Statistical Overview of the Canadian Ornamental Industry, 2023

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Overview

The ornamental horticulture sector includes the floriculture (primarily producing potted plants and cut flowers), nursery, Christmas tree, and turf sod industries.

The Canadian ornamental sector, saw total annual sales rise by 3.6% (to $3.02 billion) in 2023 compared to the previous year, 13% higher than the average of the previous four years.

Floriculture (flowering and non-flowering live potted plants, greenhouse and field-cut flowers) remained the largest ornamental sub-sector by revenue ($2.07 billion), accounting for 68.7% of total ornamental sales in 2023. The total value of floriculture sales have been increasing over the last five years, with the value of production in 2023 now 16.5% higher than the average of the previous four years. About half of total floriculture production in 2022 was in Ontario (50.5%), with 24.8% in British Columbia, 13.2% in Quebec and the remaining provinces accounting for 11.5%.

Nursery product sales and resales rose 2.0% to $729.8 million in 2023 (year over year), accounting for 25.2% of total ornamental sales. By province, Ontario accounted for the largest share of total nursery sales (43.1%), followed by British Columbia (30.9%) and Quebec (15.2%).

The total turf sod area rebounded in 2023 to 21,207 hectares, up 0.5% over the previous year, and 3.9% higher than the average of the previous four years. The total value of turf sod sales rose by 6.8% year-over-year to $162.5 million, accounting for 6.6% of total ornamental sales. Ontario led the country in turf sod sales ($70.1 million) at 43.2% of the national total.

Canada exports a diverse range of live plants, with soil, to the United States (U.S.) including turf sod, potted plants, and bedding plants. Most other countries cannot sell plants with soil to the U.S. for phytosanitary reasons. The U. S. accounts for 99.6% of exports and 45.3% of imports, by value, for the sector. The annual total value of Canadian ornamental exports worldwide (including Christmas trees) continues to rise, by 13.1% from 2022 to $ 1,073 million in 2023. The 2023 total value of ornamental exports was 39.4% higher than the average of the previous four years.

The total annual value of Canadian Christmas tree exports decreased in value to $90.4 million in 2023, 8.0% lower than 2022 and 3.5% higher than the average of the previous four years. 96% of exported Christmas trees are from three provinces: 66.7% from Quebec, 15.5% from Nova Scotia, and 13.8% from New Brunswick. Most Christmas tree exports are to the United States (96.6%).

The nursery, turf sod, and floriculture industries directly employed 25,773 permanent and seasonal workers in the 2023 season, with 66% (17,038) of those employees seasonal and 34% (8,735) permanent. This represents 5.9% growth from the previous year and is 4.2% more than the average of the previous four years.

Note that all comparisons are in annual nominal dollar figures, not adjusted for inflation.

1. Production

1.1. Number of Canadian ornamental farms^{Table 1.1 note [1]} by sub-sector

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Nursery	2,127	1,993	1,840	1,778	1,766	47.3%
Greenhouse, specialized flower producers	1,620	1,615	1,557	1,545	1,523	40.8%
Sod	248	228	223	234	247	6.6%
Field-grown cut flowers	172	185	199	194	201	5.4%
Total	4,167	4,021	3,819	3,751	3,737	100.0%
Note: Table 1.1 note [1] Number of farms of greenhouse indoor and outdoor potted plants, greenhouse bedding plants, greenhouse cuttings and tree seedlings, greenhouse stems and Christmas trees are not reported in this table. Return to table 1.1 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Tables 32-10-0029-01, 32-10-0019-01, 32-10-0034-01 and 32-10-0452-01

1.2. Area of Canadian ornamental farms^{Table 1.2 note [1]} by sub-sector (hectares)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Nursery	16,886	16,041	15,740	15,630	15,334	40.6%
Greenhouse, specialized flower producers	706	709	670	682	744	2.0%
Sod	18,667	20,417	21,451	21,052	21,207	56.2%
Field-grown cut flowers	329	410	449	458	454	1.2%
Total	36,588	37,577	38,310	37,863	37,739	100.0%
Note: Table 1.2 note [1] Number of farms of greenhouse indoor and outdoor potted plants, greenhouse bedding plants, greenhouse cuttings and tree seedlings, greenhouse stems and Christmas trees are not reported in this table. Return to table 1.2 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Tables 32-10-0029-01, 32-10-0019-01, 32-10-0034-01 and 32-10-0452-01

1.3. Production of greenhouse flowers and plants by category (number of flowers and plants in millions)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Bedding plants, ornamental	415.81	412.41	407.14	368.75	352.93	34.6%
Cut flowers	285.70	271.84	304.15	313.37	323.71	31.7%
Potted plantsTable 1.3 note [1]	210.68	219.66	241.42	250.54	251.47	24.6%
Cuttings	94.20	91.57	96.86	97.67	92.75	9.1%
Total	1,006.40	995.48	1,049.57	1,030.32	1,020.86	100.0%
Note: Table 1.3 note [1] Includes indoor potted plants and outdoor potted plants. Return to table 1.3 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0246-01 Production and sale of greenhouse flowers and plants

1.4. Total area for production of specialized greenhouse flowers and plants by province (square metres)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Atlantic provinces	247,964	252,718	256,350	260,708	274,751	3.7%
Quebec	1,239,323	1,189,905	1,045,923	994,801	1,158,919	15.6%
Ontario	3,484,294	3,379,181	3,211,391	3,330,828	3,603,103	48.4%
Prairie provinces	782,336	811,452	788,159	798,467	823,013	11.1%
British Columbia	1,308,806	1,453,804	1,398,996	1,434,326	1,578,243	21.2%
Canada	Canada	7,062,723	7,087,059	6,700,819	6,819,130	7,438,029	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0019-01 Estimates of specialized greenhouse operations, greenhouse area, and months of operation

1.5. Total field-grown flowers area by province (hectares)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	0	x	x	0	0	0.0%
Nova Scotia	0	x	3	2	x	N/A
New Brunswick	x	0	x	x	x	N/A
Quebec	13	43	48	49	x	N/A
Ontario	108	125	142	159	161	35.5%
Saskatchewan	x	0	x	x	0	0.0%
Alberta	x	x	x	x	x	N/A
British Columbia	192	229	245	238	229	50.4%
CanadaTable 1.5 note [1]	329	410	449	458	454	100.0%
Notes: Table 1.5 note [1] Totals may not add up as some data was suppressed to meet confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Return to table 1.5 note [1] referrer x: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0452-01 Estimates of field-grown cut flowers area, production and sales

1.6. Production of potted plants by variety (number in thousands)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Tropical foliage and green plants, indoor	17,310	19,131	23,176	25,411	24,609	9.8%
Fine herb plants, outdoor	10,076	10,016	14,654	15,269	15,272	6.1%
Herbaceous flowering perennials, outdoor	11,806	12,804	13,282	14,170	13,614	5.4%
Geraniums, outdoor	13,890	12,910	14,472	13,658	13,517	5.4%
Outdoor hanging pots	12,004	10,812	12,297	12,968	13,296	5.3%
Vegetable plants, outdoor	9,580	11,639	13,878	12,987	12,898	5.1%
Kalanchoes, indoor	9,331	8,367	11,639	12,848	12,531	5.0%
Miniature roses, indoor	8,968	8,531	9,438	10,209	10,896	4.3%
Orchids, indoor	3,020	5,314	5,919	6,541	7,256	2.9%
Petunias, outdoor	5,182	5,151	6,881	7,294	7,014	2.8%
Chrysanthemums, indoor	6,329	4,984	5,680	6,570	6,349	2.5%
Poinsettias, indoor	4,741	4,740	5,154	5,654	5,794	2.3%
Begonias, outdoor	5,357	5,181	5,254	4,647	4,626	1.8%
African violets, indoor	4,296	4,007	4,189	4,078	4,175	1.7%
Gerberas, indoor	3,422	3,377	3,597	3,876	3,958	1.6%
Hawker's balsams, outdoor	3,551	3,616	3,767	3,609	3,694	1.5%
Lilies, indoor	2,783	2,678	3,079	3,693	3,406	1.4%
Chrysanthemums, outdoor	2,622	2,716	3,105	3,217	3,287	1.3%
Tulips, indoor	2,381	1,616	2,154	2,588	3,110	1.2%
Calibrachoas, outdoor	2,440	2,498	3,056	2,919	2,897	1.2%
Primulas, indoor	2,027	1,745	1,935	2,125	2,077	0.8%
Cyclamens, indoor	1,646	2,087	1,833	2,107	2,047	0.8%
Pansies, outdoor	1,620	1,402	1,804	1,726	1,859	0.7%
Indoor hanging pots	1,313	1,888	1,788	1,484	1,373	0.5%
Dahlia, outdoor	915	887	1,062	1,154	1,142	0.5%
Verbenas, outdoor	907	865	868	858	875	0.3%
Azaleas, indoor	494	461	435	412	450	0.2%
Rudbeckias, outdoor	308	346	277	263	261	0.1%
Argyranthemum, outdoor	236	238	224	200	182	0.1%
Heliopsis, outdoor	71	83	106	108	100	0.0%
Other indoor pots	15,663	15,575	16,526	17,345	17,479	7.0%
Other outdoor pots	46,107	53,681	49,570	50,213	51,125	20.4%
Total potted plants	210,397	219,348	241,099	250,200	251,169	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0021-01 Production of plants, flowers and tree seedlings

1.7. Production of cuttings by variety (number in thousands)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Geraniums, cuttings	11,995	11,812	12,053	11,912	11,903	12.8%
Poinsettias, cuttings	5,435	5,404	5,386	5,260	5,367	5.8%
Chrysanthemums, cuttings	4,117	4,104	4,771	4,989	4,873	5.3%
Impatiens, cuttings	4,229	3,831	4,162	4,273	4,201	4.5%
Other cuttings	68,426	66,422	70,485	71,234	66,405	71.6%
Total cuttings	94,202	91,573	96,856	97,668	92,750	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0021-01 Production of plants, flowers and tree seedlings

1.8. Production of cut flowers^{Table 1.8 note [1]} by variety (number in thousands)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Tulips, stems	120,896	102,997	125,854	131,586	138,479	42.8%
Gerberas, stems	69,183	73,195	74,698	74,074	76,329	23.6%
Snapdragons, stems	22,360	21,816	25,298	26,625	27,914	8.6%
Chrysanthemums, stems	20,654	23,278	21,879	21,883	24,366	7.5%
Lilies, stems	6,208	8,071	11,043	14,340	13,725	4.2%
Lisianthus, stems	11,525	12,080	13,454	14,018	13,004	4.0%
Alstroemerias, stems	3,665	3,711	3,683	3,437	3,331	1.0%
Roses, stems	3,831	3,071	3,078	2,835	2,860	0.9%
Freesias, stems	3,732	2,857	2,511	2,256	2,090	0.6%
Daffodils, stems	1,387	1,231	1,456	1,571	1,464	0.5%
Irises, stems	1,649	214	280	198	248	0.1%
Other cut flowers	20,611	19,321	20,914	20,545	19,901	6.1%
Total cut flowers	285,703	271,842	304,147	313,369	323,712	100.0%
Note: Table 1.8 note [1] Includes flowers grown, or given some cultural treatment, and sold. Return to table 1.8 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0021-01 Production of plants, flowers and tree seedlings

1.9. Field-grown nursery tree and plant production (number in thousands)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Small fruit bushes	44,415	30,885	31,339	30,855	30,661	58.5%
Perennials and annuals	4,020	4,792	6,524	5,425	5,334	10.2%
Tree seedlings	4,080	3,399	3,508	3,378	3,383	6.5%
Fruit trees	2,715	2,525	2,586	2,929	2,398	4.6%
Conifer trees	1,424	1,301	2,433	1,994	1,728	3.3%
Shade and ornamental trees	1,621	1,815	1,502	1,799	1,503	2.9%
Deciduous shrubs	1,403	1,374	1,488	1,458	1,407	2.7%
Vines	1,440	2,280	1,137	1,039	930	1.8%
Evergreen and conifer shrubs	496	529	395	401	404	0.8%
Evergreen and broadleaf shrubs	341	558	266	345	207	0.4%
Other trees and plants	1,366	474	3,161	2,828	3,154	6.0%
Total	63,320	63,320	49,930	54,339	52,449	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0031-01 Nursery tree and plant production

1.10. Container-grown nursery tree and plant production by variety (number in thousands)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Perennials and annuals	13,142	14,889	15,149	11,609	11,269	26.8%
Deciduous shrubs	8,872	9,198	10,143	12,165	9,693	23.0%
Evergreen and conifer shrubs	5,209	5,754	4,773	4,673	5,652	13.4%
Conifer trees	1,560	2,581	3,445	4,787	4,004	9.5%
Evergreen and broadleaf shrubs	3,325	3,371	3,069	3,309	3,116	7.4%
Small fruit bushes	3,232	3,325	2,848	2,696	2,721	6.5%
Tree seedlings	1,749	1,758	949	1,344	1,208	2.9%
Shade and ornamental trees	1,160	987	931	1,424	1,146	2.7%
Vines	377	423	544	418	411	1.0%
Fruit trees	352	305	204	264	258	0.6%
Other trees and plants	1,800	3,089	3,185	2,017	2,606	6.2%
Total	40,778	45,680	45,242	44,708	42,084	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0031-01 Nursery tree and plant production

1.11. Total sod area by province (hectares)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	247	251	250	248	252	1.2%
Prince Edward Island	69	68	72	x	x	N/A
Nova Scotia	922	1,070	1,162	1,166	1,200	5.7%
New Brunswick	249	238	204	x	x	N/A
Quebec	4,165	4,455	5,042	4,631	4,968	23.4%
Ontario	7,364	8,758	9,345	9,164	8,791	41.5%
Manitoba	911	1,133	1,167	1,123	1,081	5.1%
Saskatchewan	614	497	460	556	591	2.8%
Alberta	3,312	3,214	3,086	3,206	3,339	15.7%
British Columbia	816	732	664	699	691	3.3%
Canada	18,667	20,417	21,451	21,093	21,207	100.0%
Notes: x: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. N/A: Not applicable. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32−10−0034−01 Estimates of sod area, sales and resales

1.12. Sod operations^{Table 1.12 note [1]} by province (number)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	21	19	17	16	17	6.9%
Prince Edward Island	3	2	x	4	4	1.6%
Nova Scotia	11	8	8	11	13	5.3%
New Brunswick	10	6	x	6	6	2.4%
Quebec	57	50	48	48	55	22.3%
Ontario	65	70	72	80	79	32.0%
Manitoba	12	11	11	11	11	4.5%
Saskatchewan	13	8	7	8	10	4.0%
Alberta	26	26	27	26	28	11.3%
British Columbia	30	28	26	24	24	9.7%
Canada	248	228	223	234	247	100.0%
Notes: Table 1.12 note [1] Firms that only distribute sod or nursery stock, or just landscape and lay sod are excluded. Return to table 1.12 note [1] referrer x: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32−10−0034−01 Estimates of sod area, sales and resales

1.13. Christmas tree production by province (number of farms and area)

	Number of farms 2021	Number of farms 2021 % share	Area (hectares) 2021	Area (hectares) 2021 % share
Newfoundland and Labrador	1	0.1%	F	N/A
Prince Edward Island	13	1.0%	112	0.5%
Nova Scotia	213	15.6%	5,315	25.9%
New Brunswick	65	4.8%	2,344	11.4%
Quebec	257	18.8%	7,757	37.7%
Ontario	418	30.6%	3,258	15.8%
Manitoba	35	2.6%	148	0.7%
Saskatchewan	26	1.9%	172	0.8%
Alberta	60	4.4%	177	0.9%
British Columbia	276	20.2%	1,272	6.2%
Canada	1,364	100.0%	20,559	100.0%
Notes: F: Too unreliable to be published. N/A: Not applicable. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0249-01 Land use, Census of Agriculture, 2021

2. Sales and resales

2.1. Ornamental sales and resales by sub-sector (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Greenhouse flower and plants	1,575.4	1,694.2	1,856.4	1,996.9	2,073.8	68.7%
Nursery	679.8	716.9	747.5	734.8	749.6	24.8%
Sod	134.1	146.9	150.9	152.2	162.5	5.4%
Field-grown cut flowers	14.9	23.9	28.2	32.0	34.3	1.1%
Total	2,404.2	2,582.0	2,783.0	2,915.8	3,020.1	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada. Tables 32-10-0023-01, 32-10-0032-01, 32-10-0034-01 and 32-10-0452-01

2.2. Greenhouse flower and plant sales^{Table 2.2 note [1]} by category (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Potted plantsTable 2.2 note [2],Table 2.2 note [3]	853.0	903.8	1,030.3	1,144.8	1,171.9	71.3%
Bedding plants, ornamental	207.5	230.1	226.6	213.0	216.5	13.2%
Cut flowers	133.5	137.7	160.6	177.6	192.3	11.7%
CuttingsTable 2.2 note [3]	51.1	51.6	57.3	61.9	62.5	3.8%
Total	1,245.2	1,323.2	1,474.8	1,597.3	1,643.3	100.0%
Notes: Table 2.2 note [1] Farm gate value (before sales tax). Return to table 2.2 note [1] referrer Table 2.2 note [2] Includes indoor potted plants and outdoor potted plants. Return to table 2.2 note [2] referrer Table 2.2 note [3] Includes mixed operations (vegetables, flowers and plants), excluding cannabis operations. Return to table 2.2 note [3] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0246-01 Production and sale of greenhouse flowers and plants

2.3. Greenhouse flower and plant sales and resales by province (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	8.2	8.2	x	8.7	9.4	0.5%
Prince Edward Island	6.2	8.2	x	12.5	14.5	0.7%
Nova Scotia	13.5	15.0	14.6	13.8	13.4	0.6%
New Brunswick	46.3	48.9	53.2	55.3	57.7	2.8%
Quebec	215.2	240.7	267.3	271.7	273.4	13.2%
Ontario	817.6	839.5	913.7	1,007.3	1,047.4	50.5%
Manitoba	35.9	37.2	39.2	40.0	41.3	2.0%
Saskatchewan	13.5	15.4	18.5	18.5	18.8	0.9%
Alberta	76.4	80.7	78.8	81.2	83.4	4.0%
British Columbia	342.7	400.6	452.5	487.8	514.4	24.8%
Canada	1,575.4	1,694.2	1,856.4	1,996.9	2,073.8	100.0%
Note: x: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0023-01 Total value of greenhouse products

2.4. Field-grown cut flower sales by province (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	0.0	x	x	0.0	0.0	0.0%
Nova Scotia	0.0	79.1	113.0	101.2	x	N/A
New Brunswick	x	x	x	x	x	N/A
Quebec	285.3	429.0	339.7	368.5	386.9	1.1%
Ontario	5,771.0	8,837.9	14,629.0	17,933.6	19,577.1	57.1%
Saskatchewan	41.8	38.2	44.2	x	x	N/A
Alberta	212.0	66.7	62.3	x	x	N/A
British Columbia	8,557.4	14,437.9	13,009.6	13,441.8	14,020.0	40.9%
CanadaTable 2.4 note [1]	14,875.7	23,924.1	28,239.2	32,000.0	34,286.6	100.0%
Notes: Table 2.4 note [1] Totals may not add up as some data was suppressed to meet confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. Return to table 2.4 note [1] referrer x: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. N/A: Not applicable. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0452-01 Estimates of field-grown cut flowers area, production and sales

2.5. Nursery stock^{Table 2.5 note [1]} sales and resales by province (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.1%
Prince Edward Island	1.2	1.4	1.6	1.5	1.6	0.2%
Nova Scotia	11.1	10.0	10.3	10.5	10.9	1.5%
New Brunswick	3.0	2.6	2.3	2.0	1.9	0.3%
Quebec	90.5	102.8	108.1	118.1	113.9	15.2%
Ontario	279.0	303.6	334.5	308.9	323.1	43.1%
Manitoba	14.5	15.7	14.4	14.8	14.2	1.9%
Saskatchewan	4.9	5.0	5.2	5.1	5.2	0.7%
Alberta	46.7	45.3	43.2	44.3	46.2	6.2%
British Columbia	228.4	229.9	227.3	229.0	231.9	30.9%
Canada	679.8	716.9	747.5	734.8	749.6	100.0%
Note: Table 2.5 note [1] The term “nursery stock” covers a diverse range of non-edible, living plant material grown in field or in containers and sold with its root system intact. Nursery stock includes annual and perennial plants ranging from woody plants (e.g. trees, shrubs and rose bushes) to bedding plants and potted outdoor flowers. “Nursery stock” excludes Christmas trees and various inputs such as growing medium (e.g. peat moss and top soil), fertilizer and pesticides. Return to table 2.5 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32−10−0032−01 Nursery stock sales and resales

2.6. Sod sales and resales by province (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	2.5	2.4	2.3	2.3	2.4	1.5%
Prince Edward Island	0.7	0.7	0.8	1.0	x	N/A
Nova Scotia	4.8	5.6	6.4	6.7	6.9	4.2%
New Brunswick	2.1	1.9	1.7	1.9	x	N/A
Quebec	27.4	32.6	35.4	35.8	37.6	23.2%
Ontario	53.0	61.2	65.5	64.3	70.1	43.2%
Manitoba	4.5	5.0	5.2	5.3	5.8	3.6%
Saskatchewan	4.2	4.1	3.5	3.5	3.9	2.4%
Alberta	23.8	22.5	20.2	21.2	21.7	13.4%
British Columbia	11.1	10.9	9.9	10.1	11.1	6.9%
CanadaTable 2.6 note [1]	134.1	146.9	150.9	152.2	162.5	100.0%
Note: Table 2.6 note [1] Totals may not add up as some data was suppressed to meet confidentiality requirements. Return to table 2.6 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32−10−0034−01 Estimates of sod area, sales and resales

3. Trade

3.1. Canadian ornamental trade balance by category (thousands of Canadian dollars)

		2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Bulbs, tubers, tuberous roots, etc.	Exports	27,233	19,144	31,599	34,291	42,969
	Imports	51,945	53,329	70,363	77,130	83,563
	Trade balance	−24,712	−34,186	−38,764	−42,839	−40,594
Other live plants, including their roots, cuttings and slips, etc.	Exports	418,875	464,930	584,056	667,111	756,245
	Imports	300,322	310,963	367,779	379,520	371,527
	Trade balance	118,554	153,967	216,277	287,592	384,718
Cut flowers and flower buds for bouquets or ornamental purposes, etc.	Exports	85,176	78,333	102,730	116,797	147,442
	Imports	167,705	137,842	184,921	207,192	209,181
	Trade balance	−82,529	−59,510	−82,191	−90,396	−61,739
Foliage, branches and other parts of plants, etc.Table 3.1 note [1]	Exports	96,291	98,370	123,692	129,783	126,453
	Imports	47,643	45,429	61,278	71,904	64,167
	Trade balance	48,648	52,941	62,413	57,879	62,286
Total	Exports	627,575	660,776	842,077	947,981	1,073,109
	Imports	567,614	547,563	684,342	735,746	728,438
	Overall trade balance	59,960	113,213	157,735	212,236	344,670
Note: Table 3.1 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.1 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2. Exports

3.2.1. Canadian floriculture and nursery exports^{Table 3.2.1 note [1]} by province (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	0	6	5	0	10	0.0%
Prince Edward Island	4,672	5,374	5,475	7,058	8,919	0.8%
Nova Scotia	20,551	21,694	31,527	40,065	38,059	3.5%
New Brunswick	36,419	37,243	50,889	53,071	56,777	5.3%
Quebec	75,857	77,597	91,181	98,856	103,106	9.6%
Ontario	349,521	360,885	474,438	550,159	649,755	60.5%
Manitoba	1,500	293	458	460	434	0.0%
Saskatchewan	113	146	184	199	361	0.0%
Alberta	190	88	711	1,031	2,469	0.2%
British Columbia	138,753	157,450	187,211	197,096	213,217	19.9%
CanadaTable 3.2.1 note [2]	627,575	660,776	842,077	947,996	1,073,109	100.0%
Notes: Table 3.2.1 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.2.1 note [1] referrer Table 3.2.1 note [2] Canada total derived from the sum of available provincial data. Return to table 3.2.1 note [2] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.2. Canada's top ten floriculture and nursery^{Table 3.2.2 note [1]} export destinations (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
United States	623,363	657,717	837,514	943,142	1,068,796	99.6%
Panama	1,767	1,295	1,804	2,243	1,886	0.2%
Curaçao	329	338	481	473	424	0.0%
Aruba	380	173	316	296	376	0.0%
Bahamas	71	72	27	54	232	0.0%
nited Arab Emirates	100	59	105	173	219	0.0%
Bermuda	286	313	356	184	204	0.0%
Venezuela	117	129	120	259	143	0.0%
Barbados	88	92	111	158	117	0.0%
Cayman Islands	81	100	88	131	107	0.0%
Others	991	485	1,154	885	605	0.1%
Total	627,575	660,776	842,077	947,996	1,073,109	100.0%
Note: Table 3.2.2 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.2.2 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.3. Christmas tree exports by province^{Table 3.2.3 note [1]} (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Prince Edward Island	0	0	102	16	0	0.0%
Nova Scotia	9,477	9,455	11,603	14,772	14,046	15.5%
New Brunswick	10,788	10,696	12,607	13,319	12,448	13.8%
Quebec	59,807	56,298	63,100	66,083	60,292	66.7%
Ontario	408	513	611	971	648	0.7%
Saskatchewan	34	39	35	77	108	0.1%
British Columbia	1,323	1,796	2,399	2,911	2,820	3.1%
Canada	81,837	78,797	90,455	98,149	90,362	100.0%
Note: Table 3.2.3 note [1] Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta did not export Christmas trees during the five-year range presented in this table. Return to table 3.2.3 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.4. Christmas tree exports by province^{Table 3.2.4 note [1]} (number of Christmas trees)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Prince Edward Island	0	0	1,450	674	0	0.0%
Nova Scotia	392,149	419,485	443,667	415,850	336,251	16.6%
New Brunswick	345,861	335,772	440,174	337,000	262,536	13.0%
Quebec	2,046,599	1,766,330	1,443,830	1,505,436	1,129,781	55.8%
Ontario	13,888	20,887	25,288	38,333	16,430	0.8%
Saskatchewan	1,273	2,262	1,964	3,717	4,812	0.2%
British Columbia	39,931	53,562	75,598	79,014	276,672	13.7%
Canada	2,839,701	2,598,298	2,431,971	2,380,024	2,026,482	100.0%
Note: Table 3.2.4 note [1] Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta did not export Christmas trees during the five-year range presented in this table. Return to table 3.2.4 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.5. Canada's top ten Christmas tree destinations (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
United States	78,315	76,069	86,612	93,926	86,427	95.6%
Panama	1,767	1,295	1,804	2,243	1,886	2.1%
Curaçao	329	328	472	460	422	0.5%
Aruba	351	173	316	296	376	0.4%
Bahamas	71	72	27	54	232	0.3%
United Arab Emirates	100	59	105	173	219	0.2%
Bermuda	269	313	356	184	204	0.2%
Venezuela	117	129	120	259	143	0.2%
Barbados	74	90	106	150	116	0.1%
Cayman Islands	80	100	88	131	107	0.1%
Others	364	167	449	274	231	0.3%
Total	81,837	78,797	90,455	98,149	90,362	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.6. Canada's top ten Christmas tree destinations (number of Christmas trees)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
United States	2,769,207	2,547,302	2,357,256	2,299,820	1,956,825	96.6%
Panama	34,394	20,912	35,130	44,948	35,228	1.7%
Curaçao	6,990	3,416	6,493	6,227	7,733	0.4%
Aruba	5,811	6,287	8,966	8,139	7,155	0.4%
Bahamas	1,617	1,125	412	1,164	3,823	0.2%
United Arab Emirates	2,092	1,297	2,081	2,494	2,947	0.1%
Bermuda	6,470	6,982	5,713	2,414	2,521	0.1%
Barbados	1,354	2,046	2,163	2,875	2,367	0.1%
Venezuela	2,201	2,674	2,435	4,801	2,086	0.1%
Cayman Islands	2,207	2,383	1,409	1,641	1,385	0.1%
Others	7,358	3,874	9,913	5,501	4,412	0.2%
Total	2,839,701	2,598,298	2,431,971	2,380,024	2,026,482	100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.2.7. Canada's floriculture and nursery^{Table 3.2.7 note [1]} export destinations by U.S. state (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Florida	42,387	51,721	75,319	99,390	108,078	10.1%
New York	77,009	74,865	80,829	85,821	93,419	8.7%
Washington, state	49,636	52,118	62,685	70,997	81,556	7.6%
Massachusetts	37,084	35,944	52,355	72,440	80,116	7.5%
California	28,526	32,110	41,968	48,688	65,474	6.1%
Illinois	38,918	42,479	48,162	50,254	59,450	5.6%
Michigan	41,162	39,683	47,744	47,132	52,856	4.9%
New Jersey	26,263	29,274	37,949	41,719	49,213	4.6%
Texas	22,704	23,497	31,127	35,597	43,196	4.0%
Ohio	25,521	28,886	36,205	38,170	43,042	4.0%
Other U.S. states	234,153	247,140	323,170	352,932	392,396	36.7%
Total, United States	623,363	657,717	837,514	943,142	1,068,796	100.0%
Note: Table 3.2.7 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.2.7 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.3. Imports

3.3.1. Floriculture and nursery^{Table 3.3.1 note [1]} imports by province (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Newfoundland and Labrador	126	32	79	87	186	0.0%
Prince Edward Island	8	0	0	0	2	0.0%
Nova Scotia	1,883	3,651	2,407	3,043	2,239	0.3%
New Brunswick	9,872	10,202	11,343	11,930	12,335	1.7%
Quebec	56,685	60,215	82,728	89,191	84,320	11.6%
Ontario	326,206	306,117	384,458	414,680	419,340	57.6%
Manitoba	26,509	25,022	30,399	33,247	31,117	4.3%
Saskatchewan	6,593	12,711	14,416	11,152	10,786	1.5%
Alberta	10,798	7,180	9,335	11,849	11,561	1.6%
British Columbia	128,934	122,433	147,434	160,290	156,552	21.5%
Canada	567,614	547,563	682,599	735,469	728,438	100.0%
Note: Table 3.3.1 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.3.1 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.3.2. Top ten sources of Canada's floriculture and nursery^{Table 3.3.2 note [1]} imports (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
United States	276,183	283,348	329,334	344,576	330,097	45.3%
Colombia	106,707	87,919	110,403	121,593	123,422	16.9%
Netherlands	58,799	61,168	78,915	88,037	92,067	12.6%
Ecuador	37,229	30,937	45,414	51,904	54,293	7.5%
Mexico	13,815	14,806	19,519	21,914	24,707	3.4%
Taiwan	11,182	8,789	13,458	16,518	15,865	2.2%
China	5,887	6,799	10,134	13,445	9,352	1.3%
Guatemala	7,431	8,077	10,206	9,835	10,866	1.5%
Costa Rica	5,762	5,389	7,793	7,612	7,324	1.0%
India	4,278	3,496	5,390	6,320	5,538	0.8%
Others	40,343	36,835	52,034	53,714	54,905	7.5%
Total	567,614	547,563	682,599	735,469	728,438	100.0%
Note: Table 3.3.2 note [1] Includes Christmas trees. Return to table 3.3.2 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, June 2023)

3.4. World trade data

3.4.1. Top ten exporting countries for floriculture, nursery and Christmas trees (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Netherlands	14,424,559	14,879,970	17,834,885	16,456,037	17,421,535	49.1%
Colombia	1,986,219	1,923,731	2,198,782	2,700,028	2,852,853	8.0%
Italy	1,343,393	1,427,946	1,706,225	1,666,402	1,767,463	5.0%
Germany	1,428,553	1,449,941	1,518,078	1,441,033	1,476,948	4.2%
Ecuador	1,177,241	1,135,638	1,209,205	1,270,715	1,360,651	3.8%
Canada	627,575	660,776	842,077	947,996	1,073,109	3.0%
Kenya	864,849	852,914	1,009,803	904,572	990,260	2.8%
Spain	671,308	675,942	832,469	827,727	894,107	2.5%
Belgium	919,741	871,706	1,030,745	808,292	854,180	2.4%
Ethiopia	479,310	610,130	654,852	824,300	717,004	2.0%
Others	5,870,681	5,801,511	6,129,549	5,895,378	6,054,840	17.1%
Total	29,793,429	30,290,205	34,966,670	33,742,480	35,462,950	100.0%
Source: Global Trade Tracker (June 2023)

3.4.2. Top ten importing countries for floriculture, nursery and Christmas trees (thousands of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
United States	3,431,014	3,424,526	4,460,301	5,122,675	5,400,425	16.7%
Germany	4,317,099	4,423,246	5,041,635	4,553,040	4,563,429	14.1%
Netherlands	3,447,790	3,657,678	4,055,397	3,721,445	3,878,584	12.0%
United Kingdom	2,086,640	2,111,512	2,170,430	2,484,176	2,440,660	7.5%
France	1,696,723	1,630,171	2,015,288	1,872,843	1,873,148	5.8%
Italy	589,742	825,355	864,849	903,407	1,305,904	4.0%
Russia	749,532	703,603	993,680	932,307	940,361	2.9%
Switzerland	756,629	788,808	913,215	852,804	894,031	2.8%
Poland	567,802	580,247	696,924	750,600	789,591	2.4%
Japan	797,759	741,939	745,993	740,704	732,128	2.3%
Canada	567,614	547,563	682,599	735,469	728,438	2.3%
Others	7,996,466	7,874,485	8,566,802	8,507,551	8,806,818	27.2%
Total	27,004,810	27,309,133	31,207,113	31,177,021	32,353,517	100.0%
Source: Global Trade Tracker (June 2023)

4. Channels of distribution

4.1. Channels of distribution for flowers and plant sales and resales (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Mass market chain stores	436.5	507.0	580.6	615.1	632.0	30.5%
Domestic wholesalers	317.4	308.1	343.7	440.0	452.8	21.8%
Direct sales to the publicTable 4.1 note [1]	219.6	237.3	266.3	256.6	251.4	12.1%
Other greenhouses	175.3	189.8	199.7	209.6	239.5	11.6%
Exported	210.1	203.9	206.0	213.7	225.8	10.9%
Retail florists	177.4	205.0	211.0	212.7	222.2	10.7%
Other channels	28.4	32.2	34.8	34.6	34.7	1.7%
Government and public agencies	10.9	11.1	14.3	14.5	15.3	0.7%
Total sales	1,575.4	1,694.2	1,856.4	1,996.9	2,073.8	100.0%
Note: Table 4.1 note [1] Includes roadside stands and owner-operated retail outlets. Return to table 4.1 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0022-01 Channels of distribution for horticulture product sales and resales

4.2. Channels of distribution for nursery product sales and resales (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Landscape contractors	173.4	176.8	188.0	197.1	205.4	27.4%
Garden centres	116.2	127.5	130.8	142.2	133.5	17.8%
Mass market chain stores	109.0	118.3	119.7	110.0	113.9	15.2%
Direct sales to the publicTable 4.2 note [1]	107.3	102.4	104.0	79.1	81.0	10.8%
Other growers	77.4	65.3	67.4	69.3	67.9	9.1%
Other channels	20.5	35.3	36.9	39.8	47.8	6.4%
Exported	27.1	36.9	40.8	36.8	44.9	6.0%
Fruit growers	25.1	29.1	32.8	33.6	28.4	3.8%
Government and public agencies	23.8	25.3	27.2	26.8	26.7	3.6%
Total sales	679.8	716.9	747.5	734.8	749.6	100.0%
Note: Table 4.2 note [1] Includes roadside stands and owner-operated retail outlets. Return to table 4.2 note [1] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0033-01 Channels of distribution for nursery product sales and resales

5. Operating expenses

5.1. Greenhouse flower and plant^{Table 5.1 note [1]} producers' operating expenses by category (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Gross yearly payrollTable 5.1 note [2]	300.7	306.2	316.1	323.3	360.6	28.6%
Plant material purchases for growing onTable 5.1 note [3]	212.4	223.7	231.4	243.9	241.9	19.2%
Other crop expensesTable 5.1 note [4]	161.1	169.2	179.9	213.5	221.7	17.6%
Plant material purchases for resaleTable 5.1 note [3]	104.1	108.2	95.0	97.0	102.8	8.2%
Fuel	54.9	47.3	49.0	52.1	60.4	4.8%
ElectricityTable 5.1 note [5]	25.0	26.2	22.2	25.0	28.2	2.2%
Other operating expensesTable 5.1 note [6]	190.9	203.0	215.9	224.2	244.2	19.4%
Total operating expenses	1,049.1	1,083.9	1,109.4	1,179.1	1,259.8	100.0%
Notes: Table 5.1 note [1] This category excludes mixed operations (vegetables, flowers and plants). Return to table 5.1 note [1] referrer Table 5.1 note [2] Includes seasonal and permanent labour. Return to table 5.1 note [2] referrer Table 5.1 note [3] Includes value of flowers, plants, cuttings, seedlings, seeds and bulbs purchased (before sales tax). Return to table 5.1 note [3] referrer Table 5.1 note [4] Includes fertilizer, pesticides, pollination, irrigation, containers, packaging, bioprograms and growing mediums such as soil, peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, sand, Styrofoam and sawdust. Return to table 5.1 note [4] referrer Table 5.1 note [5] Includes electricity for lighting, airflow fans and heating. Return to table 5.1 note [5] referrer Table 5.1 note [6] Includes interest, land taxes, insurance, advertising, repairs to farm buildings, machinery, agricultural equipment and vehicles, contract work, and telephone and telecommunications services. Return to table 5.1 note [6] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0025-01 Specialized greenhouse producers' operating expenses

5.2. Nursery operating expenses by category (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Gross yearly payrollTable 5.2 note [1]	195.3	202.5	204.8	219.8	232.2	35.1%
Plant material purchases for growing onTable 5.2 note [2]	102.3	108.0	113.0	114.0	116.7	17.7%
Plant material purchases for resaleTable 5.2 note [2]	99.8	96.3	98.1	102.4	105.6	16.0%
Other crop expensesTable 5.2 note [3]	64.9	65.5	71.2	75.7	76.0	11.5%
Electricity expenses	6.0	6.4	5.9	5.9	6.1	0.9%
Other operating expensesTable 5.2 note [4]	120.9	122.2	123.4	120.1	124.3	18.8%
Total Operating Expenses	589.2	600.9	616.2	637.8	660.9	100.0%
Notes: Table 5.2 note [1] Includes seasonal and permanent labour. Return to table 5.2 note [1] referrer Table 5.2 note [2] Includes value of trees, nursery stock, bedding plants, seedlings, cuttings or bulbs purchased before sales tax. Return to table 5.2 note [2] referrer Table 5.2 note [3] Includes fertilizer, pesticides, pollination, irrigation, containers, packaging, bioprograms and growing mediums such as soil, peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, sand, Styrofoam and sawdust. Return to table 5.2 note [3] referrer Table 5.2 note [4] Includes interest, land taxes, insurance, advertising, repairs to farm buildings, machinery, agricultural equipment and vehicles, contract work, and telephone and telecommunications services. Return to table 5.2 note [4] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0454-01 Nursery and sod producers' operating expenses

5.3. Sod operating expenses by category (millions of Canadian dollars)

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2023 % Share
Gross yearly payrollTable 5.3 note [1]	37.3	37.9	39.5	40.4	41.8	32.7%
Sod purchases for resale	2.2	2.4	1.9	1.8	1.9	1.5%
Other operating expensesTable 5.3 note [2]	65.4	69.9	73.6	81.4	84.2	65.8%
Total operating expenses	104.9	110.2	115.0	123.5	127.9	100.0%
Notes: Table 5.3 note [1] Includes seasonal and permanent labour. Return to table 5.3 note [1] referrer Table 5.3 note [2] Includes fertilizer, pesticides, land taxes, interest, insurance, advertising, repairs, fuel, electricity, irrigation expenses, and telephone and other telecommunication services. Return to table 5.3 note [2] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0454-01 Nursery and sod producers' operating expenses

6. Labour

6.1. Nursery, sod and greenhouse flowers, total employees[1]

		2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Nursery	Seasonal employeesTable 6.1 note [1]	6,341	6,023	6,067	5,800	5,720
	Permanent employeesTable 6.1 note [2]	3,126	3,063	2,770	2,996	2,982
	Total employees	9,467	9,086	8,837	8,796	8,702
Sod	Seasonal employeesTable 6.1 note [1]	1,117	1,039	1,050	1,023	1,070
	Permanent employeesTable 6.1 note [2]	414	379	390	379	368
	Total employees	1,531	1,418	1,440	1,402	1,438
Specialized greenhouse flowers and plants	Seasonal employeesTable 6.1 note [1]	9,303	9,020	9,102	9,079	10,248
	Permanent employeesTable 6.1 note [2]	5,118	5,299	4,968	5,053	5,385
	Total employees	14,421	14,319	14,070	14,132	15,633
Notes: Table 6.1 note [1] Seasonal employees who worked less than 8 months during the year. Return to table 6.1 note [1] referrer Table 6.1 note [2] Permanent employees who worked more than 8 months during the year. Return to table 6.1 note [2] referrer Source: Statistics Canada. Tables 32−10−0026−01 and 32−10−0028−01

7. Key Resources

• Global Trade Tracker
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0421-01 Christmas trees
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0019-01 Estimates of specialized greenhouse operations, greenhouse area, and months of operation
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0246-01 Production and sale of greenhouse flowers and plants
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0021-01 Production of plants, flowers and tree seedlings
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0034-01 Estimates of sod area, sales and resales
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0023-01 Total value of greenhouse products
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0032-01 Nursery stock sales and resales
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0022-01 Channels of distribution for horticulture product sales and resales
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0033-01 Channels of distribution for nursery product sales and resales
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0025-01 Specialized greenhouse producers’ operating expenses
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0454-01 Nursery and sod producers' operating expenses
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0026-01 Total greenhouse, sod and nursery employees
• Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0028-01 Total number of employees of specialized greenhouse operations
• Statistics Canada. CATSNet

HS Codes: All import and export H.S. codes fall under Chapter 06 of the Custom Tariff.