Industry News

Find out the top 100 searched plants of 2023 from NetPS Plant Finder Tool

In 2023, red creeping thyme (Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’) emerged as the most searched-for plant on the NetPS Plant Finder Tool, signaling a shift in customer preferences.

And while trees and shrubs continued to dominate the charts, making up 79 of the top 100 plants, the list revealed surprising new favorites alongside enduring classics.

“Our data shows that shoppers are using the Plant Finder tool on their local garden center’s website for pre-shopping planning,” says James Kohut, president of Northscaping and developer of NetPS. “Gardeners are researching plants considered to be ‘long-term investments,’ problem-solving or more expensive: trees, shrubs and larger perennials.”

With more than 35,000 plants, the NetPS Plant Finder Tool is used by more than 250 nurseries and garden centers across North America. In 2023, it was searched more than 23 million times by landscape designers, contractors, home landscapers and gardeners. The top 100 plants are based on which plant pages were viewed the most as a result of these searches. Here are the top 10:

1. Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’)
2. Red Sentinel Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii ‘Red Sentinel’)
3. Sunburst Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Suncole’)
4. Raspberry Splash Lungwort (Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’)
5. Sester Dwarf Blue Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Sester Dwarf’)
6. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’)
7. Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)
8. Variegated Bishop’s Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegata’)
9. Bloodgood Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’)
10. Tricolor Willow (tree form) (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’)

The complete list is available at netpsplantfinder.com/About/Top100Plants2023.

Skagit Horticulture to cease operations this spring

Skagit Horticulture, including its Skagit Gardens and Northwest Horticulture brands, is closing this spring and ceasing operations, citing current economic issues including market pressures; production, energy and freight costs; and the business climate in the state of Washington.

Skagit said in a Feb. 7 letter to customers that it will discontinue operations April 7 but plans to continue to have products available for sale through March 29 while supplies last.

Customers should continue to work with their account managers or can place orders at skagitgardens.com. All sales will be final.

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department, the closure will affect 169 employees.

Based in Mount Vernon, Washington, Skagit Horticulture operates greenhouses, container yards and open field production centers in both Washington and California.

Skagit Gardens — which was founded in 1966 by Jim and Ruth Youngsman — provides wholesale plants and flowers to independent garden centers, small-chain retailers, landscapers and municipalities throughout the U.S. and Canada as the company’s Retail-Ready finished plants division.

Skagit Horticulture serves as the brand for the company’s agriculture division, while Northwest Horticulture exclusively serves large-scale home stores. Northwest Horticulture and Skagit Gardens merged as one company, Skagit Horticulture, in January 2017.

Proven Winners announces new retail solutions manager

Caitlin Hupp has joined the Proven Winners Retail Solutions Team in a newly created role that will cover independent garden centers in the Midwest and western regions of the U.S. and Canada. Hupp will use more than a decade of experience in the garden center industry to focus on the needs of IGCs and strengthen the brand’s relationships in her designated territory. She'll also work to create new partnerships and brand-building opportunities.

“She is a true professional who is passionate about supporting independents and creating meaningful connections within the industry,” says Jessica DeGraaf, director of retail accounts for Proven Winners. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in journalism and strategic communications, Hupp worked as marketing director and later territory manager for Loma Vista Nursery in Ottawa, Kansas. In the role, Hupp was influential in building relationships and programs with key independent garden centers in her territory.

Hupp has been active in the Women in Horticulture program with the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association for the last two years and is currently president of the Kansas Nursery and Landscape Association.

“This role perfectly marries my creativity and love of marketing with my passion for people and plants,” Hupp says. “I am thrilled to work with the talented people of Proven Winners. The support the brand offers IGCs is unmatched.”

Forensic botany book

Planting Clues: How Plants Solve Crimes by David J. Gibson, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, explores true crime cases involving plants, algae and fungi, according to publisher Oxford University Press. The 256-page book, released in 2022, explores the extraordinary role of plants in modern forensics through forensic botany, analyzes the role botanical evidence has played in high profiles cases such as those of Ted Bundy and Ian Huntley and considers plant-related crimes where botanicals are themselves trafficked or illegally traded.

Bamboo self-watering pots, indoor plant care products

TDI Brands, a distributor of home and garden products, has introduced a range of new exclusive products for garden centers to sell, including bamboo self-watering pots and several indoor plant care products.

TDI entered into a license agreement with Bamboo Blooms to exclusively distribute in the U.S. the Australian company’s Bamboo Fiber Self-Watering Pots, which include 7-inch round pots in 12 designs and 16-inch window boxes in three designs. Also available is a display containing 150 pots, POP material and a display stand.

The pots are made from sustainable bamboo fiber, corn starch and wood pulp bound together with a natural resin. They’re biodegradable, UV-protected and can be used inside or outside.

TDI also entered into a license agreement with Mayhem UK to exclusively distribute the English company’s Wicked Waterer brand of indoor plant care products in the U.S.: the Plant Alarm moisture sensor, the Spike Water Kit, the Grow Light and the Plant Groomers kit.

To learn more about any of the products, which are available now, visit tierragarden.com.

April promotional opportunities:

Entire month: Kids Garden Month, National Gardening Month, National Native Plant Month

4: National Walking Day

5: National Dandelion Day

7: National No Housework Day (Work in the garden instead!)

11: National Pet Day

13: International Houseplant Appreciation Day

14: National Garden Day

16: National Orchid Day

17: National Bat Appreciation Day

17: Herbalist Day/Thank an Herbalist Day

19: National Garlic Day

22: Earth Day

23: Picnic Day

26: International Seeds Day and National Audubon Day

29: National Peace Rose Day

Last Friday in April: Arbor Day