Minnesota's horticulture industry includes over 3,000 businesses and 1,500 turf and grounds departments. In addition, Minnesota leads the nation with the largest number of golf courses per capita. Our horticulture industry employs well over 35,000 individuals. The nursery and landscape industry alone boasts over $2.1 billion in annual gross sales volume.
Careers in Environmental Horticulture
What is environmental horticulture?
Environmental horticulture teaches students the use and function of plants in human environments and plant-people interactions. You will examine how plants can be used to:
- alter environments
- restore damaged landscapes
- improve the health and well-being of individuals
- educate the public about science and agriculture
- bring together and improve community environments
- provide recreational and practical benefits to the public
What do I study in this program?
Students complete foundation courses in basic sciences, math, applied economics, communications, and humanities. Professional requirements draw from courses in horticultural science, entomology, plant pathology, and soil science. In this major, you may choose a program of study leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Horticulture. The five program areas are:
- Landscape Implementation, and Management
- Landscape Design
- Floriculture/Nursery Production and Retail Management
- Turfgrass Science
- Individualized Program of Study
Who are the employers?
Wayzata Country Club...Linders…Highland Nursery…Organic Buyers and Growers Association …Bailey Nursery…Lafayette Club…North Star Turf Inc…Mille Lacs County Extension Office… Atlantic City Country Club…St. Paul Parks & Recreation ...The Lawn Ranger Co…Friends of the Mississippi River…MN Dept of Natural Resources…Sargent's Nursery…Central Landscape Supply …Bachman's…Longwood Gardens…Highland Nursery…Giant's Ridge…Pan American Seed Company…Minnesota Landscape Arboretum…Lutsen…..Savanna Designs….Aamodt's Apple Farm…North Metro Landscaping…Fiori Flowers and Gifts…Gerten Greenhouses…Mpls Parks & Recreation…to name a few
How can I learn more about career options in this field?
What about graduate school?Graduates of the Environmental Horticulture program have gone on for advanced degrees in Horticulture. Students can become professional scientists well-grounded in the applied discipline of horticultural science, plant breeding, and plant molecular genetics. Students develop quantitative and qualitative research skills necessary to conduct high quality research and scholarly activity in teaching, research, extension, and domestic or international industry.
The Environmental Horticulture Major serves the employment needs of this industry through five distinct undergraduate programs. Some of the careers associated with these programs appear below:
Landscape Design
- Landscape designer
- Landscape architect
- Manager of public gardens and arboretums
- Owner or manager of landscape design/build firms
Landscape Implementation and Management
- Landscape contractor
- Landscape implementation foreman
- Owners/department managers for garden centers, nurseries and landscape design/build firms
- Wholesale and retail nursery production and sales representative
- Wholesale and retail hard-good supplier
- Tree and landscape service providers
Floriculture/Nursery Production & Retail Management
- Botanical and horticulture garden supervisor
- Nursery technician
- Agriculture nursery inspector
- Golf course superintendent
- Sports turf and commercial grounds manager
- Retail garden center manager
- Professional florist
- Educators and extension specialist
- Interior plantscaper
- Fruit or vegetable grower
- Processing or marketing specialist
Turfgrass Management
- Park and cemetery supervisor
- Sod grower
- Lawn service provider
- Irrigation and product supplier
- Grounds equipment manufacturing and sale
- Greenhouse grower
- Plant breeding and production managers
Individualized Program of Study
- Horticulture therapists
- Horticulture sales and marketing agents
- Organic Foods Marketing
- CSA owner/operator
- Propagation for Graduate School
- Organic Certifier
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