How Green Leaf Plants Continues to Thrive in the Young Plant Market

Green-Leaf-Plants-Lancaster-PropertyLast week’s Greenhouse Grower Benchrunner inadvertently included a subject line with the wrong company name. It should have read “Costa Farms Buys Green Leaf Nursery,” not “Green Leaf Plants.”

“Of course, we were stunned by the headline for the newsletter,” says Scott Schaefer, CEO of Aris Horticulture, Inc. “Considering how busy people are, they sometimes only read the headline, so it was a concern. We appreciate the similarity in names leading to the oversight, and the quick response by Greenhouse Grower to issue the correction.”

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Green Leaf Plants, a division of Aris Horticulture, Inc., is in fact doing very well, and during a time of volatility in some corners of the young plant market, the Lancaster, PA-based company is not only surviving, it is thriving and continues to expand its product offerings.

“We supply industry-leading quality and reliability at competitive prices,” Schaefer says. “We measure these factors that lead to customer satisfaction and are always working to continuously improve. Perennials continue to provide great value and opportunities for future growth.”

Here’s a quick look at some of the big things happening at Green Leaf Plants.

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Expansive Trial Garden

Green Leaf Plants’ annual open house is scheduled for June 27, 2018.

“We have strong relationships with key breeders,” says Blair Hoey, Managing Director of Green Leaf Plants. “Trials include our own breeding (hardy hibiscus Vintage and Cordials series, Igloo perennial mums), along with many other perennial breeders, and a comprehensive Dianthus trial. PlantHaven will also be showcasing its genetics at our trial garden this year as a smaller version of its West Coast trials.”

Expanding Product Lines

Green Leaf Plants’ product lines include perennials, herbs, grasses, hosta, and garden mums.
• The company offers several product size options (nine sizes that are variety and program dependent) covering low-cost inputs/high-value options such as 288- or 128-seed produced plugs and 200-, 162-, 128-liners (economical freight, use multiple liners per pot for a fast finish). The 72-cell liners provide a quick finish in smaller containers and low input cost for larger containers. New for 2018/2019 are custom-grown 162-seed-produced plug trays.
• Green Leaf Plants has a comprehensive dianthus offering from worldwide breeding sources, brought to market by Concept Plants, Darwin Perennials, Dümmen Orange, HilverdaKooij, Kiwi Flora, Selecta, and Whetman Pinks Ltd. Walters Gardens dianthus are new for 2018-19.
• Walters Gardens perennials genetics were added last year.
• Another new option is Color Splash Sedum Tiles that enable quick plant combo order-filling options.
• Dümmen Orange was also added this year as a root and sell partner (all Dümmen perennial genetics will be offered in a 72- and 128-cell tray in 2018/2019), and Green Leaf Plants is now Dümmen Orange’s root and sell location in the East.
• Green Leaf Plants added Syngenta Flowers perennials genetics for 2018/2019, and it also carries Syngenta’s Yoder garden mums, as well. In fact, Green Leaf Plants produces all varieties in Yoder mums Belgian mums, Mystic mums, and Igloo perennial mums brands.
• The company’s Must Have Perennials line continues to grow, with a new website that connects breeders, growers, and retailers with consumers through a consumer website and strong social media program that has made Geranium ‘Rozanne’ the most popular single flower on Facebook at 110,000 followers.
• A new availability program for improved order fulfillment was set installed March 4.

Lean Manufacturing

In its efforts to promote ongoing quality improvement, in late 2003, Green Leaf Plants pioneered implementation of the lean manufacturing process for maintaining production efficiencies.

“It’s become a core component of our company, and part of our day-to-day business and production,” Hoey says.

The bottom line is that Green Leaf Plants is here to stay.

“We continue to be active in growing and building relationships with our suppliers and our customers, and in coming up with new product offerings,” Hoey says.

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