Understanding Utah's native plant market: Coordinating public and private interest

Changes in Lone Peak Conservation Nursery customer profiles cause state nursery leaders to question what their products are being used for and how trends in native plant use are changing the market for Utah native plants. The Utah native plant market is changing as interest in native plants is expanding to meet new conservation objectives, oftentimes in urban settings. This newer demand for native plants appears to be motivated by current changes in urban conservation behavior, continued population growth in the arid West, scarcity of water resources, the increasing appreciation for indigenous plant aesthetics, and concern for bio-diversity. A survey of 2001 American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) Utah Chapter members sponsored by Lone Peak Conservation Nursery, a state-mandated nursery for the supply of conservation plants to Utah, conveys landscape professionals' philosophical base for native plant choice, experience of native plant use, information needs, desired products and services, and general perception of native plant market and demand in Utah. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...