If you’re one of our customers, your business is rooted in horticulture or floriculture. These are unique fields within a flourishing industry, and not everyone knows what it takes for your business to grow and thrive. But your business insurance provider absolutely should.
As a niche insurance brand solely dedicated to the horticultural industry, we're familiar with the challenges you face—and the opportunities in front of you.
In this guide, we review what makes horticultural and floricultural businesses distinctive, and discuss how our unique approach to insuring you can help protect your bottom line.
Technically, floriculture—involving flowering and foliage plants—is a subset of horticulture. One industry, two distinctive fields.
Horticulture is a multi-billion dollar industry that falls somewhere between domestic gardening and field agriculture. Science Direct describes it as the art and practice of garden cultivation and management. Crops include:
The industry is continually developing. Advancements in horticultural practices and greenhouse technology, plus the expansion of biotechnology and its plant application, is helping modernize and expand cultivation. According to Business Wire, the market for greenhouses in the United States in 2022 was estimated at nearly $8.4 billion and is expected to grow to more than $11 billion by 2027.
Floriculture insights
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a vibrant multi-billion dollar field helping fuel the growth of the horticultural industry. It focuses on the cultivation and breeding of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens, landscaping, and floristry. Crops include:
The flower and ornamental plants market is benefitting from advancements in plant biotechnology, such as genome sequencing, and modern flower farming practices. As a result, the U.S. floriculture market is forecast to increase by $30.79 billion by 2027.
Businesses under the umbrella of horticulture and floriculture have unique characteristics—and our knowledge of these fields makes us uniquely capable of helping protect your business. Whether you’re cultivating flowers or farming sod, our tailored insurance solutions can help cover your business and your employees.
We have coverages to help protect your business property—and your business. Insurance for garden centers is designed to help protect your business and workers whether you grow your own stock, buy from others to sell, provide landscape services, operate from a traditional retail store, or have your own greenhouses. Crop damage, storm damage, equipment failure, and workplace liability are some of the biggest garden center risk exposures you face.
We can help protect your greenhouse and other structures, crops, and machinery. Insurance for greenhouse growers is designed to help protect your business and workers whether you grow under glass, polycarbonate, plastic, or acrylic; produce potted plants, vegetables, or specialty cuts; or sell plugs or finished products. Storm damage, crop losses, electrical fires, and equipment failure are some of the biggest greenhouse risk exposures you face.
Insurance for nurseries or sod farms is designed to help protect your business whether you grow in the field or in containers, sell bare root stock or fully rooted plant material, brand your own sod, provide installation services, or sell direct or through distributors. Crop losses, equipment damage, theft, and jobsite accidents are some of the biggest nursery and sod farm risk exposures you’ll face.
You’re juggling a lot—inventory, equipment, customers, and employees. Insurance for retail, wholesale, and event florists is designed to help protect your business income and workers—whether the majority of your sales are from wire services or walk-in customers, you own your building or rent, or you have multiple designers or are a one-person florist shop. Loss of inventory, property damage, delivery accidents, and workplace liability are some of the biggest floral business risk exposures you face.
Insurance for landscapers and interior plantscapers is designed to help protect your business and workers whether you have one crew or many; focus on residential jobs, commercial work, or both; or handle simple installations or complex design and build projects. We have the specialized coverages that’ll help protect you and your lawn care or plantscaping business. Property damage, equipment breakdown, and jobsite injuries are some of the biggest business risk exposures you’ll face.
Working with a niche insurance provider who knows the risk exposures horticultural businesses like yours face can be a significant benefit to your bottom line. We’re widely recognized within the horticulture and floriculture fields and recently celebrated 135 years serving the industry. We provide a full range of horticultural business insurance services, from quick claims response and risk management programs to loss control and safety services.
Learn more about why our specialized insurance makes the most sense for your horticultural business. Request a quote, email us, or give us a call at 800-541-5082 to speak with one of our representatives.
Related links:
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Should you bundle your insurance coverages? Read why many horticulture businesses often choose to bundle their insurance.
Don’t rush the hiring process as you plan for your spring season. Use our hiring strategies to help you hire wisely.
Hortica® property and casualty coverages are underwritten, and loss control services are provided, by Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company, Florists’ Insurance Service, Inc., Edwardsville, IL, or affiliated members of the Sentry Insurance Group. For more information, visit hortica.com. Policies, coverages, benefits, and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details.
The general information contained in this article is for informational or entertainment purposes only. The information in this article is provided “AS-IS” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES of any kind. Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates (Companies) do not accept any responsibility related to the content or accuracy of the information contained in this article. The information contained in this article should not be mistaken for professional or legal advice. Any use of this article or any third-party website linked to this article is at the risk of the user. THE COMPANIES ARE NOT LIABLE TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS ARTICLE OR ANY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITE LINKED TO THIS ARTICLE. The views and opinions contained in third-party websites referenced in this article are the views and opinions of third-party authors and may not represent the opinions or policies of the Companies.
