate organization is more
prevalent for nursery farms (22 percent) than for any
other sector in California agriculture. Corporations
account for 7.1 percent of all California farms. Nursery
and fl oriculture farms accounted for just 4.4 percent
of all California farms in 2007 but represented 13.6
percent of all California farm corporations.
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CALIFORNIA’S
NURSERY AND FLORAL INDUSTRY
1 The “other” category includes cooperatives, estates and trusts, and institutions.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
9
Table 2. Selected Characteristics of California Nursery and Floriculture Farms, 1982–2007
Census Year
Characteristic 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007
Number of farms 2,845 2,993 3,319 4,285 4,388 3,549
Total sales (billion dollars) 0.957 1.413 1.662 2.211 3.287 3.647
Average sales (dollars/farm) 334,774 470,816 495,688 513,761 756,416 1,025,524
Average acres per farm 46 45 54 45 50 52
Average value of land
and buildings (dollars/farm) 594,568 612,352 742,937 624,267 866,017 1,995,792
Average value of machinery
and equipment (dollars/farm) 58,399 70,580 86,284 82,328 101,289 153,103
Average age of operator 50.7 51.5 52.3 54.0 54.8 56.3
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture, 1982–2007.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
10
Nursery products and/or flowers and foli-
age are produced in 55 of California’s 58
counties but production is concentrated in
central coast and south coast counties.2 Of the sixteen
California counties with the largest nursery, fl ower,
and foliage production in 2009, nine had more than
$100 million of production, two fewer than in 2008
and three fewer than in 2007 (Table 3). Nine of the
sixteen counties border the Pacifi c Ocean, and Santa
Clara County has a coastal climate. Stanislaus County
was the only Central Valley county with production of
more than $100 million in 2008 and no Central Valley
county broke $100 million in 2009.
San Diego County continues to dominate the
nursery and fl oral industry in California with sales
topping $1 billion annually in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Since its sales increased in 2008 and 2009 at a time
when California’s statewide sales were decreasing, San
Diego County expanded its share of California sales
from 26.0 percent in 2007 to 27.6 percent in 2008 and
30.3 percent in 2009. The next fi ve counties in the
ranking (Monterey, Ventura, Riverside, Santa Barbara,
and Orange) combined accounted for 29.9 percent of
California’s total 2009 production. The remaining ten
of the top sixteen counties accounted for 27.0 percent
of production. Only four of the top sixteen counties
increased total sales between 2007 and 2009: San
Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Siskiyou. The
other twelve reported decreased sales with some of
the reductions being quite signifi cant (Table 3). Sales
for 2001 through 2005 for the sixteen counties ranked
highest in 2005 are included as Appendix Table 1. The
one difference in the ranking counties listed is that
Siskiyou County, which ranked thirteenth in 2009,
took the place of Sonoma County (ranked sixteenth
in 2005) in the top sixteen counties.
Overall, these top-ranking counties produced 87.25
percent of California’s total 2009 nursery, fl ower, and
foliage crops. Nursery and fl oral crops ranked fi rst
among all crops produced in the county in terms of
value of production in San Diego, Riverside, Orange,
Los Angeles, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Siskiyou.
Nursery, fl ower, and foliage crops are very important
agricultural products for several California counties
that are not among the top sixteen. For example,
nursery crops are listed as the number one commod-
ity in terms of gross value of production for two other
counties in 2009: Humboldt ($49.42 million) and Del
Norte ($12.09 million) (Appendix Table 3).
Unlike most of California’s agricultural industries,
nursery and fl oral production is located in the state’s
most populated counties. Almost 68.4 percent of
California’s 2009 population lived in the sixteen coun-
ties with the greatest nursery and fl oral production
(Appendix Table 4). Nine of the counties had popula-
tions that exceeded one million in 2009. Five of those
(Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara, and
Riverside) were among the largest nursery and fl ower
producers in the state (Appendix Table 4).
2 The gross value of nursery, fl ower, and foliage production by county is shown in Appendix Table 1. Note that the county
agricultural commissioners’ reports did not provide nursery and fl ower sales for three counties that have producers listed in
the CDFA’s Directory of Nurserymen and Others Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California available in February 2006 (www.cdfa.
ca.gov/phpps/pe/nursery.htm). Those counties are Kings (3 producers), Plumas (8 producers), and Tuolumne (5 producers).
The number of nursery and fl oriculture farms in each county, as reported in the Census of Agriculture, is provided in Appendix
Table 4.
LOCATION OF PRODUCTION
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
11
Table 3. California Production of Nursery Products, Flowers, and Foliage, 2006–2009, and Top Sixteen
Counties’ 2009 Share of State Total
2006 Value of 2007 Value of 2008 Value of 2009 Value of 2009 Share of
Top Sixteen Production Production Production Production State Total
Counties ($1,000) ($1,000) ($1,000) ($1,000) (percent)
San Diego 991,255 1,042,461 1,042,704 1,054,314 30.34
Monterey 339,225 342,125 326,105 294,572 8.48
Ventura 316,346 341,635 349,987 234,063 6.74
Riverside 270,993 272,326 230,416 206,500 5.94
Santa Barbara 178,616 182,035 182,467 176,658 5.08
Orange 214,946 187,152 164,515 126,317 3.64
San Mateo 136,021 139,007 134,843 125,985 3.63
Los Angeles 192,460 174,440 137,967 119,903 3.45
Santa Cruz 80,143 117,816 107,782 118,528 3.41
Stanislaus 87,351 99,985 101,207 96,795 2.79
Santa Clara 94,087 93,468 93,861 95,588 2.75
San Luis Obispo 108,066 107,674 101,845 93,759 2.70
Siskiyou 54,827 41,485 74,930 76,210 2.19
San Joaquin 138,123 137,259 85,539 75,844 2.18
Tulare 88,253 90,185 85,413 72,747 2.09
Kern 109,330 105,317 84,822 63,861 1.84
Total 3,345,215 3,432,885 3,304,403 3,031,644 87.25
Rest of State 574,519 572,331 495,172 442,845 12.75
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Summary of County Agricultural Commissioners’ Reports, 2006–2010.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
12
California nursery, fl ower, and foliage produc-
ers market a tremendous variety of plant
materials that range from cut fl owers, potted
fl owering plants, fl ower seeds, bedding and garden
plants, bulbs, and ornamentals to fruit and nut trees
and strawberry plants. Buyers include consumers,
landscape contractors, institutions, and agricultural
producers.
The most recent data available indicate that the
gross value of plant materials produced by the Cali-
fornia nursery, fl ower, and foliage industry in 2009/10
totaled almost $3.45 billion (Table 4). Values for the
various categories of nursery products are shown in
Table 4. Note that the value of cut fl owers and cut
greens dropped a little more than $3 million from
2006/07 to 2007/08, decreased more than $19 million
in 2008/09, and then decreased another $29 million
in 2009/10. Flower seeds increased slightly from
2008/09 to 2009/10 while Christmas trees decreased
by $1.9 million. The total value of fl oral products for
fi scal year 2009/10 was down almost $30.7 million
from 2008/09 after decreasing almost $21 million the
year before. Thus, the most recent two-year decrease
was more than $51 million or about 10 percent of the
2007/08 total value of fl oral products. Similarly, the
total value of nursery products decreased more than
$186 million from 2007/08 to 2008/09 and another
$295 million in 2009/10 for a two-year decline of
almost $481.5 million or 12 percent (Table 4). Small
increases in the value of bulbs, corms, roots and
tubers, and herbaceous perennials were overwhelmed
by decreases in the value of all other nursery products
(potted plants and fl owering foliage; bedding plants;
rose plants; woody, deciduous, and evergreen orna-
mentals; fl owering propagative materials; turf and sod;
and nursery stock other than ornamentals). The two-
year decrease in the grand total for nursery and fl oral
products was $533 million or almost 13.4 percent.
Values of California fl oral and nursery products by
major categories for the six crop years from 2000/01
through 2005/06 are listed in Appendix Table 2.
CROPS PRODUCED
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
13
Table 4. Wholesale Value of California Floral and Nursery Products by Major Categories,
2006/07 through 2009/10
Wholesale Value
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10
Floral Products
Cut fl owers and cut greens $508,273,800 $505,036,000 $485,607,500 $456,493,100
Flower seeds $5,954,600 $7,932,100 $6,704,900 $7,086,000
Christmas trees $7,234,100 $6,547,080 $6,255,800 $4,311,900
Total $521,462,500 $519,515,180 $498,568,200 $467,891,000
Nursery Products
Potted plants and fl owering foliage $665,903,800 $677,819,500 $663,092,600 $585,715,500
Bulbs, corms, roots, and tubers $9,089,800 $10,455,900 $11,415,000 $11,710,500
Flowering propagative materials $57,930,900 $61,011,800 $62,085,600 $49,170,400
Bedding plants $454,219,700 $438,601,600 $419,378,200 $383,405,420
Rose plants $38,982,000 $45,703,700 $35,627,700 $27,201,000
Woody, deciduous,
and evergreen ornamentals $1,208,605,100 $1,239,918,600 $1,164,761,200 $996,499,500
Herbaceous perennials $41,576,600 $46,134,900 $58,255,400 $55,272,900
Turf and sod $87,844,800 $124,707,600 $91,396,500 $94,197,280
Nursery stock other
than ornamentals $810,578,500 $817,324,400 $769,331,800 $776,988,500
Total $3,374,731,200 $3,461,678,000 $3,275,344,000 $2,980,161,000
Grand Total $3,896,193,700 $3,981,193,180 $3,773,912,200 $3,448,052,000
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture, Value of Nursery Products, 2008–2011.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
14
The annual Directory of Nurserymen and Others
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California,
published by CDFA, lists fi rms involved in
production, wholesaling, and retailing of fl oral and
nursery products by county.3 The numbers and
types of fi rms in each county and the physical count
of fi rms have changed signifi cantly over time. This
is illustrated by summary tables for 2002 and 2011,
included as Appendix Tables 5A and 5B. The number
of producers licensed to sell nursery stock, defi ned
as a producer that grows and sells $1,000 or more
of nursery stock in one year, decreased slightly from
2,999 in 2002 to 2,959 in 2011. In both years, the
largest number of producers was located in San Diego
County (551 in 2002 and 548 in 2011), Los Angeles
County (375 and 310), and Riverside County (207 and
276). Other counties with more than 100 producers
in 2002 were Orange, San Bernardino, Sonoma, and
Ventura (Appendix Table 5A). In 2011, Orange County
dropped out of the list of counties with more than
100 producers, leaving San Bernardino, Sonoma, and
Ventura (Appendix Table 5B). At the other end of the
range, there were between one and fi ve producers in
nine California counties in both 2002 and 2011 and
no registered producers in three counties in 2002 and
in two counties in 2011. Alpine County has no fi rms
listed in the directory and is not included in Appendix
Tables 5A and 5B.
There were 853 wholesalers and 476 jobber/
broker/commission merchants dealing in nursery
and fl oral products in California during 2002 and a
similar number for 2011: 880 wholesalers and 460
merchants. There were 454 landscapers in 2002 and
463 in 2011. Thus, there was little change in the num-
ber of intermediate handlers in the nursery and fl oral
distribution system.
The striking changes in the fl oral and nursery
distribution system in California occurred at the retail
level. There were 3,465 incidental retailers registered
in California in 2002. These retail outlets offer multiple
product lines that include nursery and fl oral products.
Retail stores in the incidental classifi cation include
many of the largest nursery retailers: warehouse club
stores, chain stores, and mass merchandisers such
as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, and supermarket
chains. By 2011, the number of incidental retailers
had decreased to 736, a 78.8 percent reduction. The
directory also lists retailers for which nursery and
fl oral products are primary. This category included
3,756 fi rms in 2002 but was reduced to 2,158 fi rms
in 2011 for a 42.5 percent reduction. Thus, there are
4,327 (59.9 percent) fewer fi rms in 2011 offering fl o-
ral and nursery products at the retail level than there
were in 2002.
The very significant reduction in the number
of California retailers handling nursery and fl oral
products has implications for both producers and con-
sumers. Some producers undoubtedly lost their major
retail customers while many lost important retail out-
lets. The impact of the loss of outlets was not uniform
but it was widespread. Products are less available at
the consumer level, which tends to reduce consumer
choice and negatively impact impulse buying. This
consolidation of outlets may offer some economies
in distribution but the short-run impact on fl oral and
nursery product sales will be negative.
NUMBERS AND TYPES OF NURSERY FIRMS
3 According to the California Food and Agriculture Code (FAC), “It is unlawful to sell any nursery stock without an annual
license from the Secretary of Food and Agriculture,” and “Exemption from license is allowable to fl orists and others who only
sell plants at retail for the sole purpose of indoor decoration, to persons who sell no nursery stock except seeds, and to persons
who only sell cut Christmas trees” (Sections 6721 through 6744, FAC).
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
15
As noted earlier, this report relies on several
sources of data to develop retail sales esti-
mates. Partial data on retail fl oral and nursery
product sales in California are available from the State
Board of Equalization, Nursery Retailer, some private
data collections, and consultant reports.
Taxable retail sales reported by California fl orists
and farm and garden supply stores for the thirteen-
year period 1997–2009 are shown in Table 5. Note that
combined sales for the two types of stores increased
from $2.75 billion in 1997 to more than $3.04 bil-
lion in 2000 and to almost $4.17 billion in 2007. The
steady increase in sales was interrupted in 2008,
when total sales for the two types of outlets dropped
almost 15 percent to $3.55 billion. In 2009, total
sales for fl orists and farm and garden stores declined
another 24.5 percent to $2.68 billion, slightly below
the 1997 level. The two-year impact of the recession
on California fl orists was especially severe. Their retail
sales decreased almost 62 percent from a high of $1.2
billion in 2007 to $461 million in 2009. Farm and
garden store sales decreased 25.3 percent from 2007
to 2009.4 Accompanying the sharp sales decrease, the
number of sales tax permits for retail fl orists decreased
from 6,427 on July 1, 2008, to 5,070 on July 1, 2009.
The number of permits for farm and garden stores
was 4,715 on July 1, 2008; the number of permits for
lawn and garden equipment and supply stores, the
categorization used in 2009, totaled 5,133 on July 1,
2009. Though the number of permits increased, total
sales and average sales per store for the classifi cation
decreased.
A comparison of changes in farm-level sales of
nursery and fl oral products with retail sales of lawn
Table 5. Statewide Taxable Sales by California Retail Florists and Farm and Garden Supply Stores, Calendar
Years 1997–2009
Sales in Thousand Dollars Percent Change
Year Florists Farm and Garden Stores Total from Prior Year
1997 816,185 1,936,173 2,752,358 0.00
1998 843,978 1,967,564 2,811,542 2.15
1999 921,774 1,961,504 2,883,278 2.55
2000 983,396 2,060,713 3,042,436 5.52
2001 988,022 2,059,040 3,047,062 0.15
2002 998,781 2,135,472 3,134,253 2.86
2003 1,005,452 2,266,142 3,271,594 4.38
2004 1,077,694 2,386,377 3,464,071 5.88
2005 1,133,896 2,662,956 3,796,852 9.61
2006 1,172,658 2,930,230 4,102,888 8.06
2007 1,203,148 2,965,697 4,168,845 1.61
2008 793,882 2,751,233 3,545,115 –14.96
2009 461,349 2,216,767 2,678,116 –24.46
Source: California State Board of Equalization, Taxable Sales in California, annual reports.
RETAIL SALES
4 California’s total taxable transactions for all retail outlets decreased 18.6 percent from 2007 to 2009.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
16
and garden stores and florists raises questions.
For example, farm-level fl oriculture sales actually
increased in 2008 before decreasing in 2009 (Table 1).
The overall decrease from 2007 to 2009 was $101
million or 9.75 percent. However, the decrease in
sales for California retail fl orists for the same period
was $741.8 million or 61.65 percent. While one would
expect the drop in retail sales to be about double the
decrease at the farm (wholesale) level with a 50 per-
cent gross margin, the percentage decrease should be
similar, other factors equal. The much larger percent-
age decrease in fl orist sales versus wholesale sales of
fl oral products, together with fewer retail fl orists, is
presumed to be due to a signifi cant change in retail
market shares for fl oral products. Specifi cally, other
outlets such as supermarkets have gained market
share for fl oral products at the expense of individual
fl orists. The situation for nursery products is similar
but not as pronounced. Lawn and garden store sales
decreased $748.9 million (25.3 percent) between 2007
and 2009 while producer-level nursery sales decreased
$89.0 million (3.0 percent). This differential change
in sales could be partially due to a changing product
mix for lawn and garden equipment and supply stores
during the recession.
California is the largest single retail market for
lawn and garden products in the United States,
accounting for 7.6 to 10.4 percent of total annual sales
since 1997 (Table 6).5 Estimated 2003 California lawn
and garden sales comprised $9.32 billion of the U.S.
Table 6. Estimated Annual U.S. and California Lawn and Garden Retail Sales, 1997–2009
United States California California Share
Sales Sales of U.S. Total
Year (million dollars) (million dollars) (percent)
1997 76,500 7,896 10.32
1998 79,100 8,154 10.31
1999 81,700 8,422 10.31
2000 84,600 8,798 10.40
2001 88,400 9,193 10.40
2002 94,900 8,958 9.44
2003 98,690 9,316 9.44
2004 103,600 9,864 9.52
2005 110,900 10,811 9.75
2006 112,100 11,682 10.42
2007 114,300 11,870 10.38
2008 116,000 11,012 9.49
2009 117,200 8,872 7.57
Source: Published estimates of U.S. sales for 1997–2009 and estimated California sales for 1997–2003 came from Nursery Retailer
summaries published in 1998–2009. California estimates for 2004–2007 were obtained by adjusting the 2003 Nursery Retailer sales
estimate ($9.316 billion) by the percentage changes in California State Board of Equalization sales shown in Table 5. Because of the
hypothesized structural change in fl oral product sales, the California estimates for 2008 and 2009 were obtained by adjusting the 2007
California sales estimate of $11.87 billion by the percentage changes in farm and garden supply store sales only (7.23 percent from 2007
to 2008 and 19.43 percent from 2008 to 2009).
5 Note that there are indications that total U.S. lawn and garden sales decreased rather than increased from 2008 to 2009. If
so, California’s share of U.S. sales would be larger than the tabled value of 7.57 percent.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
17
total of $98.69 billion (Morey 2004, p. 85). Estimates
that use the California State Board of Equalization
sales data shown in Table 5 as an index show that total
California retail lawn and garden sales have increased
5.88 percent to $9.86 billion in 2004, by 9.61 percent
to $10.81 billion in 2005, by 8.06 percent to $11.68
billion in 2006, and by 1.61 percent to $11.87 billion
in 2007. When the index is applied to changes in farm
and garden supply store sales only, California sales
dropped an estimated 7.23 percent to $11.01 billion
in 2008 and another 19.43 percent to $8.87 billion
in 2009. For the United States as a whole, estimates
of total sales for the product lines carried by lawn
and garden stores were green goods, 54.0 percent;
equipment and tools, 6.0 percent; chemicals, soils,
and fertilizers, 18.0 percent; irrigation, 2.0 percent;
and lawn furniture, accessories, and tree trim, 20.0
percent (Morey 2009, p. 41).
Market Shares
The locations in which consumers purchase fl oral and
nursery products have changed signifi cantly over time
in response to changes in the structure of retailing,
competition in local markets, and growing consumer
demand. Greenidge, in a 1995 Nursery Retailer article
(p. 52), listed three major lawn and garden product
distribution channels with estimated shares of the
total market in 1994: hardware/hardlines with 20.8
percent, garden centers/nurseries with 39.1 percent,
and mass marketers/chain stores with 40.1 percent.6
In 2008, only fourteen years later, the growth of “big
box” home centers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s
had increased the hardware category share to 48.0
percent of the total market. The independent sector’s
share (garden centers, nurseries, and farm stores)
increased slightly to 45.0 percent and the share held
by warehouse clubs, chain stores, and mass merchan-
disers (Wal-Mart and K-mart are the largest) plunged
to 7.0 percent (Morey 2009, p. 44).
The changes in market share, while dramatic, are
not surprising given the rapid growth at that time in
the number of big box stores and typical sales of lawn,
garden, and nursery items in those stores. An estimate
of lawn and garden sales in the average big box home
improvement store in the United States in 2002, for
example, put annual sales at the average Home Depot
at $5.0 million and the average Lowe’s at $5.1 million
(Morey, Morey and Morey 2003). Comparable 2005
averages were $4.81 million for Home Depot and
$5.50 million for Lowe’s (Morey 2006). The “news”
in 2008 was fl at or declining same-store sales for both
companies due to stocking and staffi ng problems
while independent garden centers were “fi ghting back”
for market share with improved shopping experiences
and management tools and thanks to customer loyalty
(Morey 2009).
Retail fl orists are not included in the store types
or total sales fi gures reported in Table 6. In addition,
Nursery Retailer’s independent sector (garden centers,
nurseries, and farm stores), as previously discussed,
undoubtedly includes more retailers than counted by
the California State Board of Equalization in the farm
and garden supply store category shown in Table 5.
Retail fl orists have faced competition and loss of mar-
ket share to other store types, especially supermarkets.
Market share data over time are not available but
estimates of California fl oral market shares in 2001
by type of retail outlet were provided by the American
Floral Endowment (AFE).
The AFE collects detailed data on retail fl ower sales
from a national consumer panel and uses this panel
data to develop timely, detailed sales estimates for use
by its subscribing members. Sales data are collected
for three major types of fl ower products: cut fl owers,
fl owering and greenhouse plants, and outdoor garden
and bedding plants. These categories accounted for
43, 23, and 32 percent, respectively, of estimated total
California retail fl ower sales in 2001. The importance
of various retailer types varies signifi cantly by fl ower
product category (Table 7).
The dominant outlets for cut fl owers in Califor-
nia in 2001 were fl orist shops (47.4 percent market
share) and supermarkets (25.9 percent share). Home
improvement/hardware stores, supermarkets, and gar-
den centers each retailed about one-fi fth of California’s
fl owering and greenhouse plants. Garden centers and
home improvement/hardware stores had dominant
6 Greenidge noted that garden centers, nurseries, and farm stores had about 60 percent of the market in 1980.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
18
market shares for outdoor garden and bedding plants.
As mentioned earlier, a structural change appears to
have occurred in the retail distribution of fl oral prod-
ucts in California with fl orist shops’ share decreasing
signifi cantly. New data will be required to document
any such changes.
Retail Margins
Gross profi t margins (sales revenue minus cost of
goods sold) vary across retail store types and among
stores within a given type because of factors such
as firm size, location, services provided, product
mix, product perishability, and competitive condi-
tions. Estimates of gross margins, which are an
essential component for deriving estimated economic
contributions of California’s fl oral and nursery indus-
try, and 2009 retail sales are shown in Table 8. The
gross margins range from a low of 30 percent for the
retailers with the largest volume (hardware/home
centers) to a high of 50 percent for retail fl orists. Note
that these are estimated averages for the categories
with individual stores within a category ranging above
and below the estimate. The weighted average retail
gross margin is 37.91 percent. Total 2009 California
retail lawn and garden sales were estimated at $8.87
billion and fl orist sales at $461.35 million, bringing
the total to more than $9.33 billion. The estimated
total margin or value added by retailing for 2009 was
almost $3.51 billion.
Table 8. Estimated Percentage Gross Margin for Floral and Nursery Products by Retail Store Type, Estimated
Total Floral and Nursery Sales, and Total Margin, California, 2009
Gross Margin 2009 Retail Sales Total Margin
Retail Store Type (percent) (million dollars) (million dollars)
Hardware/home center 30 4,258.560 1,277.568
Independent farm/garden 45 3,992.400 1,796.580
Chain/warehouse 33 621.040 204.943
Florist 50 461.349 230.675
Total 9,333.349 3,509.766
Source: Gross margin estimates were provided by members of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers; retail
sales estimates are from Tables 5 and 6 in this report, and estimated sales by store type are based on market shares of 48 percent for
hardware/home centers, 45 percent for independent farm/garden centers, and 7 percent for chain/warehouse stores as described in
Morey (2009).
Table 7. Estimated Market Shares of Various Retail Store Types for Sales of Flower Products in California, 2001
Market Share Percent
Home
Flower Florist Garden Discount Improvement/ Super- Warehouse/ Other
Product Shop Center Chain Hardware market Price Club Stores
Cut fl owers 47.4 0.6 0.7 0.2 25.9 8.3 16.9
Flowering and
greenhouse plants 12.7 19.0 6.7 20.9 20.5 3.4 16.8
Outdoor garden/
bedding 0.7 39.5 7.8 37.4 2.6 0.4 11.6
Source: Sales estimates provided by the American Floral Endowment, Glen Carbon, Illinois.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
19
ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACTS
California’s fl oral and nursery sector is closely
intertwined with other sectors of the state’s
economy, and changes in fl ower and nursery
production have ripple effects throughout the state.
Each dollar earned in the fl oral and nursery sector
stimulates economic activity in the form of jobs,
income, and output. The effects of these changes
on total economic activity can be estimated through
multipliers developed from input-output models. This
study employed the IMPLAN system developed by the
U.S. Forest Service and USDA to estimate economic
input-output models for individual California counties
and the state.7 The models provide detailed economic
multipliers for greenhouse and nursery production
and retailing and for other sectors of the California
economy. A brief description of the IMPLAN system
is included as Appendix Table 6.
Economic Multipliers
In the IMPLAN model of the California economy
constructed for this study, multipliers for California
nursery production and retailing estimated three com-
ponents of total change for the state: direct, indirect,
and induced effects (see Table 9). The direct effects are
initial changes in nursery production or retailing; the
indirect effects are changes in inter-industry transac-
tions as supplying industries respond to increased
demand from nursery production or retailing; and
induced effects are changes in local spending that
result from income changes in directly and indirectly
affected industry sectors. The sum of direct, indirect,
and induced effects is the total effects multiplier.
Type SAM (social accounting matrix) multipliers were
estimated for output, employment, value added, and
labor income.
Table 9. Estimated IMPLAN Multipliers for the California Nursery Industry
Type/Sector Direct Effects Indirect Effects Induced Effects Total Effects
Output
Nursery 1.0000 0.1646 0.3407 1.5053
Retail 1.0000 0.0999 0.3760 1.4759
Employment (jobs/million dollars)
Nursery 19.9723 2.1496 3.4478 25.5696
Retail 18.4669 1.0159 3.8046 23.2874
Value Added
Nursery 0.8084 0.1029 0.2120 1.1232
Retail 0.8816 0.0626 0.2339 1.1781
Labor Income
Nursery 0.4752 0.0657 0.1318 0.6727
Retail 0.5551 0.0393 0.1455 0.7399
Source: Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc., 2003.
7 This study used IMPLAN PRO software licensed from Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. and associated databases for California.
For a detailed description of the software and data, see Implan Professional Social Accounting and Impact Analysis Software User’s
Guide, Analysis Guide and Data Guide, 2nd Edition, 1997, Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc., Stillwater, MN (www.implan.com).
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
20
Lindall and Olson describe the IMPLAN multipli-
ers (p. 13–15). Type SAM multipliers are the direct,
indirect, and induced effects where the induced effects
are based on information in the social accounting
matrix. This relationship accounts for social security
and income tax leakage, institution savings, and
commuting. Interpretation of the tabled multipliers
is conducted as follows:
• Output multipliers relate the change in sales to
fi nal demand by one industry (nursery or retail)
to the total change in output (gross sales) by all
industries within the local area. An industry out-
put multiplier of 1.50 indicates that a change in
sales to fi nal demand of $1.00 by the industry in
question would result in a total change in local
output of $1.50.
• Labor income and employment multipliers relate
the change in direct production to changes in
labor income and employment within the local
economy. For example, a labor income multiplier
for a direct industry change of 1.75 indicates that
a $1.00 change in output in the direct industry
will produce an employment income change of
$1.75 in the local economy. Similarly, an employ-
ment multiplier of 25.0 indicates that 25 jobs are
created for each million dollars of output by the
industry.
• Multipliers for value added are interpreted the
same way as labor income and employment
multipliers. They relate a change in sales in the
industry experiencing the direct effect to the total
change in value added for the local economy. The
value added includes employee compensation,
proprietary income, income from other property
types, and indirect business taxes. The total value
added by an industry is comparable to the gross
state product.
Estimated Economic Impacts
The economic multipliers shown in Table 9 were
combined with fl oral and nursery sales at the pro-
ducer level and lawn, garden, and fl oral retail gross
margins to estimate the industry’s total annual con-
tribution to the California economy for 2001 through
2009. Estimates of annual producer output of fl oral
and nursery products came from the data shown in
Figure 1 and Tables 1 and 4 in this report. The data
from Table 4 were used as the best current estimates
of California output, and the estimates of gross retail
margins listed in Table 8 were used as the measure
of the direct output of lawn and garden product
retailing.
It is important to note several procedures and
assumptions used in the model. First, the direct
effect multiplier of 1.0 for nursery and retail output
was applied to the total wholesale value of California
nursery products and to gross margins for lawn and
garden retailing. The total effect multiplier, which
includes the indirect and induced output multipli-
ers, was applied to the direct output to obtain total
output. Second, the direct effects for employment,
value added, and labor income were all derived from
the direct output values.
Estimates of the total economic impacts of Cali-
fornia fl ower and nursery production and lawn and
garden retailing for 2009 are shown in Table 10. Note
that the direct output effects (from Tables 4 and 8)
total almost $6.96 billion. The indirect and induced
economic multiplier effects expand the total California
output effect to just over $10.37 billion. Based on the
input-output relationships shown in Table 9, fl ower
and nursery production generated 88,165 jobs in
California in 2009 while lawn and garden retailing
added another 81,733 jobs, creating a combined total
of 169,899. The estimated payroll for the two sectors
totaled almost $4.92 billion with $2.32 billion from
fl oral and nursery production and almost $2.60 billion
from lawn and garden retailing. Total value added for
the two sectors was almost $8.01 billion with $3.87
billion from fl oral and nursery production and almost
$4.14 billion from lawn and garden retailing. The
difference between total effect and direct effect for
each row in Table 10 is the sum of the indirect and
induced effects.
Initial estimates of direct and total economic
impacts of California’s fl ower and nursery production
and lawn and garden retailing presented in Economic
Contributions of the California Nursery Industry
(Carman and Rodriquez 2004) were updated annually.
In 2001, the estimated total output effect was almost
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
21
$10.34 billion, total employment (including direct
and multiplier effects) was estimated at 168,867 jobs,
and total value added was estimated to be a little more
than $8 billion. As shown in Table 11, total output,
total jobs, and value added attributed to production
and retailing was estimated to have grown steadily
from 2001 through 2007 with total output growing
from $10.34 billion to $13.33 billion, employment
rising from 168,867 to 217,557 jobs, and value added
increasing to $10.33 billion. Then, in 2008 and 2009,
total wholesale revenue from fl ower and nursery pro-
duction and lawn and garden retail sales decreased
signifi cantly due to the economic recession. This sales
decrease was accompanied by a similar decline in total
output (from $13.33 billion in 2007 to $10.37 billion
in 2009) and a decrease in the estimated total number
of jobs in fl ower and nursery production and lawn and
garden retailing in California (from 217,557 in 2007 to
169,899 in 2009). During the same time period, total
value added decreased from $10.33 billion to $8.01
billion, a level essentially equal to the value added in
2001. Unfortunately, estimated multiplier effects for
basic production and retailing are symmetric with
decreased sales leading to decreased total output, total
employment, and value added.
Table 10. Estimated Direct and Total Economic
Effects of California Flower and Nursery Production
and Lawn and Garden Retailing, 2009
Type/Sector Direct Effects Total Effects
Output (million dollars)
Nursery 3,448.0520 5,190.3527
Retail 3,509.7660 5,180.0636
Total 6,957.8180 10,370.4163
Employment (jobs)
Nursery 68,866 88,165
Retail 64,814 81,733
Total 133,680 169,899
Value Added (million dollars)
Nursery 2,787.4052 3,872.8520
Retail 3,094.2097 4,134.8553
Total 5,881.6149 8,007.7073
Labor Income ($ million)
Nursery 1,638.5143 2,319.5046
Retail 1,948.2711 2,596.8759
Total 3,586.7854 4,916.3804
Table 11. Estimated Total Economic Effects of California Flower and Nursery
Production and Lawn and Garden Retailing, 2001–2009
Total Output Effects Total Employment Total Value Added
Year (million dollars) (number of jobs) (million dollars)
2001 10,337.2889 168,867 8,003.1916
2002 10,492.6605 171,571 8,116.3533
2003 10,961.9108 179,218 8,480.4482
2004 11,636.3217 190,257 9,001.6297
2005 12,217.5206 199,507 9,462.1183
2006 13,051.0252 213,009 10,112.3159
2007 13,329.4736 217,557 10,327.9192
2008 12,273.6802 200,522 9,501.4028
2009 10,370.4163 169,899 8,007.7073
Source: Author’s annual updates.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
22
Almost two decades of steady sales growth by
California’s nursery and fl oral industry and
lawn and garden retailing sectors was inter-
rupted by the economic recession in 2008 and 2009.
After peaking at a record production value of $3.98
billion in 2007, total California fl oral and nursery
production dropped to $3.77 billion in 2008 and, fur-
ther, to $3.45 billion in 2009. The plunge in estimated
cash receipts in 2008 (a decrease of $0.20 billion)
resulted in nursery and fl oral products’ share of total
California agricultural sales to fall to 9.1 percent,
the smallest share in the last twenty years. However,
with essentially steady nursery and fl oral sales from
2008 to 2009 and an overall reduction in California
agricultural sales, the nursery and fl oral share of total
sales recovered to 10.9 percent in 2009.
The impact of the recession on retail fl orists was
dramatic. California fl orists increased taxable sales
from $816 million in 1997 to a peak of $1.2 billion in
2007, but sales thereafter plunged to less than $794
million in 2008 and to only $461 million in 2009, a
decline of more than 61.5 percent in just two years. A
signifi cant number of retail fl orists also closed. The
number of fl orists decreased from 6,427 in 2008 to
5,070 in 2009. Estimated retail sales for California
farm and garden supply stores decreased more than
25 percent from the peak of $2.966 billion in 2007
to $2.217 billion in 2009. While not as dramatic
as the decline experienced by fl orists, the two-year
sales decrease for farm and garden supply stores was
substantial.
Data for nursery and floral industry sales are
typically reported separately. Annual USDA Califor-
nia Agricultural Statistics reports ranked the nursery
industry as second or third among all California
commodities in terms of value of production for 2001
through 2009 while the fl ower industry was ranked
between seventh and tenth during the same period. At
the same time, the value of sales for the two sectors,
when combined, ranked second among all California
agricultural products. At the national level, Califor-
nia’s nursery and fl ower industry leads the nation
with Florida in a distant second place.
Nursery and fl ower production occurs in 55 of
California’s 58 counties and tends to be concentrated
in the coastal counties from San Mateo in the north to
San Diego in the south. Sixteen counties accounted for
87.25 percent of all California fl oral and nursery pro-
duction in 2009. Nursery and fl ower production was
the number one agricultural product in terms of value
of production in 2009 in nine counties with the value
ranging from more than $1.05 billion in San Diego
County to more than $12.09 million in Del Norte
County. The presence of many of the state’s nursery
and fl ower producers in the most urbanized areas of
California is a distinguishing feature of the industry.
These producers are close to a large percentage of their
customers, allowing them to deliver quality products
while minimizing distribution costs.
The large and economically important California
nursery and fl ower production sector is accompanied
by an extensive, growing retail sector. California is the
largest single market for lawn and garden products in
the United States with 2009 retail sales estimated at
more than $9.33 billion. Note that this is down sig-
nifi cantly from peak estimated retail sales of $13.07
billion in 2007. The combined effect of nursery and
fl ower production and lawn and garden retailing on
the California economy is huge.
The total economic impact of California fl ower and
nursery production and lawn and garden retailing in
2009 is estimated at $10.37 billion. Based on the input-
output relationships reported here, fl ower and nursery
production generated an estimated 88,165 jobs in Cali-
fornia in 2009 while lawn and garden retailing added
another 81,733 jobs for a combined total of 169,899.
Because of the economic downturn, this was a loss of
47,658 jobs from the estimate for 2007 of 217,557. The
estimated payroll for the two sectors totaled almost
$4.92 billion in 2009 with $2.32 billion from fl oral
and nursery production and almost $2.60 billion from
lawn and garden retailing. Total value added for the
two sectors was almost $8.01 billion with $3.87 billion
from fl oral and nursery production and almost $4.14
billion from lawn and garden retailing.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
23
The important message that the nursery and
fl ower industry should be delivering to policy makers,
agricultural leaders, and the general public at every
available opportunity is that the industry is large and
economically important. In terms of total output,
the California nursery industry is exceeded only by
dairy and grapes, and when the nursery and fl ower
industries are combined, only the dairy industry is
larger. Nursery and fl ower production generates a
greater sales output than many large, well-known, and
world-class California agricultural sectors, including
lettuce, cattle, strawberries, tomatoes, almonds, cot-
ton, chickens, oranges, broccoli, carrots, walnuts,
avocados, celery, melons, and peaches. Despite the
disproportionate impact of the economic recession,
almost $1.09 out of every $10.00 of California’s 2009
gross cash income from farming was from nursery and
fl ower products. And, even with reduced employment,
more than one out of every one hundred jobs in Cali-
fornia during 2009 could be attributed to the direct
and indirect impacts of California nursery production
and retailing.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
24
California Agricultural Statistics Service. California
Agricultural Statistics, Floriculture. Sacramento,
CA, 2001 and 2002. Available at www.nass.usda.
gov/ca/bul/agstat/indexcas.htm. Accessed in
February 2004.
California Department of Finance, E-4 Popula-
tion Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State,
2001–2010, with 2000 Benchmark. Sacramento,
CA, 2010. Available at www.dof.ca.gov/research/
demographic/reports/estimates/e-4/2001-10.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Resource Directory, California Agriculture: A Tradi-
tion of Innovation. Sacramento, CA, 2002. Available
at www.cdfa.ca.gov/card/card_new02.htm.
California Department of Food and Agriculture. Direc-
tory of Nurserymen and Others Licensed to Sell
Nursery Stock in California. Sacramento, CA, 2002
and 2011. Available at http://plant.cdfa.ca.gov/
nurserylicense/nlmenu.asp.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of California Nursery Products, Fiscal Year
2001/2002. Sacramento, CA, 2002.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of Nursery Products, Fiscal Year 2002/2003.
Sacramento, CA, 2003.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of California Nursery Products, Fiscal Year
2003/2004. Sacramento, CA, 2005.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of Nursery Products, Fiscal Year 2004/2005.
Sacramento, CA, 2005.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of Nursery Products, Fiscal Year 2005/2006.
Sacramento, CA, 2007.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of Nursery Products, Fiscal Year 2006/2007.
Sacramento, CA, 2008.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of Nursery Products, Fiscal Year 2007/2008.
Sacramento, CA, 2009.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of California Nursery Products, Fiscal Year
2008/2009. Sacramento, CA, 2010.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Value of California Nursery Products, Fiscal Year
2009/2010. Sacramento, CA, 2011.
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
California Agriculture: Highlights 2005. Sacramento,
CA, 2005.
California Employment Development Depart-
ment. Labor Market Information. Sacramento,
CA. (Historical Civilian Labor Force, 1990–
2008.) Available at www.labormarketinfo.edd.
ca.gov/?pageid=164.
California State Board of Equalization. Taxable Sales in
California. Sacramento, CA, 2000–2008 (annual
reports). Available at www.boe.ca.gov/news/
tsalescont.htm.
Carman, H., and A.M. Rodriguez. Economic Contribu-
tions of the California Nursery Industry. Davis, CA:
Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics
Information Series No. 04-1, 2004. Available at
http://giannini.ucop.edu/infoseries.htm.
Council of Economic Advisors. Economic Indi-
cators. Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Offi ce. Available at www.gpoaccess.gov/
indicators/04janbro.html.
Greenidge, C. “Gaze into 1995. Will L&G Thrive?”
Nursery Retailer 40(1) 1995:50–53.
Greenidge, C. “2002 Looks Bright as Sales Steadily
Rise.” Nursery Retailer 47(1) 2002. (Articles by
Dr. Greenidge in the February/March issues for
earlier years include similar data series.)
Jerardo, A. Floriculture and Nursery Crops Situation and
Outlook Yearbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture, Economic Research Service,
FLO-2004, 2004. Available at www.ers.usda.gov/
Publications/Flo.
Jerardo, A. Floriculture and Nursery Crops Yearbook.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Economic Research Service, FLO-2006, 2006.
Available at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/
Flo.
Jerardo, A. Floriculture and Nursery Crops Yearbook.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Economic Research Service, FLO-2007, 2007. Avail-
able at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/Flo.
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Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
26
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
27
Appendix Table 1. Nursery, Flower, and Foliage Production for 2001–2005 for the Sixteen California Counties
Ranked Highest in 2005
Value of Production ($1,000)
County 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
San Diego 855,139 879,126 927,059 972,858 990,900
Monterey 178,564 218,679 242,201 270,209 276,233
Ventura 223,368 214,245 217,777 287,877 265,412
Orange 218,833 232,096 214,232 211,439 240,610
Riverside 138,371 183,074 205,846 211,271 229,210
Los Angeles 172,046 177,117 184,956 193,691 181,145
Santa Barbara 131,419 149,263 155,864 183,644 175,820
San Joaquin 99,224 119,072 130,017 137,657 141,473
San Mateo 136,613 144,035 144,144 145,209 139,454
Kern 114,599 115,383 100,702 101,850 105,728
San Luis Obispo 91,128 97,377 91,476 101,156 101,942
Santa Clara 150,265 122,755 113,458 104,283 94,917
Tulare 65,175 70,463 66,775 69,423 82,260
Santa Cruz 75,025 61,004 67,177 73,060 73,780
Stanislaus 68,960 85,889 99,164 111,272 71,240
Solano 37,668 38,781 42,373 43,645 50,018
Total: Top Sixteen 2,756,397 2,908,359 3,003,221 3,218,544 3,220,142
Rest of State 414,678 401,740 437,235 440,921 505,406
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Summary of County Agricultural Commissioners’ Reports, 2001–2005.
APPENDIX
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
28
Appendix Table 2. Wholesale Value of California Nursery Products by Major Categories for 2000/01
through 2005/06
2000/01 2001/02 2002/03
Floral Products
Cut fl owers and cut greens $383,101,500 $359,810,600 $365,944,700
Flower seeds 5,830,700 6,074,100 4,775,700
Christmas trees 10,685,800 10,304,900 9,637,400
Total 399,618,000 376,189,600 $380,357,800
Nursery Products
Potted plants and fl owering foliage 615,772,400 $631,386,400 628,212,900
Bulbs, corms, roots, and tubers 10,295,200 35,712,300 38,961,600
Flowering propagative materials 75,590,000 75,700,800 71,976,600
Bedding plants 465,045,400 480,438,100 509,310,000
Rose plants 45,936,000 54,062,000 61,047,000
Woody, deciduous, and evergreen ornamentals 772,006,300 823,255,600 940,436,400
Herbaceous perennials 30,069,200 36,175,500 39,134,900
Turf and sod 42,750,300 56,724,700 74,853,100
Nursery stock other than ornamentals 639,508,900 598,606,600 564,752,800
Total $2,696,973,700 $2,792,062,000 $2,928,685,300
Grand Total $3,096,591,700 $3,168,251,600 $3,309,043,100
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06
Floral Products
Cut fl owers and cut greens $396,748,200 $484,151,000 $460,419,100
Flower seeds 4,379,700 7,556,100 5,861,800
Christmas trees 7,974,600 7,918,125 7,506,800
Total $409,102,500 $499,625,225 $473,787,700
Nursery Products
Potted plants and fl owering foliage $654,604,800 $612,802,500 $658,588,100
Bulbs, corms, roots, and tubers 40,749,700 11,829,800 8,329,600
Flowering propagative materials 94,933,600 105,046,600 68,870,200
Bedding plants 522,659,600 492,449,200 453,664,600
Rose plants 50,558,000 45,353,000 56,251,000
Woody, deciduous, and evergreen ornamentals 966,151,800 1,035,597,600 1,092,487,300
Herbaceous perennials 42,369,600 42,904,500 41,752,200
Turf and sod 61,826,900 80,876,900 76,965,800
Nursery stock other than ornamentals 597,499,400 732,811,240 763,396,600
Total $3,031,353,400 $3,159,671,340 $3,220,305,400
Grand Total $3,440,455,900 $3,659,296,565 $3,694,093,100
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture, Value of California Nursery Products, fi scal years 2001/02 through 2005/06.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
29
Appendix Table 3. Value ($1,000) of California Nursery, Flower, and Foliage Production by County,
1999–2009
County 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Del Norte 14,831 15,427 16,151 12,935 14,726 14,709 14,277 16,646 15,468 15,084 12,085
Humboldt 25,806 32,859 33,952 35,321 35,859 35,859 43,461 49,117 49,117 49,117 49,415
Mendocino 2,620 2,550 2,790 3,267 3,266 3,671 3,770 3,279 3,584 3,705 2,900
Shasta 9,534 8,212 8,830 8,757 8,018 9,995 32,664 32,296 34,273 32,435 32,741
Siskiyou 20,695 25,076 30,789 26,151 23,592 22,923 40,461 54,827 41,485 74,180 76,210
Trinity 32 32 32 32 29 29 29 29 29 29 29
Lassen 11,609 12,336 9,860 5,429 9,462 6,346 6,475 9,711 5,359 7,074 7,109
Modoc — — — — — 25 25 50 50 50 50
Plumas — — — — — — — — — — —
Alameda 19,058 14,049 15,108 14,229 17,730 17,491 21,065 20,451 23,130 19,317 13,679
Contra Costa 28,202 32,105 37,510 35,385 33,686 28,341 24,644 18,497 11,860 3,479 2,461
Lake 408 408 3,120 3,241 3,155 4,124 3,644 4,318 5,112 5,774 3,533
Marin 708 814 675 725 685 663 689 445 643 922 1,000
Monterey 180,822 194,252 178,564 218,679 242,201 270,209 276,233 339,225 342,125 326,105 294,572
Napa 3,156 3,250 4,720 4,655 4,543 3,965 3,226 3,557 6,433 3,348 2,273
San Benito 19,682 28,428 25,207 28,966 29,792 26,449 33,553 33,428 34,452 36,538 20,413
San Francisco 759 727 913 613 571 574 574 627 670 484 373
San Luis Obispo 85,149 89,168 91,128 97,377 91,476 101,156 101,942 108,066 107,674 102,300 93,759
San Mateo 142,842 154,756 136,613 144,035 144,144 145,209 139,454 136,021 139,007 134,843 125,985
Santa Clara 48,467 177,146 150,265 122,755 113,458 104,283 94,917 94,087 93,468 96,819 95,588
Santa Cruz 71,562 76,556 75,025 61,004 67,177 73,060 73,780 80,143 117,816 107,782 118,528
Sonoma 23,133 33,272 30,069 26,067 26,960 28,677 31,447 27,167 28,811 28,795 23,644
Butte 6,400 5,961 8,555 7,178 11,985 10,786 11,099 19,905 18,840 30,755 26,756
Colusa — — — — — — — — — — —
Glenn 3,503 3,258 4,238 4,070 4,213 5,044 4,622 5,697 5,588 5,139 4,897
Sacramento 17,113 26,408 28,968 26,378 31,442 35,220 36,544 36,738 37,677 31,122 27,494
Solano 28,978 35,045 37,668 38,781 42,373 43,645 50,018 47,856 56,611 43,056 33,499
Sutter 11,819 8,025 9,387 8,929 7,558 12,140 11,058 12,737 9,882 12,061 11,244
Tehama 1,367 1,309 1,991 2,102 1,600 1,414 1,787 2,264 2,585 2,865 2,998
Yolo 4,954 4,533 6,991 6,420 5,896 4,715 6,029 8,133 7,306 9,298 9,912
Yuba — — — — — — — — 124 22 10
continued on following page
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
30
Appendix Table 3. Value ($1,000) of California Nursery, Flower, and Foliage Production by County,
1999–2009 (continued)
County 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Fresno 32,531 28,905 32,014 32,407 32,725 35,067 38,091 31,110 39,576 34,255 46,210
Kern 99,129 106,246 114,599 115,383 100,702 101,850 105,728 109,330 105,317 84,822 63,861
Kings — — — — — — — — — — —
Madera 30,200 37,500 24,543 18,271 20,660 30,861 34,585 33,718 34,866 33,820 26,081
Merced 23,747 21,758 22,233 21,991 30,404 30,354 33,329 35,421 29,629 30,006 38,661
San Joaquin 81,937 88,257 99,224 119,072 130,017 137,657 141,473 138,123 137,259 85,539 75,844
Stanislaus 64,111 68,642 68,960 85,889 99,164 111,272 71,240 87,351 99,985 101,207 96,795
Tulare 69,682 72,730 65,175 70,463 66,775 69,423 82,260 88,253 90,185 85,413 72,747
Alpine — — — — — — — — — — —
Amador 209 216 241 191 168 284 286 287 193 193 269
Calaveras 597 452 543 545 500 620 603 440 420 413 410
El Dorado 4,855 5,812 5,988 5,662 5,050 5,133 4,932 4,822 4,885 4,080 3,735
Inyo 2,981 3,515 4,020 3,810 2,340 2,340 3,104 3,000 3,200 3,200 2,285
Mariposa 136 152 147 150 160 150 96 82 71 80 64
Mono — — — — — — — — — — —
Nevada 633 515 334 346 600 396 401 490 471 466 476
Placer 12,090 11,505 12,854 15,080 14,046 13,227 13,998 13,579 10,360 9,241 6,902
Sierra — — — — — — — — — — —
Tuolumne — — — — — — — — — 315 285
Imperial — — — — — — — — 2,070 3,076 3,076
Los Angeles 180,790 170,185 172,046 177,117 184,956 193,691 181,145 192,460 174,440 137,967 119,903
Orange 200,966 214,877 218,833 232,096 214,232 211,439 240,610 214,946 187,152 164,515 126,317
Riverside 90,377 107,520 138,371 183,074 205,846 211,271 229,210 270,993 272,326 231,904 206,500
San Bernardino 26,458 29,502 34,617 42,438 55,814 49,161 43,837 43,797 47,506 35,263 26,147
San Diego 773,081 790,140 855,139 879,126 927,059 972,858 990,900 991,255 1,042,461 1,042,704 1,054,314
Santa Barbara 135,042 150,669 126,846 149,263 155,864 183,644 175,820 178,616 182,035 182,467 176,658
Ventura 180,624 204,828 223,368 214,245 217,777 287,877 265,412 316,346 341,635 349,987 234,063
Total 2,793,385 3,099,888 3,169,214 3,310,100 3,440,456 3,659,297 3,724,548 3,919,736 4,005,216 3,776,114 3,474,489
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Summary of County Agricultural Commissioners’ Reports, 2000–2010.
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
31
Appendix Table 4. Population, Value of Nursery and Floral Production, and Number of Greenhouse, Nursery,
and Floriculture Producers in California by County, 2007–2009
2008 Value 2008 Value
of Nursery No. of of Nursery No. of
Population Product Farms in Population Product Farms in
County Jan. 1, 2009 ($1,000) 2007 County Jan. 1, 2009 ($1,000) 2007
Alameda 1,557,749 13,679 31 Orange 3,134,858 126,317 101
Alpine 1,198 0 0 Placer 341,304 6,902 81
Amador 37,911 269 7 Plumas 20,602 0 6
Butte 220,673 26,756 52 Riverside 2,109,882 206,500 233
Calaveras 45,961 410 18 Sacramento 1,432,168 27,494 40
Colusa 21,955 0 3 San Benito 57,920 20,413 15
Contra Costa 1,061,325 2,461 26 San Bernardino 2,057,271 26,147 114
Del Norte 29,469 12,085 9 San Diego 3,185,462 1,054,314 793
El Dorado 180,713 3,735 105 San Francisco 846,610 373 6
Fresno 941,006 46,210 83 San Joaquin 687,854 75,844 44
Glenn 29,212 4,897 6 San Luis Obispo 270,901 93,759 99
Humboldt 132,713 49,415 76 San Mateo 745,654 125,985 74
Imperial 179,428 3,076 12 Santa Barbara 430,333 176,658 119
Inyo 18,103 2,285 3 Santa Clara 1,857,516 95,588 108
Kern 827,475 63,861 52 Santa Cruz 268,795 118,528 122
Kings 154,440 0 7 Shasta 183,095 32,471 35
Lake 64,075 3,533 22 Sierra 3,320 0 0
Lassen 35,569 7,109 6 Siskiyou 45,903 76,210 19
Los Angeles 10,355,053 119,903 247 Solano 425,740 33,499 32
Madera 152,104 26,081 17 Sonoma 487,259 23,644 153
Marin 258,602 1000 10 Stanislaus 525,090 96,795 46
Mariposa 18,248 64 1 Sutter 96,555 11,244 9
Mendocino 89,938 2,900 73 Tehama 62,609 2,998 10
Merced 255,591 38,661 14 Trinity 13,850 29 3
Modoc 9,685 50 0 Tulare 440,780 72,747 46
Mono 13,577 0 2 Tuolumne 56,089 285 12
Monterey 431,041 294,572 116 Ventura 835,298 234,063 151
Napa 137,723 2,273 17 Yolo 200,931 9,912 12
Nevada 98,649 476 44 Yuba 72,673 10 7
STATE 38,255,508 3,474,490 3,549
Source: Population data are from State of California, Department of Finance, E-4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State,
2001–2010, with 2000 Benchmark, 2010. Nursery and fl oral production data are from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Summary of County
Agricultural Commissioners’ Reports, 2007–2008. Numbers of greenhouse, nursery, and fl oriculture producers are from U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture 2007, California State and County Data, Vol. 1, Geographic Area Series, Part 5, February 2009, 2009.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
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Appendix Table 5A. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2002 by County
Cut Jobbers/
Flowers/ Brokers/ Total
Greens Incidental Commission No. of
County Wholesalers Retailersa Merchants Landscapers Producersb Retailersc Companies
Alameda 15 84 15 13 43 129 273
Amador 1 9 0 1 7 4 20
Butte 6 31 6 6 38 45 107
Calaveras 1 10 0 3 7 10 27
Colusa 1 2 0 0 1 4 6
Contra Costa 10 86 5 7 24 111 229
Del Norte 0 2 0 1 11 6 21
El Dorado 6 26 2 3 23 25 70
Fresno 6 62 11 16 73 97 239
Glenn 2 3 0 0 7 5 14
Humboldt 9 13 4 2 40 30 87
Imperial 0 8 1 1 10 14 34
Inyo 1 3 1 0 4 7 12
Kern 4 58 6 7 59 81 204
Kings 0 5 0 0 2 12 22
Lake 1 10 1 0 14 12 38
Lassen 1 1 0 0 2 6 11
Los Angeles 83 605 74 73 375 824 1,737
Madera 2 9 3 4 25 15 52
Marin 4 21 3 9 16 38 89
Mariposa 2 4 1 0 4 4 13
Mendocino 5 16 5 8 64 32 103
Merced 1 10 1 0 13 20 50
Modoc 0 2 0 0 3 1 4
Mono 0 1 0 0 0 5 5
Monterey 93 34 14 7 89 46 231
Napa 8 12 9 5 23 24 69
Nevada 3 17 4 3 22 17 51
Orange 16 264 32 40 121 284 666
Placer 14 33 13 17 41 44 125
Plumas 0 5 0 1 3 5 13
Riverside 12 139 28 37 207 208 564
Sacramento 28 101 11 12 50 123 292
San Benito 1 2 2 0 10 7 20
San Bernardino 7 123 12 15 118 180 440
San Diego 176 303 95 49 551 333 1,207
continued on following page
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
33
Appendix Table 5A. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2002 by County (continued)
Cut Jobbers/
Flowers/ Brokers/ Total
Greens Incidental Commission No. of
County Wholesalers Retailersa Merchants Landscapers Producersb Retailersc Companies
San Francisco 40 18 12 4 22 67 150
San Joaquin 9 27 9 6 59 59 162
San Luis Obispo 18 47 5 11 82 56 192
San Mateo 30 39 8 6 54 75 187
Santa Barbara 55 56 14 12 92 59 235
Santa Clara 25 97 11 5 47 161 337
Santa Cruz 46 25 17 4 66 40 167
Shasta 6 23 4 7 36 35 90
Sierra 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Siskiyou 1 6 0 2 10 6 29
Solano 7 36 3 4 17 36 95
Sonoma 23 52 12 25 128 92 279
Stanislaus 9 28 4 6 37 48 139
Sutter 3 8 1 0 16 14 40
Tehama 1 7 0 1 15 12 29
Trinity 0 1 0 0 1 6 9
Tulare 9 22 3 6 63 46 137
Tuolumne 0 7 3 4 6 9 26
Ventura 45 83 8 9 126 103 304
Yolo 7 11 3 2 17 16 50
Yuba 0 7 0 0 5 8 18
State Total 853 2,715 476 454 2,999 3,756 9,821
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture, Directory of Nurserymen and Others Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California,
2002.
a An incidental retailer is an operator of a retail sales outlet for nursery stock that is handled incidental to other merchandise. Retailers
such as Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, and supermarkets are in this category.
b A producer is a commercial producer who grows and sells a total of $1,000 or more of nursery stock in one year.
c A retailer is an operator of a sales outlet that has no growing grounds except small areas devoted to the production of plants for local
distribution and those producing less than $1,000.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
34
Appendix Table 5B. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2011 by County
Cut Jobbers/
Flowers/ Brokers/ Total
Greens Incidental Commission No. of
County Wholesalers Retailersa Merchants Landscapers Producersb Retailersc Companies
Alameda 14 15 12 10 50 70 130
Amador 3 5 4 1 5 11 20
Butte 8 13 5 7 45 45 94
Calaveras 2 9 1 3 10 13 32
Colusa 0 0 0 1 2 6 7
Contra Costa 4 14 6 7 39 59 96
Del Norte 0 4 0 1 10 8 21
El Dorado 4 12 3 3 20 26 57
Fresno 9 16 11 16 79 62 141
Glenn 0 2 0 0 3 4 9
Humboldt 9 13 2 7 46 26 83
Imperial 0 6 1 2 11 17 34
Inyo 1 3 0 0 3 8 11
Kern 14 23 7 8 56 46 128
Kings 2 6 0 0 1 17 22
Lake 2 10 1 1 13 17 33
Lassen 0 1 0 0 7 7 14
Los Angeles 94 56 69 57 310 217 602
Madera 2 6 1 3 24 15 41
Marin 6 9 5 7 18 29 60
Mariposa 1 3 0 0 4 5 11
Mendocino 3 14 3 9 48 37 85
Merced 4 10 1 1 24 27 54
Modoc 0 2 0 0 2 3 5
Mono 0 1 0 1 2 6 7
Monterey 62 14 8 6 64 28 146
Napa 4 13 2 4 16 23 49
Nevada 2 9 2 2 17 25 44
Orange 27 32 21 29 91 86 216
Placer 14 17 10 17 41 50 112
Plumas 0 2 0 4 6 11 17
Riverside 31 47 37 57 276 134 415
Sacramento 15 18 8 12 46 55 121
San Benito 2 5 1 0 9 7 19
San Bernardino 19 34 12 26 133 94 234
San Diego 203 59 102 42 548 172 851
continued on following page
Economic Aspects of the California Nursery and Floral Industry, 2001–2009
35
Appendix Table 5B. Nursery and Floriculture Products: Number of Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California in 2011 by County (continued)
Cut Jobbers/
Flowers/ Brokers/ Total
Greens Incidental Commission No. of
County Wholesalers Retailersa Merchants Landscapers Producersb Retailersc Companies
San Francisco 46 8 15 4 26 29 100
San Joaquin 13 19 13 6 45 46 106
San Luis Obispo 17 12 6 8 71 47 129
San Mateo 26 11 13 5 50 36 104
Santa Barbara 44 21 10 14 81 39 160
Santa Clara 23 9 11 5 57 65 136
Santa Cruz 32 13 8 2 82 39 146
Shasta 6 15 2 6 35 33 75
Sierra 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Siskiyou 1 6 0 3 10 6 22
Solano 5 11 4 5 24 31 61
Sonoma 25 24 14 27 125 70 211
Stanislaus 10 14 4 5 37 44 91
Sutter 5 6 2 2 13 20 39
Tehama 2 4 0 1 14 19 27
Trinity 2 1 0 1 5 6 11
Tulare 7 16 4 8 59 48 114
Tuolumne 3 6 1 3 8 19 29
Ventura 45 26 12 9 118 59 199
Yolo 5 6 3 4 12 19 38
Yuba 2 5 2 1 8 17 28
State Total 880 736 460 463 2,959 2,158 5,848
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture, Directory of Nurserymen and Others Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California,
2011.
a An incidental retailer is an operator of a retail sales outlet for nursery stock that is handled incidental to other merchandise. Retailers
such as Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, and supermarkets are in this category.
b A producer is a commercial producer who grows and sells a total of $1,000 or more of nursery stock in one year.
c A retailer is an operator of a sales outlet that has no growing grounds except small areas devoted to the production of plants for local
distribution and those producing less than $1,000.
Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
36
Appendix Table 6.
The IMPLAN System
The following brief description of IMPLAN is from Mulkey and Hodges (2000).
IMPLAN, an acronym for Impact Analyses and Planning, was originally developed by the U.S. Forest Service
in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s
Bureau of Land Management to assist in land and resource management planning. It is a computer software
package that consists of procedures for estimating local input-output models and associated databases. Since
1993, the IMPLAN system has been developed under exclusive rights by the Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc.,
which licenses and distributes the software to users, including universities, government agencies, and private
companies.
The economic data for IMPLAN comes from the system of national accounts for the United States based
on data collected by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other federal
and state government agencies. Data are collected for 528 distinct producing industry sectors of the national
economy corresponding to the Standard Industrial Categories (SICs). Industry sectors are classifi ed on the
basis of the primary commodity or service produced. Corresponding data sets are also produced for each
county in the U.S., allowing analyses at the county level or for individual states. Data on the technological mix
of inputs and levels of transactions between producing sectors are taken from detailed input-output tables of
the national economy. National- and county-level data are the basis for IMPLAN calculations of input-output
tables and multipliers for local areas.
The IMPLAN software package allows the estimation of the multiplier effects of changes in fi nal demand
for one industry on all other industries within a local economic area. Multipliers may be estimated of a single
county, for groups of contiguous counties, or for an entire state. The multipliers measure total changes in
output, income, employment, or value added.
For a particular producing industry, multipliers estimate three components of total change within the
local area:
• Direct effects represent the initial change in the industry in question.
• Indirect effects are changes in inter-industry transactions as supplying industries respond to increased
demands from the directly affected industries.
• Induced effects refl ect changes in local spending that result from income changes in the directly and
indirectly affected industry sectors.
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Giannini Foundation Information Series Report 11-1
GIANNINI FOUNDATION INFORMATION SERIES
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Managing Editor
University of California, Davis
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