horticulturist

noun

hor·​ti·​cul·​tur·​ist ˌhȯr-tə-ˈkəl-chə-rist 

variants or less commonly horticulturalist

ˌhȯr-tə-ˈkəl-ch(ə-)rə-list 

plural horticulturists also horticulturalists

: a person whose work involves growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants

As the city horticulturist for the past six years, Burton has made the parks and city areas of O'Fallon bloom.

—Lynn Venhaus

The finest hot chili pepper in Peter's test garden is 'Riot', which does double duty as an ornamental and in salads; it is a graduate of horticulturist Jim Baggett's breeding program at Oregon State University.

—Jim McCausland

I prefer buying plants from a nursery to buying at a garden center, and both are vastly preferable to the garden section of a discount store. Plant quality and accuracy of labeling are usually best at a nursery, where the staff is most likely to include professional horticulturists.

—Jeff Whitehead

De Witt Clinton was a man of parts—a patron of schools, charities, and the arts, a founder of the New York Historical Society, an amateur scientist and horticulturalist.

—James MacGregor Burns

Examples of horticulturist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

James Klett is an extension landscape horticulturist at Colorado State University. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2025

Longtime native plant expert and author Carol Bornstein summed it up last October, when San Marcos Growers had its final plant symposium for landscapers, horticulturists, botanists and retail nursery operators. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025

Ok, this is one of those sections that should require a relationship counselor rather than a horticulturist, but bear with me. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 13 Dec. 2024

As a High Line horticulturist, Cassidy occasionally comes across signs of the city’s untold heartaches. —The Editors, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

horticulturist

noun

hor·​ti·​cul·​tur·​ist

ˌhȯrt-ə-ˈkəlch(-ə)-rəst

variants also horticulturalist

-ˈkəlch(-ə)-rə-list

: a person who specializes in horticulture