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

According to Peggy Anne Montgomery, a horticulturist representing Flowerbulb.eu, the after-bloom care is similar for tulips in containers and in-ground plants. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025

Be Wary of Taking Photos Naturally, visiting gardens open to the public provides plenty of inspiration and ideas, but cultivating such large-scale spaces often requires a team of horticulturists and staff. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025

However, World War II took horticulturists to other endeavors and collections were abandoned or even burned for firewood. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025

Clara’s Table restaurant is Dearborn Inn’s tribute to Henry Ford’s wife, Clara, a passionate horticulturist and gracious hostess. —Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for horticulturist

• agriculturist
• culturist

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