PCH Associate - Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association

PCH Associate Program

Become a Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist (PCH) Associate

The PCH Associate certification program equips the next generation of landscape, nursery, and garden center professionals by teaching essential horticultural knowledge, aligning classroom learning with real workforce expectations, and providing students and early‑career employees with an industry‑recognized credential that strengthens their readiness, confidence, and connection to Pennsylvania’s green industry.

The PCH Associate exam tests knowledge and aptitude in:

Plant health care
Basic botany
Soils & climate
Plant identification

Why PCH Associate Was Created

At the request of the PA Department of Education, the PCH Associate program was developed for high school and technical school students in horticulture and is designated as a PA Department of Education Industry-Recognized Credential for career and technical programs in Pennsylvania’s career clusters.

These industry-recognized credentials measure competence in core content and performance standards in a specific set of work-related tasks. The work-related tasks and assessment must connect with workforce demands.

The PCH Associate certification is listed under CIP 01.0601 – Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General.

But it quickly became clear: employers see it as a powerful tool to upskill their teams. That’s why we offer two tailored tracks:

PCH Associate Student – for high school, career & technical, or college students (APPLY HERE)
PCH Associate Employee – for green industry professionals/Ag teachers early in their careers (APPLY HERE)