Freeze Cost Foliage Industry $175 Million
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Last winter’s bitter cold spell cost Florida’s commercial foliage industry about $175 million, industry officials say.
Dade County alone suffered damages of about $100 million to tender tropical plants, trees and shrubs, said the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Assn., based in Orlando.
“The numbers aren’t quite as large as we had anticipated right after the freeze, but they still have to be considered conservative,” said Earl Wells, executive vice president of the association.
Foliage prices rose an average 15% because of shortages of plants, particularly palms and other tropical trees, Wells said.
Florida is the nation’s leading foliage producer, with about 5,800 commercial nurseries and $1 billion a year in revenue, according to the state Division of Plant Industry.
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