What the Floriculture and Nursery/Landscape CDEs Are
The SC FFA Floriculture and Nursery/Landscape Career Development Events are the state finals for FFA teams in horticulture skills. Both contests are held at Spartanburg Community College on March 13, 2027, with Floriculture in the morning and Nursery/Landscape in the afternoon. Students identify plants, solve problems and show hands-on skills in the same kinds of tasks used by florists, greenhouse growers, nurseries and landscape crews.
Floriculture CDE: What Teams Do
- Written test
- Problem-solving team event
- Plant identification: contestants identify 25 live specimens from a list of 50 plants
- Pinching plant cuttings (individual, 75 points): soft and hard pinches on a herbaceous greenhouse plant to control vertical growth, then an evaluation of the result
- Floral arrangement (team, 65 points): teams build a retail arrangement judged on design, balance and functionality
Nursery/Landscape CDE: What Teams Do
- Written test
- Problem-solving team event
- Plant identification: 25 live specimens from a list of 50 nursery plants
- Pest and disorder identification: 10 diseases or disorders from the approved list, shown by pictures or specimens
- Equipment and supply identification: 20 samples from the approved list
- Push mower equipment maintenance (50 points): evaluating maintenance needs, operation, servicing and basic troubleshooting
- Landscape estimating (team, 100 points)
Who Can Enter and Rules
- Entrants must be dues-paying FFA members enrolled in an agricultural education class and entered in the online roster system by the spring deadline. The 2027 roster deadline is March 5, 2027.
- All SC FFA contests are open to dues-paid 7th and 8th grade members, and the top middle school team is recognized at each event.
- Teams have four members unless event rules say otherwise, and team scores use the top three individual scores.
- Members of a state-winning CDE team cannot join another state CDE team that school year, with exceptions for events not recognized by National FFA.
- Registration uses the official forms. Unless noted, the deadline is one week before the contest, and late teams may not be allowed to compete.
- Alternates may attend, but the contest superintendent decides whether they take part.
- Cheating or unauthorized electronic devices can lead to disqualification.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- February 9-17, 2027: regional Tool ID, Floriculture and leadership event qualifiers held at four regional sites
- March 5, 2027: FFA roster deadline
- March 13, 2027: State Floriculture CDE (morning) and State Nursery/Landscape CDE (afternoon)
At the 2026 contest, held March 21, floriculture check-in was due by 9:00 a.m. and nursery and landscape check-in by 1:00 p.m. at the lobby of the Health Science Building.
Where
Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg, SC. The 2026 check-in point was the Health Science Building lobby. For questions about the nursery and landscape written test, contact Hannah K. Elrick, the college's FFA and 4-H Program Coordinator. The Horticulture Programs department chair, Jay Moore, can be reached at 864-592-4281.
Questions
Do the contests happen at the same time?
No. Floriculture is in the morning and Nursery/Landscape in the afternoon, so a school can send a team to each.
How many plants must students know?
Each plant identification section draws 25 live specimens from a list of 50.
Official Links
- Spartanburg Community College FFA Floriculture and Nursery/Landscape
- SC FFA CDE dates and locations
- General CDE and LDE rules
- 2026-2027 Ag Ed calendar
South Carolina FFA Career Development Events: The Essentials
South Carolina FFA runs its career development events from September regionals through the state convention in Greenville each June. The Dates and Locations page lists the 2026-27 season.
The season
Fall brings Tractor Safety and Operations, Soils, Veterinary Science, Wildlife, Gator Wars, Agronomy and Turfgrass. Winter and spring add Floriculture, Nursery/Landscape, Dairy and Livestock Evaluation at the Garrison Arena in Clemson, Horse Evaluation and Forestry.
Rules
Competitors must be dues-paying members enrolled in an agricultural education class. Teams have four members, registration closes one week before the contest, and past state winners may not return to the same event, per the general rules.
Convention
The 2026 convention ran June 16 to 18 at the Greenville Convention Center, per the convention page. State winners go on to the matching National event.
Next steps
Ask your advisor for event guidelines and regional dates.
Read the full guide: South Carolina FFA Career Development Events
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Region 1 FFA Farmer and Agribusiness Meeting
Region 1 farmer and agribusiness meeting for FFA backers on November 19, 2026, at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg, from 6 pm.
Spartanburg, SC | Organizer: SC FFA / Clemson Extension Official event details - State FFA Nursery Landscape and Floriculture CDE
State FFA nursery, landscape and floriculture contests at Spartanburg Community College on March 13, 2027.
Spartanburg, SC | Organizer: SC FFA / Clemson Extension Official event details - SC FFA State Milk Quality and Tool ID CDEs
State Milk Quality and State Tool Identification contests for FFA members, both set for March 18, 2027 at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg.
Spartanburg, SC | Organizer: SC FFA Association Official event details - State FFA Milk Quality and Tool ID CDE
State FFA milk quality and products and tool identification contests held March 18, 2027, at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg.
Spartanburg, SC | Organizer: SC FFA / Clemson Extension Official event details - SCCA Regional Beef Cattle Field Day St. Matthews
Final stop of the cattlemen's 2026 regional field day series, held Nov. 12, 2026 at Lone Star Plantation in St. Matthews for Midlands and Lowcountry cattle producers.
St. Matthews, SC | Organizer: South Carolina Cattlemen's Association Official event details
All South Carolina events by date
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.