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Abstract
The ultimate objective of commercial horticultural activities is to satisfy the needs of the
final consumer. Consumer demand for novel plants drives the ornamental plant industry.
Therefore, dispersal of native and invasive horticultural plants can be understood by
considering the decisions/choices of consumers who decide which plants to purchase
from retailers. In contrast to previous studies on invasive and native plants, this study
uses an experimental auction to elicit consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for labeled
native and invasive attributes. Results from a censored random effect model show that
consumers’ WTP for plants decreases when the plants are labeled as invasive and
increases when plants are labeled as native. The study finds that consumers discount an
invasive attribute more for native than for non-native plants. Consumers’ sociodemographics
and attitudes—age, income, gender, concern about environment, interest in
plant quality, ease of care and sensitivity to price—significantly alter consumer’s WTP
for native and invasive attributes. The implications of this study are notable given the
consumers’ increasing concern about the environment and recent debate over sustainable
labeling of plants by the horticulture industry.