Purpose | What We Do | Our History | Board of Directors | About Website

PURPOSE
The Association of Florida Native Nurseries is a not-for-profit corporation whose membership includes nurseries, landscape architects, contractors and designers, environmental consultants, nursery suppliers, educators, and related professions and services. AFNN members seek to improve conditions in the native plant nursery industry; to promote, foster and encourage more efficient and progressive methods of growing and marketing native plant nursery stock and plants; to enjoy the manifold benefits of joint and collective effort; and to share in scientific knowledge.

WHAT WE DO
AFNN is exclusively devoted to the promotion of Florida’s native plant industry, serving preservation, restoration, and sustainable landscape markets. We publish this website and two annual publications: the Native Plant & Service Directory and Guide for Real Florida Gardeners, both very popular and well respected for providing comprehensive, accurate information. We advocate for increased utilization of native plants, educate the trade and general public about the benefits of native plants and their use in the landscape, promote our member products and services at industry trade shows, and support the conservation and education efforts of our members and allied organizations.

HISTORY
AFNN was founded in 1985 and almost immediately began producing a directory of wholesale native plant growers, which led to the widely used and respected Native Plant & Service Directory, now published annually. In 1991, AFNN published Xeric Landscaping with Florida Native Plants, a Common-Sense Guide to Water and Energy Efficient Landscapes for a Healthy Environment, the first book to promote the use of native ecosystems for landscape design. AFNN then began offering native plant landscaping seminars at industry trade shows. In 2001, recognizing the growing public demand for native plants, AFNN began listing retail outlets, and now publishes the very popular, annual Guide for Real Florida Gardeners, promoting environmentally sensitive and sustainable landscapes featuring native plants. In 2003, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation and University Press of Florida, AFNN published Florida’s Best Native Landscape Plants, 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals, by Gil Nelson, featuring full-color illustrations, multiple photographs and landscape suggestions for each species. AFNN is the largest native nursery association in the U.S., with 164 members in 2009.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Co-Presidents: Jerry Fritz, SUNCO Nursery, and John Sibley, All Native Garden Center
Past President: David Chiappini, Chiappini Farm Native Nursery
Vice President: Brooks Armstrong, Pine Lily Nursery
Treasurer: Tom Heitzman, Sweet Bay Nursery
Secretary: Terry Godts, Green Isle Gardens
Directors at Large: Nancy Bissett, The Natives; David Drylie, Green Images; Mike Kenton, Environmental Equities; Brightman Logan, All Native; and Jane Thompson, Indian Trails Native Nursery.

ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
The Association of Florida Native Nurseries provides listings and advertising as submitted by its members and advertisers for informational purposes only, and shall not be held responsible for the results of any business conducted with the member firms or advertisers. Acceptance of advertising implies neither approval nor endorsement. AFNN does not endorse or assume liability for the contents of this website, the Native Plant & Sevice Directory, or the Guide for Real Florida Gardeners, nor is AFNN responsible for any errors.