ASHS national certified horticulturist exam has new partners

The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) has partnered with prestigious horticultural facilities across the United States, including Longwood Gardens and Phipps Garden Center in Pennsylvania, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and Naples Botanical Garden in Florida, Huntington Botanical Garden and UC Davis Arboretum in California, and Missouri Botanical Garden in Missouri to offer horticultural practitioners an opportunity to sit for an exam to become ASHS Certified Horticulturists (ASHS-CH).
The ASHS Certified Horticulturist (CH) professional certification program is the national credential validating the knowledge and skills of working horticultural practitioners in the industry of horticulture.  The ASHS-CH designation is establishing industrywide standards of excellence and providing the public, government, and industry with the means to identify individuals with a thorough knowledge of horticultural practices. They identify working horticulturists who adhere to a professional code of ethics, and encourage commitment to ongoing professional development through continuing education requirements.
As stated by Fred Davies, Ph.D., CPH, Regents professor at Texas A&M University, ASHS CH board chair, and former president of ASHS, “An ASHS CH possesses the skills required to communicate with, educate, and provide knowledgeable advice to the public, customers, suppliers, peers, and management on professional topics related to their horticultural responsibilities.”
Carefully designed by a panel of industry experts for the horticultural practitioner, the ASHS-CH exam assesses seven major domains with a total of 35 competency areas, including landscape design maintenance; production of fruits, vegetables, turf and ornamental plants; shipping and handling of final product; propagation; monitoring and testing; diagnosing and managing plant problems; and business practices.
The CH program is not a substitute for locally run state nursery programs that would, for instance, test plant identification on a local level.  The national CH program will enhance and assist other field related and state run certification programs by honoring CEUs from workshops and classes offered by locally run state educational programs and related organizations. It would also create greater public demand for certification that would help state programs that are currently having a difficult time.
The American Society for Horticultural Science is a cornerstone of research and education in horticulture and an agent for active promotion of horticultural science. Its mission is to advance the knowledge and application of horticultural science in all its forms.  ASHS supports science for specialty crops, global solutions for nutritious food sources and healthy, beautiful environments.
ASHS was founded in 1903 as an international scientific organization bringing together the diversity of horticultural research by facilitating communication through its scientific journals, annual conference, and other member programs.
ASHS Certified Horticulturist Exams are being offered throughout the United States and new examination sites are being established rapidly. Other locations scheduled to offer the ASHS-CH exam include the Farwest Tradeshow in Oregon, the American Horticultural Society in Virginia, Bloedel Reserve in Washington, Chicago Botanic Garden in Illinois, New York Botanical Garden in New York, and the Wyoming Groundskeepers and Growers Association Annual Conference in Wyoming.  Parties interested in more information about eligibility, exams, the program, or wanting to identify a Certified Horticulturist in their area should visit the ASHS website at ashs.org, then choose “Certified Horticulturist” from our Fast Links.