"Green Olympics" in Milan: Myplant, the international trade fair of horticulture, gardening and landscaping (Fiera Milano Rho, 18–20 February), was presented to the press. A 60,000-sqm "green arena" will host a major exhibition challenge featuring the finest plants, flowers, innovative engines, landscape projects, sustainable solutions, green cities, top floral design schools and the most effective techniques for plant care.
Myplant is preparing to showcase the best of Italian and international horticulture, bringing together the entire green supply chain in one large exhibition. The event aims to highlight sector excellence and promote talent, innovation and sustainability, while connecting production, landscape design, technology and the sustainable management of public, private and sports green spaces.
Around 800 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation, with 20 percent coming from abroad, mainly from the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany and France. Thousands of visitors are expected from across the world for one of the sector's most important global events and a key showcase for Made in Italy horticulture. The industry has reached a new record, exceeding €3.25 billion in production value and confirming Italy among the world's leading exporters of plants and flowers.
More than 200 international top buyer delegations from 47 countries will attend. The largest groups are arriving from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Croatia, Spain, Romania, China, France, the Maghreb and Turkey. Buyers from the Middle East and Central Asia are playing an increasingly important role. Over 130 foreign companies are accredited as visitors, and 160 journalists have already registered, underlining strong international media interest.
The programme includes highly anticipated demonstrations led by floral art and décor trend-setters, master lumberjacks, flower fashion shows and large-scale green installations.
An extensive schedule of meetings, conferences and forums will bring together institutions, technicians, experts, scientists and journalists from agriculture, sport, research, planning, design, academia, real estate and events. Topics range from the Olympic landscapes of Milan-Cortina to therapeutic gardens, from historic parks to open-air museums, from urban regeneration to sports turf management.
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A new trade fair landscape
The tenth edition of Myplant & Garden introduces a redesigned pavilion layout, offering a complete and updated view of the horticultural and floriculture supply chain. The exhibition is organised into nine macro sectors: nurseries, flowers, furnishings, pots, decoration, landscape, services, technology and machinery.
Hall 20 will be entirely dedicated to engines, with exhibition space doubled, and to My Green Sports. It will host two conference rooms and a preview of the new Engines and Spare Parts section, which will officially launch in 2027.
My Landscape moves to Hall 8 with a renewed identity and a double conference room designed for high-profile meetings and exhibitions focused on landscape design.
A boulevard more than 100 metres long will connect landscape, architecture and materials with My Decor, the creative centre of flower design, where workshops and fashion shows will take place.
Nursery production and potted plants will occupy Hall 16 and part of Hall 12, alongside brands from the technical and chemical sectors and the Garden Center New Trend area, which will feature the celebratory initiative "10 years of trends – the best of".
Innovation will take centre stage with My Innovation, a dedicated route highlighting the most advanced and sustainable solutions for the future of green spaces.
The Italian and international markets
In 2024, the value of Italian horticulture production exceeded €3.25 billion, according to ISTAT. This represents a 3.5 percent increase on 2023, a 23 percent rise over five years and a 30.8 percent increase compared to 2014, despite ongoing climatic and market challenges.
Nursery production accounts for 54.5 percent of the total, with a value of over €1.7 billion, up 3.4 percent. Floriculture represents 45.5 percent, reaching €1.5 billion, up 3.5 percent. The sector makes up 8 percent of national plant production and 5.3 percent of Italian agriculture overall. It includes 17,500 companies and more than 45,000 hectares of cultivated land, according to CREA and the Chambers of Commerce.
Central Italy generates 39 percent of total value, equal to €1.26 billion, driven by Tuscany, which leads national nursery production with over €1 billion. Northern Italy follows with 38 percent, or €1.23 billion, while Southern Italy accounts for 23 percent, around €760 million, with Sicily as the main production area in the South.
At global level, the value of flower and potted plant production in 2024 is estimated at €24.5 billion. This is complemented by €29 billion from nursery production and €101 million from bulb production, according to CREA based on AIPH data. In the same year, the EU horticulture sector reached a production value of €24.5 billion, according to Eurostat.
Italy confirms its position as a net exporter, with a positive trade balance of €374 million. Exports exceeded €1.2 billion, up 6.3 percent, while imports amounted to €888 million. The main export markets remain France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The economic weight of the sector makes it a driver of employment and exports, but also a key contributor to environmental solutions, especially in urban areas. Through research, innovation, design and plant care, horticulture supports parks, street trees, gardens and green infrastructure that improve city life.
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Greenery: Health, well-being, economy
Urban greenery is now recognised as essential infrastructure for resilient cities, with measurable benefits for climate, health and quality of life. ENEA and the European Environment Agency identify it as one of the main tools for climate adaptation.
Vegetation helps cool cities by reducing average temperatures by up to 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with even higher local reductions, thanks to shading and evapotranspiration. It improves air quality by absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone and by reducing fine particulate matter. It also lowers flood risk by encouraging rainwater infiltration.
The most effective strategies focus on widespread distribution of greenery, including street trees, pocket parks, green roofs and façades, courtyards and ecological networks. The 3-30-300 model, promoted by international organisations, sets clear targets: at least three trees visible from every home, 30 percent tree canopy coverage at neighbourhood level and a large green space within 300 metres.
The benefits are also economic and social. In 2025, more than 370 extreme climate events were recorded in Italy, with estimated losses of €11.9 billion. Without effective policies, damages could exceed 5 percent of GDP by 2050. Heat stress alone is estimated to cause a global loss of 80 million equivalent jobs.
Living close to green spaces is associated with up to a 25 percent reduction in the risk of chronic diseases and measurable improvements in mental health, in line with the principle of biophilia.
In practical terms, investing in urban greenery means reducing climate risks, improving public health and supporting the horticulture sector, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The conference programme reflects a mature supply chain that understands environmental, urban and social challenges while looking firmly to the future.
Conferences
At the centre of the debate is greenery as a living and strategic infrastructure for cities and territories, capable of generating economic value, beauty and social well-being. The programme covers public and private management, design, sport, research, innovation and the involvement of new generations. Institutions, universities, research centres, professional associations, design studios, companies and public administrations will take part in an open, multidisciplinary exchange.
"The Gardens of Myplant" competition: 10 years of charity for social causes. New edition.
Therapeutic greenery will also be in focus with the launch of the seventh edition of the creative social design competition "The Gardens of Myplant". Since 2016, the initiative has created gardens free of charge that become spaces of care, welcome and hope for vulnerable people. This year's edition will support the outdoor spaces of a Milan-based association that assists children and young people who are victims of abuse and severe family maltreatment.
With its tenth edition, Myplant confirms its role as a reference platform for dialogue between companies, institutions and the research community, offering an integrated vision of the green supply chain. From 18 to 20 February at Fiera Milano Rho, the event once again underlines the strategic role of horticulture in the sustainable development of territories.
For more information:
Myplant & Garden
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