What Are NTFPs?
Florida’s forests produce a large variety of specialty non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which can provide forest landowners with additional revenue beyond timber products. The Florida Forest Service defines NTFPs as products that originate from trees or plant parts but are not derived from timber.
Generally, NTFPs can be divided into the following categories:
- Medicinal native plants: Saw palmetto berries (view harvesting requirements), St. John's wort
- Other edible products: Fruits, nuts, mushrooms, honey
- Ornamental products: Spanish moss, pine tips for garlands, pine cones, grapevines, burl and crooked wood for fine crafts
- Landscape products: Pine straw mulches, pine bark mulches, palm trees
Market Outlook
Pine Straw
Some segments of the NTFPs market have grown rapidly in recent years and are major contributors to the Florida economy. The pine straw industry is a prime example of this, generating millions of dollars a year in additional revenue to forest landowners in Florida.
Saw Palmetto Berries
Saw palmetto berries collected from forests in Florida and Georgia are the most abundantly harvested medicinal NTFPs in terms of dry weight. Saw palmetto berries are the fruit of a commonly occurring understory plant in Florida flatwoods. They are the source of certain medicinal compounds used in Native American, herbal and alternative medical treatments for prostate and other urologic conditions.
Learn about saw palmetto berry harvesting requirements.
Edible and Ornamental Products
Other industries, such as collection and sale of edible and ornamental products, are variable in size but may have potential to grow. However, information on current operations collecting and supplying these products in Florida is very sparse to non-existent, depending on the product. Be certain to know if the species you are interested in need special permits or are otherwise considered endangered or commercially exploited plants.
Learn about native plant harvesting permits.
Vendors and Buyers of NTFPs
The first link below opens a partial list of vendors and/or buyers of NTFPs in the state of Florida. The list does not cover all categories of potential products, nor does it cover all producers because it was created on a voluntary basis. The second link opens a map showing the locations of the same NTFP vendors in Florida. Being listed and/or shown on the map below does not imply that a vendor is endorsed, approved or otherwise sanctioned by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the Florida Forest Service.
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Vendors of Non-Timber Forest Products
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Florida Non-Timber Forest Product Vendors Map
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