Industry Resources
Botanical Gardens in Idaho
Urban & Community Forestry
Idaho Government
Educational
These links are for education in relation to the Green Industry.
- BYU Idaho
- College of Western Idaho
- College of Southern Idaho
- Colorado State University
- The University of Delaware Botanical Garden
- Entomology Department at Purdue
- Forest Biotechnology at Texas A & M
- Grounds Trades Exchange Forum
- Idaho Power
- ISU University Environmental Engineering
- Northwest Berry and Grape InfoNet
- Northwest Farm Credit Resources
- Ohio State University
- OSU: College of Agriculture
- OSU Extension and Experiment Station Communications
- WSU: Agricultural Sciences
- Plant Materials Center: Pullman, WA
- Professional Grounds Management Society
- UC SAREP Homepage
- University of Idaho: Ag. Info Services
Related Associations & Helpful Info
These links are for related associations, as well as helpful info for Green Industry members.
- American Horticulture Society
- American Floral Endowment
- AmericanHort
- American Primrose Society
- Buy Idaho
- California Landscape Contractors Association
- GardenWeb
- LanscapeOnLine
- Montana Nursery Association
- PNW Chapter International Society of Arboriculture
- Perennial Plant Association
- National Association of Landscape Professionals (formerly PLANET)
- Glossary of Botanical Terms
Green Industry Report
2022 Economic Assessment of Idaho’s Green Industry
Idaho’s Green Industry impacts the state’s economy through businesses involved in the production, design, installation, construction, maintenance, and sales of plant products and services.
The variety of businesses that are directly or indirectly part of the Green Industry continues to grow and affect employment, taxes, the economy, the environment, and the quality of life in Idaho.
An independent study conducted in 2022 by Washington State University Social & Economic Sciences Research Center, through an Idaho Nursery & Floral Research Fund grant and overseen by the Idaho Nursery & Landscape Association, estimated that total sales from Idaho’s Green Industry reached $1,714,717,195 in 2022, thus making an important contribution to the state economy.
Laws & Regulations
Idaho State Nursery & Florist License
The legislature and the Idaho nursery and florist industry found that the propagation and raising of nursery and florist stock is an agricultural pursuit that should be regulated and assisted by the Department of Agriculture to provide a high-quality and pest-free product to the citizens of Idaho and Idaho’s external trading partners.
Anyone who engages in, conducts, or carries on the business of propagating, growing, selling, dealing in, or importing into Idaho, for sale or distribution, any nursery or florist stock, or engages in the installation of landscape plants, or acts as an agent, salesman, or solicitor for any nurseryman, florist, landscape contractor, or dealer in nursery or florist stock must first obtain a license to do so from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).
Note: This license does not include Landscape Architects. To obtain information about a Landscape Architect license, please contact the Bureau of Occupational Licenses at (208) 334-3233 or visit their webpage.
Shipping Regulations for Growers
Navigating through the shipping regulations for horticulture businesses can be a nightmare. Please click the link below for access to the regulations according to all 50 states in the US.
Contractor Registration
All landscape contractors performing work, as development or improvement to real property, in an amount that exceeds $2,000, are required to register with the State of Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses.
In Idaho there was no requirement to become a landscape contractor. Legally, anyone could do it as long as they obtained an Idaho Nursery and Floral License which allows the person to sell plant material. The State of Idaho had no way to stop a bad or dishonest landscaper. This registration act may not actually have the ability to stop this kind of work, but at least there will be a place that homeowners can go to and check to see that the business is registered.
A landscape contractor that doesn’t pay puts a heavy burden on his suppliers or subcontractors who have unpaid bills, which in turn, exposes the homeowner to liens and foreclosure actions. As often happens, an unprincipled landscaper can change the name of his business as a ‘shell game’ and stay one step ahead of homeowners and creditors. Because there was no registration system, Idaho became a safe-haven for landscape contractors who have been kicked out of their home state where there were such laws.
The Contractor Registration Law requires the landscape contractor to make a statement under oath that they have never had their registration revoked or suspended in Idaho or any other state. It requires proof that the landscape contractor has Worker’s Compensation Insurance and general liability insurance. The registration fee will be set by the Idaho Contractor’s Board, but can not exceed $150 per year.
This legislation will only apply to true contractors and subcontractors. It exempts volunteers, suppliers, employees, farmers, ranchers, projects less than $2,000, and private landowners doing work on their own property. It would allow the state to revoke or suspend the registration of a contractor who violates the consumer protection act, engages in dishonest or dishonorable dealings, makes material misrepresentations of fact, or who recklessly or with gross negligence performs construction. The registration does not apply to persons who only furnish materials, supplies or equipment without installation.
For information go to the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses, please follow this link.
Plant Something
We’re Marketing to the Public for You!
Promote your products and services through consumer marketing! The INLA continues to increase awareness of the value of using nursery products through the Plant Something campaign, driving consumers to plantingidaho.org which in turn directs them to their local retail nursery.
In the spring of 2015 there were two radio spots and two different television ads that had statewide coverage. The radio ads carried the message of Don’t Just Stand There- Plant Something. The television ads had two messages.
One of the messages was "Imagine a World without Trees and Other Plants," and the second was "Plant a Tree for Arbor Day". Plant Something’s goal is to encourage Idaho-appropriate landscapes and educate the public about their benefits:
- lower utility bills
- improved air quality and property values
- stress reduction
- increased outdoor activity
- a legacy of healthy landscapes for future generations
The Plant Something campaign was chosen to be a part of the Idaho State Broadcasters Associations NCSA program for the spring of 2015. Under this program the ISBA distributes their material and in return the agency receives advertising time donated by the Idaho Broadcasters. The Idaho State Broadcaster Association distributed the Plant Something television and radio announcements beginning in April 2015 and ran them through July 2015. The radio spots were heard 3,813 times and received advertising time worth $65,783.00. The television spots were seen 853 times and received advertising time worth $21,662.50. The line item in this grant for advertising was $15,000. The total return on investment for this period of time was $87,445.50.