What Landscape Plants Are In Short Supply? Report Released

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GoMaterials 2022

Landscape material procurement marketplace GoMaterials released a report today detailing the severity of 2022 plant shortages. According to the report, “The sizes impacted by the shortages are consistent with last year’s trends. 1-3 Gallon pot supply remains severely impacted for shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses. For conifers, 6’ to 9’ height sizes and for trees 2” to 4” caliper varieties are the hardest to source in 2022.” But shortages aren’t the only impact. The most notable highlight of the report is the estimated 16% rise in the prices of all materials across the most common categories in 2022.

In 2022 there’s a greater fragmentation in the plant shortage trends across the states. While the shortages in the North are more pronounced for shade trees and conifers, the Southern states are still reporting a severe shortage of perennials, shrubs, and groundcovers. This is reflected in the higher average price increase for trees in the North and ornamental grasses in the South. Both categories were reported to have a 27% increase compared to the last year. Perennials and shrubs with severe shortages in the South follow closely with 25% and 19% price hikes, respectively, for 2022.

Some of the plant and tree varieties experiencing “severe” shortages in the South include: Southern wax myrtle; Dwarf Yaupon Holly Schillings; Indian hawthorn; and variegated shell ginger. Varieties in the North include: green giant arborvitae; Norway spruce; eastern hemlock; and ginkgo tree.

GoMaterials
Marc Elliott, CEO GoMaterials

Plant shortages have deepened since 2021 due to rising fertilizer costs (up by a whopping 100%), water conservation policies boosting the demand for drought-tolerant materials, and federal funding boosting demand for commercial landscaping, among other factors.

“Plant shortages are persisting in 2022 due to the scarce and expensive supply of raw materials and labor. On the other hand, rising inflation has added an extra cost burden for the industry, further adding to sourcing complexities. Finding the right plants, in the right specs and the right price has never been more challenging,” says Marc Elliott, CEO of GoMaterials.

“The cause-and-effects of the plant shortages are continuously evolving, which is why we wanted to release the 2022 update on the plant shortage report,” emphasizes Elliott. “GoMaterials is monitoring the shortages with our nursery partners in order to better communicate with landscape professionals and provide them with the best materials.”

The report offers insights on the plant shortages across the US to help landscape businesses strategize for the year ahead. The report includes comprehensive proprietary data about regions, categories, sizes, and pricing of the plant materials currently in short supply. It also offers substitution guidance. Landscaping companies can download the report for free HERE.