Occupation
Horticulturist
Horticulturists grow and manage plants for food, ornament, or public landscapes, and advise on how to keep collections healthy. The work spans propagation, soil and pest management, plant selection, and seasonal planning, often in botanic gardens, nurseries, parks, or production settings. It combines plant knowledge with practical, physical outdoor work.
Also known as: Horticultural specialist · Plant specialist · Amenity horticulturist · Garden curator
Occupation content
Part of Agriculture, animals and environment
What the work involves
- Propagate plants from seed, cuttings, or division and manage growing-on conditions.
- Diagnose pest, disease, and nutrient problems and choose control measures suited to the site.
- Plan planting schemes and seasonal rotations for a garden, collection, or production block.
- Prune, mulch, irrigate, and carry out soil improvement across the site.
- Keep plant records, accession labels, and treatment logs accurate.
- Advise colleagues, volunteers, or the public on plant selection and aftercare.
How people commonly enter
- A college certificate or diploma in horticulture, plant science, or landscape horticulture.
- An apprenticeship or trainee-gardener scheme at a botanic garden, estate, or nursery.
- A bachelor's degree in horticulture, botany, or plant science for scientific and curatorial roles.
- Progressing from a gardening or nursery assistant role with employer training and specialist short courses.
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Typical work context
Outdoors · Varied work · Physically active · Works independently · Lab or workshop
Related interests
Realistic (hands-on) · Investigative (analytical) · Artistic (creative)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Agriculture, animals and environment.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Agricultural and Food Scientists · United States
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- Canada Job Bank — Career planning and occupation search (Horticulturist) · Canada
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- UK National Careers Service — Explore careers (Horticulture) · United Kingdom
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Agriculture, animals and environment in Canada, not a figure for Horticulturist. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Agriculture, animals and environment family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Agriculture, animals and environment: education pathways
Some roles in Agriculture, animals and environment may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Agriculture, animals and environment: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)