horticulturist
noun
hor·ti·cul·tur·ist
ˌhȯr-tə-ˈkəl-chə-rist
variants
or less commonly horticulturalist
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
Cite this Entry
“Horticulturist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horticulturist. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.
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