At the 54th edition of Iberflora, held this week at Feria Valencia, the heart of Spain’s green industry beats stronger than ever. Three huge halls are filled with palms, olives, pistachios, and innovation. The message is clear — Mediterranean horticulture is not only beautiful, but it’s also an important export product. It's a Walhalla for buyers interested in Mediterranean plants and shrubs.
Resilience on Display From Valencia to the World
Valencia is one of Europe’s leading growing regions, and proudly takes center stage this year. Blessed with a mild climate, deep-rooted expertise, and a strong export culture, the region showcases what Mediterranean growing truly looks like. Palms, fruit trees, and drought-tolerant shrubs fill the halls, while the 'Forest of the Future' exhibit introduces fire-resistant and water-wise species designed to thrive in a changing climate.
Across the fair, exhibitors emphasize adaptation — grafted trees that can handle extreme heat, soil-saving irrigation systems, and new hybrids that balance performance with biodiversity. The result is a vivid portrait of a region redefining sustainability through the intersection of plant science and tradition.
Voices From the Iberflora 2025 Show Floor
Beyond the impressive displays, Iberflora’s true strength lies in the people behind the plants — growers who bring authenticity, regional expertise, and a shared commitment to sustainability. From Spain to Portugal to the Netherlands, each exhibitor sees the fair as more than a marketplace; it’s a meeting point for relationships and resilience.
Iberflora Remains the Key Meeting Point
Veteran grower Alberto Pascual describes Iberflora as the true mirror of Spain’s plant industry. Every region, he explains, contributes its own personality — from palms and olives in the south to succulents and Grevillea in the Mediterranean belt. The timing of the show, early in the planting season, allows northern European buyers to preview next spring’s stock and secure supply ahead of time. For Pascual, Iberflora remains the key meeting point where Spain’s regional diversity comes together under one roof, presenting the country’s finest Mediterranean plants to Europe and beyond.
“Iberflora is Spain’s leading plant fair — it represents who we are as growers and what Spanish production can offer to Europe. Each region brings its own character, its own climate, and its own plants. Together, we show the full strength of Mediterranean horticulture.”
— Alberto Pascual, Grower (Medipalm) and Exhibitor, Spain
Where Buyers Meet Innovation
More international than ever before, Iberflora 2025 welcomes growers and suppliers from Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, France, China, Belgium, Poland, and Denmark. From young-plant specialists like Batouwe Plant to Mediterranean pioneers such as Vivers Aloma, every exhibitor shares a focus on climate-smart production and market relevance.
Highlights across the show include pyramid Abelia, Pittosporum, prostrate Grevillea, edible Feijoa, and an unforgettable collection of century-old olive trees — living sculptures of resilience and heritage.
Retail Lessons From Spain’s Garden Centers
In the center of the fair, the Aliat Association of Garden Centres presents an inspiring vision of what the modern garden center can be. Their philosophy? Start with plants. Giftware and pet products may grow in importance, but plants remain the emotional core of the shopping experience. Unlike in northern Europe, Spanish centers rarely feature cafés — a cultural difference that may soon evolve as lifestyle retail trends spread southward.
This concept resonates with the Thursd audience — plant-first storytelling that turns horticulture into experience and commerce into connection.
Beyond Plants: Technology and Sustainability
Beyond the lush displays, Iberflora highlights the technical side of growing. Exhibitors showcase mulching machines, automation, and irrigation systems that help nurseries produce more efficiently while reducing resource use. These innovations show that sustainability isn’t just about species selection; it’s also about smarter systems.
The Fun Side of Iberflora
And of course, every fair needs a moment of wonder. This year, a new Spanish record pumpkin weighing nearly 1,200 kg takes center stage — a playful symbol of growth and dedication, cultivated with CANNA fertilizers. Visitors can’t help but stop, smile, and snap a photo before moving on to the next discovery.
As Europe faces shifting climates and changing trade routes, Iberflora stands as a crucial meeting point between tradition and innovation. It connects growers, buyers, and designers who share one vision — a greener, more resilient future for ornamental horticulture.
Iberflora Offers a Unique opportunity to Meet Wholesalers
For Isabel Antón, Commercial Director at Plantas Mediterráneas, Iberflora is the most anticipated event of the year. Her nursery, renowned for its extensive range of mature Mediterranean plants, utilizes the fair as a gateway to international markets, including the UK, France, and Denmark. While logistics can be a challenge for large specimens, Iberflora offers a unique opportunity to meet wholesalers, fellow growers, and landscape professionals face-to-face, thereby strengthening the network that keeps Mediterranean horticulture thriving across Europe.
“Iberflora is the fair I look forward to most all year. It opens doors to many countries — UK, France, Denmark — and allows us to connect with other nurseries and wholesalers that share our passion for Mediterranean plants.”
— Isabel Antón, Commercial Director of Plantas Mediterráneas (Spain)
Why Iberflora Is More Than a Showcase
For Dutch grower of big potted Spathiphyllum Plants under the brand Air So Pure, Patrick Zuidgeest of BestPlant, Iberflora is more than a showcase — it’s a statement of unity. Together with fellow growers and Dutch exporters, he joined forces to create one striking, orange-branded stand representing Dutch collaboration under a single flag. The concept is simple yet effective: make it easy for international buyers and garden centers to discover a complete range of high-quality, (climate-resilient) plants in one place. The result has been immediate attention, genuine conversations, and new business — proof that collaboration and trust remain the strongest drivers of growth in the horticulture industry.
The fair reminds us that Mediterranean growers are not just adapting; they are leading. Their species, methods, and mindset are shaping what urban landscapes and garden centers will look like across Europe in the coming decade.
Quick Facts
- Event: Iberflora 2025 – The International Fair of Plants, Flowers, Landscaping, Technology, and Garden
- Dates: October 14–16, 2025
- Location: Feria Valencia, Spain
- Main Zones: Food & Contract, Horizonte Limón, Green Avenue, Floral Universe, Mediterranean Break, Innovation Awards
Fifteen Years of Growth and Global Vision
Representing Portugal’s dynamic nursery scene, Helder Carvalho, International Sales Manager at Planta Livre, has seen Iberflora evolve over the past decade and a half — and with it, his company’s international reach. “We’ve been coming to Iberflora for 15 years. It was the show that first projected us into the international market,” he says. “Buyers come here from across Europe, the Middle East, and even Asia and Africa. It’s still the best way to show who we are and what we grow.”
Planta Livre cultivates over 390 species, ranging from herbaceous plants and grasses to bamboo, Phormium, and trees, and in recent years has expanded into propagation for growers and wholesalers. With two nurseries covering more than 80 hectares across Portugal, the company has become a European leader in Phormium production and continues to invest in new varieties each season. Carvalho’s long-term presence at Iberflora embodies the fair’s enduring purpose — to connect Mediterranean expertise with a global market, season after season.
“Iberflora was the fair that opened the world for us — and after 15 years, it remains the best place to show our growth, our plants, and our pride in what we do.”
— Helder Carvalho, International Sales Manager, Planta Livre (Portugal)
Connecting Breeders and Growers at Iberflora 2025
At the intersection of breeding, production, and retail, Syngenta Flowers plays a key role in linking innovation with real-world growing. For Debbie Koene, representing Syngenta at Iberflora is about more than presence — it’s about partnership. “This fair is one of the most important in Spain,” she explains. “It comes at the perfect moment between seasons, when growers and breeders can meet, share results, and prepare for the next year.”
Spain’s vast geography means distances between growers are large, so Iberflora provides a vital meeting point where industry professionals make the effort to come together. This year, Syngenta also used the fair to align with partners involved in the shared Dipladenia campaign — an initiative uniting breeders, growers, and retailers to promote the Mediterranean-favorite plant across Europe. As Koene notes, Iberflora creates space not just for sales, but for collaboration and evaluation — the conversations that keep horticultural innovation moving forward.
“Iberflora is one of Spain’s key fairs — a moment between seasons when breeders, growers, and retailers come together to connect, reflect, and plan ahead.”
— Debbie Koene, Syngenta Flowers
The Heart Behind the Green at Iberflora 2025
Iberflora is not only a showcase of plants and innovation — it is also a platform for purpose. In one of the most heartfelt moments of the fair, Spanish plant influencer Iván Vázquez Muñoz, inspired by the project’s solidarity and educational mission, took part. He spoke about the importance of reconnecting younger generations with the origins of nature — how many children today grow up thinking that watermelons come from trees or that tomatoes are made in supermarkets. For him, Iberflora is a reminder that horticulture carries a deeper duty: to teach where life begins and how it grows.
“When I heard this was a solidarity project, I said yes immediately. Education about nature is still in its infancy — many kids don’t even know where plants or fruits come from. That’s why projects like this matter; they bring life back to the classroom and connect us again to the earth.”
— Spanish Plant Influencer Iván Vázquez Muñoz
Iberflora 2025 - Final Thought
As the scent of citrus drifts through the halls and sunlight filters through ancient olive leaves, one thing becomes clear — Iberflora is more than a trade fair. It’s a celebration of Mediterranean horticulture, a showcase of sustainable creativity, and a beacon of what’s next for the global green industry.
Explore more inspiring stories and international floral trends on Thursd.com.
