From drinkable collagen to low-maintenance gardens, UF/IFAS experts tell you what’s on trend for 2020.

2020 Florida Food and Plant Trends Report

The UF/IFAS’s annual prediction of trends in food and gardening sees more eco-conscious and unconventional choices for 2020.

Experts in plant sciences, food sciences and human nutrition, aquaculture, and plant breeding see more in the year ahead.

The next pages contain some of the hottest trends to look for in the new year.

Food Trends

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Blue Apron, Home Chef, Hello Fresh and the like have grown exponentially in popularity over the past several years. The trend is now headed to mainstream grocery stores and less toward the traditional subscription delivery service. But this market likely will continue to evolve and grow in 2020.

You’ll see more tea containing alcohol or tasting like alcoholic drinks. Craft beer, kombucha and hard seltzer have all rapidly increased in popularity in recent years.

3 Drinkable Collagen

Meal Kits

Alcohol in Tea

Drinks and supplements containing collagen came along a couple of years ago, and they are catching consumers’ attention. Collagen, a protein, can help skin cells renew and repair themselves. It is commonly used in many antiaging cosmetic products.

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6Our busy lifestyles continue to create demand for nutrient-dense convenience foods, so expect new products on the market and increased sales of these products that are already on the shelf.

Organic products will occupy more shelf space in grocery stores, and new products will be added. Total sales of USDA-certified food —

including grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts — have more than doubled during the five-year period from 2012-2017. Organic food sales accounted for 5.5 percent of total retail food sales.

Because of climate disruptions and extreme weather events, look for higher prices at the grocery store. That’s because coffee, bananas and avocado production are at risk due to insects and diseases. These food crops, staples in many homes, are grown in unique environments that are limited to a few places on the planet.

Convenience Store Nutrition

Organic Food

Extreme Weather Impacts

8 A Millennial Impact

7Not to be confused with Meal Kits — which are targeted for single

meals — we’re talking about online grocery shopping. This trend, which started several years ago, is gaining momentum.

Many major grocery retailers are now offering some sort of online ordering system. Personal shoppers fill orders,

and customers conveniently pick up their groceries in a “drive-through” style — often without even leaving

their cars.

Drive-Thru Groceries

At 27 percent, millennials comprise the largest sector of the population They are well-connected, and their buying habits reflect that. Many millennials buy via local farmfinder apps and Internet orders directly from farms. Thus, expect an increasingly dynamic market that attempts to respond to consumer demands via e-trade.

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3Those without a lot of space for gardening are choosing

dwarf varieties of their favorite plants, which also require less pruning.

Plants are considered native to your area if they naturally occur there. Native plants are generally lower maintenance, requiring less water, pruning and fertilizer, and grow well in their native range, which has made them increasingly attractive to homeowners and commercial landscapes.

In recent years, plants that attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators have gotten attention for their positive environmental impact. Now people are becoming more aware of how plants can benefit the wildlife we enjoy seeing in our yards. Plants with berries attract birds, and layering plants of various heights provides hiding places for other species.

Dwarf Varieties

Native Plants

Plants for Wildlife

Plant Trends

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More people are looking for plants that are both stylish and provide food. Fruit-bearing plants, ornamental vegetables and edible flowers can add taste and sustainability to a landscape.

Re-wilding gardens includes encouraging beneficial insects, reducing herbicide and pesticide use, pruning less and

planting more native plants. Those interested in re-wilding their home landscapes should talk with their neighbors and

homeowner associations.

Edible Landscapes

Re-wilding Gardens

6Though succulents and cacti have long been popular low-maintenance plants, consumers are looking for less familiar and unusual-looking varieties.

Succulents

7Plants with red, purple or “black” leaves are a striking addition to any landscape, making them more attractive to gardeners looking for something new in 2020. Plants such as the ‘Black Raven’ ZZ plant, the ‘Black Diamond’ crepe myrtle and red Agloanema are examples of this trend.

Dark Foliage

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Though a dozen roses will likely never go out of style, floral arrangements featuring both flowers and foliage are gaining popularity. For example, Florida greens

with leatherleaf fern is making a comeback in floral arrangements, garlands and other plant décor.

Softer Florals

Landscaping for Natural DisastersThe increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in recent years has made many rethink what they plant on their properties. Though some may be hesitant to plant trees near their properties, trees have many benefits, such as lowering energy costs and improving air quality, so experts recommend planting species that are more resilient to wind and storms.

8Vegetable gardeners will be looking to diversify their plots with leafy greens commonly grown outside the United States, such as mizuna, bok choy and komatsuna.

Novel Greens

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For More Information Plant Trends

Samantha Murray 352-294-3307, 949-735-1076 (cell)

or grenrosa@ufl.edu

Food Trends Brad Buck

813-757-2224, 352-875-2641 (cell) or bradbuck@ufl.edu