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

Michael Clarke is a landscape architect, horticulturist, and founder of Yardwork, an online plant nursery selling houseplants. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2024

The most common method is by rooted cuttings, which has long been used by horticulturists. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024

Baker follows the girl’s inner growth with a horticulturist’s patient eye. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2024

As my wife and I were driving toward the Metroplex (a name as yet unused) in 1970, I was excited by my new job as a county extension horticulturist for Texas A&M. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 June 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