What is a Nursery for Plants?

A plant nursery is designed for the propagation and care of young plants. Often a nursery contains one or more large greenhouses, which helps shelter new plants from frosts or excessive heat. A nursery may also include complex watering systems to cut down on the labor of nursery workers. Most shops that exclusively sell plants are called a nursery regardless of whether they actually start and grow their own plants or purchase them elsewhere. A nursery may sell plants at retail value to the public, or may exist to sell wholesale to other nurseries. In some cases, a plant nursery will specialize in one kind of plant or tree, for example roses, or Japanese maples. A specialized nursery may still be open to the public a few days of the week, but may primarily do business with other retailers. For the collector of rare specimens, a specialized nursery is often the best place to find a particular species of plant that is difficult to obtain elsewhere. Occasionally a wholesale nursery is open ... more