Florida Crops and Products
Florida Ferns for Floral Arrangements
Florida's Fern Industry
Florida's cut foliage industry started near the turn of the 20th century, when growers of fern asparagus started shipping iced fern sprays by train to florists in the Northeast.
By the 1920s, the City of Apopka adopted the slogan of "The Fern City." Growers sold millions of ferns to dime-store chains, which soon asked for other plants to sell also, launching the foliage industry. By the 1950s, there were over 2,000 acres of cut foliage production in Florida, most in Volusia County, with fern asparagus being the predominant crop. By the 1980s, production acreage had increased to over 3,300 acres, with more than 90 percent of the acreage devoted to leatherleaf fern.
Volusia County continues as the leading producer, followed by Putnam and Lake counties.
Florida is the national leader in sales of domestic cut cultivated greens, producing three-fourths of the value of all cut greens sold.
Types of Ferns and Decorative Greens
| Types of Ferns and Decorative Greens | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| Plumosus Fern | Asparagus setaceus |
| Sprengeri Fern | Asparagus densiflorus |
| Aspidistra Cast-iron plant |
Aspidistra elatior "Lurida" Aspidistra elatior "Variegata" Aspidistra elatior "Minor" Aspidistra elatior "Milky Way" |
| Ming Fern | Asparagus macowanii |
| Variegated Pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira "Varigata" |
| Umbrella Plant Umbrella Palm |
Cyperus alternifolius |
| Leatherleaf Fern Leather Fern |
Rumohra adiantiformis |
| Tree Fern Tiki Fern |
Asparagus virgatus |
| Sword Fern | Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Podocarpus | Podocarpus macrophyllus |
| Foxtail Myerii Myers Fern |
Asparagus densiflorus "Myers" |
| Palmetto Fan Palm Fans |
Serenoa repens |
| Spanish Moss | Tillandsia usneoides |
| Green Ivy | Hedera helix |
Related Links
- Association of Florida Native Nurseries
- Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association
- Nursery Report
