ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on phenotypic quality characteristics associated with American and European nursery stock quality standards. Four standards are reviewed: the Revised American Standards for Nursery Stock (RASNS); the California Guidelines Specifications for Nursery Tree Quality; the Florida Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants 2015; and the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) Standards 2010. Nursery stock standards provide buyers and sellers of nursery stock with a common terminology in order to facilitate nursery stock transactions including techniques for measuring plants, specifying and stating the size of plants, determining the proper relationship between height and caliper, or height and width, and determining whether a root ball or container is large enough for a particular size and class of plant. The standards are subject to interpretation based on generally accepted standards for a geographical region, season of the year, plant species/cultivar, and specifications contained in a bid or contract.
