A UF-led study found that Florida consumers will pay about $7 more to buy local plants.

Floridians want to buy locally grown plants, and they’re willing to pay more for them, according to a recent study.

A UF researcher asked 87 state residents to pick between different plants, including blueberry bushes, pineapple plants and kiwi vines. Some plants were grown locally and labeled with a “Fresh From Florida” sticker while the rest were imported.

Hayk Khachatryan, the UF Food and Resource Economics Department assistant professor who led the study, wanted to see whether the label affected people’s purchasing decisions. As the participants viewed images of the plants on a computer screen, a camera tracked how often they glanced at different features, including the blue-and-yellow “Fresh From Florida” label.

About four years ago, the Fresh from Florida logo was expanded to include landscape and ornamental plants, 42-year-old Khachatryan said. The logo comes from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Khachatryan said the study, which was published online Dec. 29, found consumers were willing to pay $7.17 to $7.22 more for plants with the logo than imported plants. The starting price for the plants was $15.98, the study said. The study is expected to be printed by summer.

Participants were later asked if they picked the plant with the Fresh from Florida logo because of environmental, economic or quality reasons. Most said they picked the locally grown plant because they believed their purchase would positively affect their community.

“Consumers associate locally grown with health benefits and contributions to the local economy,” he said.

The study suggested if people are willing to buy more local plants, this will encourage growers to use the Fresh from Florida logo from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Growers need to pay a small membership fee in order to use the logo. The study highlighted the benefits of joining, Khachatryan said.

Ben Bolusky, CEO of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, wrote in an email that the membership to use the Fresh from Florida logo is $50 per year. He said the association was interested in Khachatryan’s research and wanted to know how it would impact the industry.

“Retailers and landscape professionals will indeed benefit from increased sales and increased awareness,” Bolusky said.

Blueberry bush