How Polish plants are carving a prominent spot in the European marketplace

Poland is home to over 275 producers and suppliers of nursery stock. Together, these farms operate on an area spanning 7,174 ha producing €865m worth of trees, shrubs and plants that support life throughout the country. Despite this, beyond Polish borders not so many people exactly know where and how Polish nursery stock is grown and what issues the sector is dealing with. To fill the knowledge gap, the Polish Nurserymen Association (Związek Szkółkarzy Polskich – ZSzP), hosted a three-day farm tour in Southern Poland with the opening date of the country’s leading horticultural trade exhibition Green is Life (Zielen to Zycie) as the last stop.

A group of nine journalists representing horticultural media outlets in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, and Lithuania travelled to the Małopolskie and Silesian Voivodships (provinces) in Southern Poland with the large consumer markets of Krakow and Katowice always within a 150 km radius. Fellow journalist Alicja Cecot acted as a great tour guide. In addition to browsing through many new plant varieties, this trip was also a chance to learn about new production techniques, marketing strategies, and more.

PLANTPOL

The first stop was Plantpol Zaborze in Oświęcim, a producer and supplier of bedding, balcony and patio plants, shrubs, conifers, Poinsettias, perennials, and grasses. These are sold as plug plants, half-finished products, or even finished products for mass retail.

Annual revenues in 2023 were 64m zloty (approximately €14.9m) for the company owned by Jerzy Starzynski and a ‘silent partner.’ The company’s history goes back to the time when Poland was still under Communist rule. “Back then, carnations were one of the few flowers widely grown and used in political parades. Plantpol’s forerunner mostly produced carnation cuttings,” says director Jerzy Starzynski.

When, in 1989, Poland became the first country to leave Communism ‘peacefully’, the carnation market totally collapsed as people wanted to break with the country’s totalitarian past and with all the symbols it represented, including carnations.

While changing from central planning to a free market, the company started importing starting material for houseplants from the Netherlands and “a bit of everything in between” before it truly re-emerged in 1993 when it adopted its legal status of a limited company (Ltd), whose owners are legally responsible for its debts only to the extent of the money they invested.

The year 1993 marked an important milestone, with the company signing a contract with Suntory. The latter granted the company the exclusive rights to grow what was to become the most successful plant breeding programme ever: Surfinia.

Surfinia is still a horticultural icon. With its picture-postcard looks, featuring large, fabulous, colourful flowers that last for weeks on end, it’s been appearing in the pages of glossy magazines and gardening journals and shaping street views across the world for more than 30 years.

Yet, Proven Winners’ perfectly trailing and vigorous Supertunia Vista and MiniVista series— currently comprised of the varieties Bubblegum, Jazzberry, Paradise, Silverberry, Raspberry Star, Strawberry and Supertunia MiniVista Yellow, Coral, White, Hot Pink, Blue Violet, Ultramarine, Pink Star and Violet Star, respectively— are also rising to stardom thanks to their longevity and looks.

Plantpol joined Proven Winners in 1998, a decision Jerzy doesn’t regret for a single moment. The Proven Winners brand comprises leading plant propagators around the world. In North America, the brand is owned by two leading U.S. plant propagators – Four Star Greenhouse in Carleton, MI and Pleasant View Gardens in Loudon, NH. These companies founded Proven Winners North America in 1992 and, together with two licensees in Canada (Nordic Nurseries and Sobkowich Greenhouses), produce annual plant liners under the Proven Winners name. In Europe, Kientzler was one of the co-founders of Proven Winners Europe.

Jerzy notes, “Proven Winners is a global brand that stands for unique, high-performing plants which go through rigorous testing and trialling. The good thing is that 70 per cent of their budget is spent on consumer marketing, which in the English language USA is much easier than in multi language Europe.”

Plantpol is a (vegetative) plant propagator, semi-finished (Hydrangea) and finished plant producer in one. It sources URCs from Kenya (Pelargonium), Ethiopia (Mandevilla), Israel (herbs), and Portugal (Petunia), while cuttings are also harvested in-house from mother stock plants suited to grow under the Polish climate. Another portion of plants is multiplied through tissue culture to ensure the cleanest stock availability. The annual output of plug plants and half-finished plants is an estimated 19 million units.

Approximately 80 per cent of young plants are sold to professional growers across Poland, who grow them on into finished pots; the remainder is exported to the Baltic States and Romania.

The company also grows around four million finished plants for the mass market, including DIY stores such as Castorama and Leroy Merlin and high-end garden centres in the country. Jerzy is not afraid that this will eat the business away of the growers who purchase young plants from them. “For selling to the mass market, you will need the large volumes we are able to provide, contrary to predominantly family-owned and run businesses that make up most of the Polish bedding plant landscape. We look at it from the positive side. Selling to DIY stores will help increase the brand recognition for the bedding plants, which will ultimately benefit the entire value chain.”

Designed to fly off the retail shelves, Plantpol’s newest range of succulent planters, incorporating Echeveria, Senecio, and Kalanchoe, is an exciting plant mix. The philosophy behind the new product is that Poles are known for keeping the graves of their loved ones well-maintained, tidy, and beautiful. Succulent planters hopefully inspire people to decorate the graves with succulents instead of plastic flowers, which are frequently seen in summer.

KAPIAS

Conifer hedges create privacy screens and windbreaks and add a feeling of enclosure. Kapias’ 15ha plant production nursery in Glówna is spotless and comprehensively laid out.

The nursery is steeped in history and horticulture, with the current owner Wojciech Kapias’ great-great parents growing vegetables in the 19th century. More than 40 years ago, Wojciech was one of the first growers to try his luck in hardy nursery stock. Reflecting on how the company has evolved, he says, “At first, conifers dominated. Then, to stay relevant in a changing market, we increased our deciduous shrub and perennial production, whose production cycle is shorter. Over the years, Hydrangeas has turned into a genuine money maker.”

Kapias, part of the Kapias Group, of which Wojciech’s brother Bronislav’s show garden and garden centre is also part, predominantly grows in pots and containers with young plants in trays or liners in P9 pots sold to professional growers across Poland. In half-finished and finished products, the company offers a sheer endless range of perennials and grasses in two-, three- and five-litre containers, bedding, patio and balcony plants to wholesalers, garden retailers, landscape architects and professional gardeners. Kapias also offers garden maintenance services and an online platform enabling B2B customers to browse the assortment from the comfort of their offices.

The company is engaged in and concerned about environmental issues. Rainwater is harvested from tunnel roofs and collected in water reservoirs that help to provide a resilient water supply throughout the irrigation season. A system for water recycling is also in place. The land of Goczalkowice-Zdroj enjoys annual precipitation of 800mm per square meter of area, which, under normal circumstances, is enough to keep the plants at the right moisture level.

Kapias uses traditional weed control disks and pine bark mulch to save water and block weeds from growing in containers. However, spillage of this loose-fill mulch when pots blow over and removal of the mulch by foraging birds are problems for which the company has found a new solution. It is called San Top, and its supplier, Ceres, claims it is “a 100 per cent eco-friendly mulch with a wide range of uses, of natural origin, without the addition of plastics, so it is harmless to plants, humans and animals.”

The main ingredient of San Top is ultra-light buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) husks ‘glued’ together by a non-disclosed type of organic clay. San Top is a light product with a free-flowing structure, allowing for easy and precise dosing by hand or with a machine. Once administered, San Top creates a durable shell structure that is permeable to water, air, and fertilisers, and, importantly, it does not affect plant growth. It also reduces water evaporation and over drying of pots. In addition, this shell prevents losses related to the tip-over of the pot, e.g. in transport. Its shelf life is the entire production season, and only water is needed for the process of its creation (gentle dewing immediately after planting the plant and applying the product).

Ceres’ director Michal Stuchlik says that the product has already been sold out in certain crops and that the company is currently fine-tuning it. One of the challenges that remains is that when separating the seeds from the husks, a single buckwheat seed may escape and sprout in the container.

Peat—sourced from Lithuania, Latvia, and Belarus—continues to be the main component of the growing media used even though Wojciech realises that its use is not eco-friendly. Therefore, he is following international research projects to transition to a peat-free future.

A&M WALASZCZYK NURSERY

A&M Walaszczyk Nursery is a family-owned and run ornamental plant nursery. The letters A and M stand for the brothers Aleksander and Marcin, who, together with their wives Renata and Anna, plus Sonia, Alek’s and Renata’s daughter, are the driving forces behind this company in Bielsko- Biala.

The latter is a city known for being the beating heart of the Polish textile industry and, therefore, hosts many affluent families. Wealthy people usually mean lush gardens, which explains the presence of the plant nursery in the area.

Walaszczyk is synonymous with the production and sale of bare-rooted conifer cuttings, which are sold to professional growers who finish them as saleable retail pots. Aleksander, a self-acclaimed plantsman with a soft spot for propagating plants from cuttings, attributes 70 per cent of the company’s sales to the domestic market, with the remainder sold abroad to countries including Canada and Korea. The company receives 50 per cent of its overall revenue from conifer cuttings and 50 per cent from deciduous plant plugs, respectively.

All growers within Europe receive their bare-rooted mini conifers packed in plastic bags that sit in carton boxes. Depending on the size and species, one bag contains 100 or 200 pieces, all covered with a layer of wetted peat moss to prevent the plants from drying out. Cuttings of Abies koreana and balsamea, Cephalotaxus, Chamaecyparis, Cryptomeria, Juniperus, Picea (some will root easily, some will not), Taxus, Tsuga, Thuja, and many other conifer species are harvested between November and March when the mother stock is in dormancy. When taking cuttings, it is important to use this season’s growth as it is easier and faster to root than old wood.

In a cold greenhouse, tip cuttings are stuck in a medium comprised of 70 per cent peat moss, 20 per cent sand and 10 per cent perlite. Rooting rates vary between 70 to 95 per cent. Some genera even boost rooting rates close to 99 per cent. Depending naturally on the species, from harvesting the cuttings to grow into a bare-rooted mini conifer, it can take between 9-12 months. The decision to take on a specialist job in conifer propagation by cuttings was driven by factors such as energy costs (no heating needed), quick turnarounds (contrary to grafting, propagating conifers from cuttings is much quicker and involves bigger numbers), and pricing (for professional growers they are cheaper than grafted specimens).

Not all conifers root very well, and some are even impossible to raise from cuttings. Think of Calocedrus, Pinus (five-needled pinus require specific understocks), and Picea, which are mostly grafted. The complexity and length of the grafting process are reasons for not venturing into grafting. Instead, the company relies on decade-old expertise in propagation from cuttings.

LIVING GREEN IS LIFE TO THE FULLEST

On day two of the Poland trip, FCI travelled to Warsaw to attend the Green is Life event hosted by the Polish Nurserymen Association and its marketing agency, Agencja Promocji Zieleni, from 5 to 7 September 2024.

The ‘Experience the power of synergy’ themed event was staged at Warsaw’s EXPO XXI Warszawa convention centre, the venue of choice since the show’s inaugural edition 31 years ago.

The three-day event—with a strong focus on nursery stock—welcomed 172 exhibitors from seven countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands. With two-thirds of exhibitors from Poland, the host country was naturally prominently presented. The event attracted 9,588 visitors, including 5,616 professionals—a 5.5 per cent increase from 2023. Visitors from 42 countries across five continents underscored the trade exhibition’s growing international appeal. The first two days of the event were open to industry professionals only, while the last day of the show was also open to the public, informing themselves on what is available, what brands are hot, and who are the leaders in the nursery industry. Unusually hot, late summer weather affected attendance, with fewer consumers visiting on Saturday.

OPENING SESSION

Andrzej Kujawa has been the president of the Polish Nurserymen Association since 2023, and in his daily life, he is a grower of specimen plants, Taxus and deciduous shrubs in the Poznan area. Following Kujawa’s initial remarks at the Green is Life opening session, show organiser Joanna Filipczak touted Green is Life as ‘the nation’s greenest event’. This year, the show earned official recognition from the AIPH. Filipczak was satisfied with the synergic collaboration between the Polish organisers and AIPH, resulting in a top-notch educational programme full of conferences and workshops. AIPH’s president, Leonardo Capitanio, said that the Polish Nurserymen Association (ZSzP) has already been among his association’s active members for quite a long time. It was, therefore, with great pleasure, he said, that AIPH accepted the invitation to host its 76th annual congress this year in Warsaw alongside Green is Life. He also stressed that, more than ever, the world needs the industry’s plants, shrubs, trees, and services and that ideas about Green City can not be done without nursery stock producers in particular.

TAKING THE PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY

In the international trade arena, Polish-grown hardy nursery stock plays an important role. Conifers, shrubs, trees, perennials, climbers, grasses, Hydrangeas, heather, and other plants are exported to 40 countries. Poland is also a primary importer of nursery stock products from other countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Italy.

In speaking with exhibitors and visitors, it appeared that foremost on the minds of many growers are the significant increase in the country’s minimum wage and the changing market demand for more eco-friendly species. Also at stake is ongoing market disruption due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, causing the market equilibrium to be delicate with a surplus of plants looming.

Climate change and the absence of some dissident household names, who, instead of exhibiting at Green is Life, decided to organise their own sales event/mini trade show around Green is Life’s show dates, are also reasons for concern. Particularly in the last case, green professionals argued that going ‘on your own account’ means you are cannibalising your own market and is to the detriment of the sector’s spirit, which should always foster collaboration and collectivity.

Overall, organisers can look back on a very successful show, known for its excellent content but—often overlooked—its artistic staging of booths. Visiting Green is Life is a delight for the eye, with stands that looked more like miniature show gardens than commercial displays.

NOVELTIES COMPETITION

One of Green is Life’s absolute highlights is its annual Plant Novelties competition, in which 30 plants vied for the highest honour this year.

Zymon Nursery scooped up the coveted Gold Medal for its Cornus kousa Flower Tower, as did Slowinscy Nursery for its Miscanthus sinensis’ Lady in Red’. The latter, bred by Krzysztof Słowiński, reigned supreme, winning the Best in Show Award judged by members of the horticultural press and the Online Visitors’ Vote.

The latest and updated version of the Catalogue of Proven Plants, now also available in English, online, or in hard copy, provides a comprehensive overview of what the members of the Polish Nurserymen Association have to offer.

The 530(!)-page catalogue looks like a plant encyclopedia and is considered one of the best and most reliable nursery stock reference books. It describes 2,872 taxa, highlights their key features, and gives planting recommendations.

The photos of the plants and trees when they are 10 or 30 years old are very helpful, as they give users a good idea of the plants’ long-term appearance.

EXHIBITOR SNAPSHOTS

Exploring the Green is Life Exhibition, and speaking with many of the exhibitors, it became clear that Poland’s green industry’s strength is deeply rooted in its nurserymen’s expertise and dedication. These professionals, many of whom are long-standing members of the Polish Nurserymen Association (PNA), have helped shape the sector both locally and internationally. Their extensive knowledge, combined with the organisational efforts of the PNA and the Greenery Promotion Agency, has been a driving force behind the success of this exhibition. This partnership has propelled the event’s growth and facilitated Polish greenery’s internationalisation, with AIPH’s endorsement further solidifying its global relevance.

HORTENSJE.PL

Lukasz Pelka, Treasurer of the Polish Nurserymen Association and regional officer for Mazowiecki, stands proudly with his younger brother Mateusz at their exhibition booth for their family business Hortensje.pl. Representing the second generation of a passionate family business, Nursery Farm ‘Dręszew’ ,the Pelka brothers carry on the legacy begun by their parents Renata and Leszek, who founded the nursery in 2000 on an 11-hectare plot. With a focus on deciduous and coniferous trees, ground cover plants, and renowned hydrangeas, they supply plants to garden centres, landscapers, and private gardens across Poland and beyond. The family’s dedication to quality and innovation has positioned them as pioneers in Poland, especially with licensed hydrangea varieties like Forever&Ever® and Magical®. Today, through retail and wholesale channels, including their online platform, Hortense.pl, the Pelka family continues to grow their flourishing nursery business.

KOSOWSCY

Anna Bilska (née Kosowska) and her husband Adam are the dynamic team behind the innovative in vitro plant tissue culture laboratory at Kosowscy Specialised Agricultural and Horticultural Farm. With Adam’s technical ability and Anna’s leadership, they offer high-quality plants such as gerbera, phalaenopsis orchids, rhododendrons, and more, cultivated through in vitro techniques. As the daughter of Isabelle and Peter Kosowscy, Anna continues a family legacy that dates back to 1948, with deep roots in horticulture established by her grandfather Stanisław Kosowski. The couple upholds the Kosowscy tradition of tailoring their products for clients, ensuring quality and precision at every stage. Anna also serves as the Polish Nurserymen Association Regional Officer for Łódzki, contributing her expertise to the broader horticultural community. With their commitment to both innovation and heritage, Anna and Adam are ensuring that the Kosowscy name remains synonymous with excellence in horticulture for generations to come.

MILCZYŃSKI ORNAMENTAL SHRUB NURSERY – SUNNY PLANTS

Mateusz Milczyński and his father, Maciej, are the dedicated team behind Milczyński Ornamental Shrub Nursery—Sunny Plants, a nursery based in the Lower Silesian region of Poland, known for its innovation and sustainable horticultural practices. At the Green is Life Plant Novelties Competition 2024, Sunny Plants presented their latest standout variety, the Hydrangea serrata DAREDEVIL, which earned distinction for its unique dark red leaves and vibrant pink, red, and purple blooms. Sunny Plants specialises in perennials and deciduous shrubs that bloom from late spring to autumn, providing continuous colour and pollinator-friendly gardens. While Mateusz leads the national industry as a long-standing Board Member of the Polish Nurserymen Association and represents Poland at the European Nurserystock Association, his father, Maciej—a passionate ecologist—brings a deep commitment to environmentally friendly practices. Together, they combine innovation and ecological stewardship, continuing the Milczyński family’s legacy of excellence in both their nursery and their contributions to the broader horticultural community. business.

DAGLEZJA ORNAMENTAL PLANT NURSERY

Pictured is Artur Maj, owner of Daglezja Ornamental Plant Nursery and Regional Officer for the Polish Nurserymen Association in Lubelski.

Artur established his nursery in 1999, specialising in ornamental grasses like Miscanthus, Panicum, Pennisetum, and Molinia, along with grafted conifers. The nursery spans 14 hectares, including three hectares of show gardens and grass collections, and serves both domestic and international clients. Artur and his daughter Alicja co-authored the book “Miscanth – A Giant Among Grasses”. In 2016, the Daglezja nursery’s Miscanthus collection was recognised by the Botanical Gardens Section of the Polish Dendrological Society, earning them the prestigious status of National Collection for the Miscanthus genus. It is now boasting over 600 described species with new varieties continuing to be added. In 2023, Maj’s Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silver Charm’ received a Gold Medal and Journalists’ Distinction at the 30th Green is Life Plant Novelties Competition.

NOWACZYK NURSERY

Pictured is Nikodem Nowaczyk, proudly holding Pinus nigra ‘Arigato’. He has been leading Nowaczyk Nursery’s operations since mastering the art of grafting in 2002. The nursery was established in 1997 by his parents, Jan and Jolanta Nowaczyk, upon their return to Poland from landscaping in Australia. The nursery has grown into a renowned producer of rare grafted conifers. Located in Wyganów, Wielkopolska, it focuses on cultivating 1,600 varieties of Pinus, Picea, Abies, and more. With 15 hectares of mother plants and 1 hectare of hothouses, the nursery primarily serves wholesale clients throughout Poland and exports to 14 countries. Their unique conifers, including Abies koreana ‘Kohout’s Icebreaker, ‘Juniperus horizontalis ‘Icee Blue, ‘Thuja plicata ‘Whipcord, ‘Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gitte, ‘Picea abies ‘Pusch, ‘and Pinus sylvestris ‘Xavery, ‘are popular choices for gardens, terraces, and balconies.

AIPH MEMBERS AT GREEN IS LIFE

AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe summed up this year’s AIPH Congress, the Green is Life Fair in Warsaw and the members’ visits to local ZSzP’s nurseries by saying: “Hosting the 76th AIPH Annual Congress alongside the Green Is Life International Trade Fair offered AIPH members from around the world a unique opportunity to engage with the Polish horticultural industry and exchange knowledge with growers from this dynamic region.”