Michigan Rotational Survey: Nursery-1997
There were 17,000 acres used for production of nursery stock in Michigan in 1996 and 1,750 acres used for production of herbaceous perennials, vines and ground covers, and bulbs, corms and rhizomes, and ferns. To qualify as a producer, an operation had to have been growing at least 0.1 acre of one of these products and selling them. There were 1,230 such nursery establishments. The Michigan Department of Agriculture's lists of licensed plant growers and nursery growers was the source of names for the project.

Ottawa, Allegan and Berrien were the three leading counties in land in production. They accounted for 46 percent of all acres. The nursery industry is widely dispersed in Michigan. Sixteen counties had at least thirty operations.

The nursery and perennial plant growers contributed substantially to the State's economy. They had 210 million dollars in wholesale and retail sales in 1996. About $60 million of that total was sold wholesale outside Michigan. The nursery industry employed about 2,000 people full-time in 1996. It also hired 1,200 permanent part-time workers and 5,900 seasonal workers.

Table 10.1 Nurseries: Area and number of operations, by type
Type Field
grown 		Container
grown 		Total
Number of operations Acres Number of operations Acres Number of operations Acres
Deciduous trees
 448 4,560 134 185 506 4,745
Deciduous shrubs
 201 870 180 645 330 1,515
Narrowleaved evergreens
 607 9,230 142 290 679 9,520
Broadleaved evergreens
 40 115 89 275 166 390
Roses
 5 1 69 29 73 30
Fruit trees
 23 240 47 10 67 250
Small fruits
 21 484 53 66 69 550
Vines and ground covers
 53 65 110 50 156 115
Bulbs, corms and rhizomes
 65 110 46 15 110 125
Herbaceous perennials
 234 1,300 298 170 482 1,470
Ferns and grasses
 27 25 77 15 99 40
Total
 985 17,000 480 1,750 1,230 18,750

Table 10.2Nurseries: Area and number of operations, by size group, 1994 and 1997
Size group Number of
operations 		    Acres
1994 1997 1994 1997
1 acre or less
 240 200 150 100
1.1-5 acres
 300 335 900 1,000
5.1-10 acres
 125 140 950 1,050
10.1-25 acres
 120 105 2,000 1,650
25.1-50 acres
 45 60 1,850 2,100
More than 50 acres
 45 50 9,200 11,100
Total
 875 890 15,050 17,000