The American Society for Horticultural Science Certified Horticulturist (ASHS-CH) professional certification program is the national credential validating the knowledge and skills of working horticultural practitioners in the industry of horticulture. The ASHS Certified Horticulturist designation is given by ASHS to those who

• meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the examination as set forth in this application,
• successfully complete the examination,
• maintain the necessary number of continuing education units (CEUs) to re-certify after 3 years, and
• pay the necessary re-certification fees every 3 years.

Directory by location of ASHS Certified Horticulturists

Upcoming Test Dates, Times, and Locations
Certification exams are given at various times of the year around the United States.

Applications and proper payment must be received in the ASHS office no later than 14 (fourteen) working days before a scheduled exam. No exceptions.

Fees for the Examination

ASHS Members—$160.00           Nonmembers—$235.00

Attainment of Certification

If you achieve the passing score and meet all other requirements, you will receive the designation of ASHS Certified Horticulturist and will be sent a certificate and an ID card.

For additional information:

• Download the ASHS CH Booklet (pdf file)
• Download the ASHS CH Study Outline (pdf file)
• Download the Application to sit for the ASHS CH Examination (pdf file)
• Download the CH Continuing Education Reporting Form (Word doc)

Horticulturist's Certification Study Guide

146 pages, full color
$45, plus shipping - Members
$55, plus shipping - Non-Members

Please allow 3 weeks for processing and shipping a CH study guide book within the United States. If you need it sooner, please choose for a faster shipping method in the shopping cart.

To order from the ASHS Online Shopping Cart: Click Here

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Contact Cindy Slone at ASHS Headquarters, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 703.836.4606, ext. 116

Objectives of the Certification Program:

• Provide an educational program that will improve technical competency of personnel in horticultural industries.
• Create incentives for these individuals to continue their professional development.
• Provide the public and those in government and industry with a means to identify those professionals who have demonstrated, through a professionally developed exam and education program, that they exhibit thorough knowledge of horticultural practices.

Benefits of the Certification Program

• Certification builds an individual’s self-image. By studying for and passing the exam, individuals reaffirm to themselves and their peers a thorough knowledge and dedication to horticulture.
• Certification affords the public and those in government and industry the opportunity to make an informed selection of services based on the knowledge represented by the certification designation.
• The process of becoming certified and maintaining the designation provides incentives to the individual to continue his or her ongoing professional development.
• Certification is a tool to help employers both in training their personnel and selecting new employees.

Developing the Examination

The certification examination was developed by a panel of industry experts representing all aspects of horticulture. Questions were derived from a Job Task Analysis Workshop attended by horticultural professionals from around the United States. This workshop was followed by an Objectives Ranking Survey, which ranked the importance and frequency of tasks identified in the workshop. A Certification Examination Blueprint was developed, followed by a Test Item Writing Workshop conducted with subject matter experts. Every test question generated was reviewed a minimum of three times by participants in two following Test Technical Review Workshops.

Format of the Examination

• The certification examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
• Each question has four choices listed, only one of which is correct. The answer to each question can be derived independently of the answer to any other question.
• You will have 4 hours to complete the examination. It is always advisable to first answer the questions that are easy for you, skipping over those questions to which you will need to return to give more thought. Working in such a manner, you should feel no time pressure because 4 hours will be more than enough time to complete the examination.
• You must achieve an overall score of at least 71%. If you do NOT achieve a passing score, you must retake the exam. You will be allowed to retake the exam one time for $100 within one year of the original test date. After one year from the original test date, you must again pay the full exam fee of $160 for members of ASHS or $235 for nonmembers.

Content of the Certification Examination

The certification examination is designed to test your understanding of the following topics:

• Landscape Design and Maintenance
• Production of Fruits, Vegetables, Turf and Ornamental Plants
• Shipping and Handling of Final Product
• Propagation
• Monitoring and Testing
• Diagnosing and Managing Plant Problems
• Business Practices

Examination Eligibility Requirements

The ASHS Certified Horticulturist Board requires candidates to have a minimum of:

• three (3) years of paid full-time experience in horticulture, or
• a two-year degree in Horticulture and two (2) years of paid practical experience, or
• a four-year degree in Horticulture or a related field and one (1) year of paid practical experience.

By submitting your application, you authorize ASHS certification staff to contact the practical experience reference named on your application to substantiate your eligibility.

The ASHS Certified Horticulturist Program does not discriminate in determining eligibility on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.