Italy’s horticultural industry will return to the UK spotlight at Four Oaks Trade Show 2026, taking place on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September in Cheshire, with a delegation organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in collaboration with ANVE – the National Nurserystock Exporters Association.
The initiative forms part of ITA’s wider programme to support the internationalisation of Italian companies and strengthen commercial links with overseas markets. Bringing together 17 nurseries under the ITALIA Official Pavilion, ITA and ANVE aim to connect Italian producers with British buyers, distributors, garden centres, landscapers and other horticultural professionals.
Four Oaks provides a strong platform for the delegation. Now in its 54th year, the trade show is one of the UK’s leading international exhibitions for commercial horticulture. Held on a 23-acre nursery site in Cheshire, it brings together plant producers, suppliers, retailers and industry specialists, with plant material ranging from young plants and nursery stock to mature specimens at the heart of the exhibition.
For the Italian companies, the show is an opportunity to put their products and production expertise in front of the UK market, while highlighting a sector shaped by specialist knowledge, regional growing traditions, innovation and sustainability.
ITA and ANVE support international growth
The ITA promotes the internationalisation of Italian companies and the global positioning of ‘Made in Italy’ products and expertise. Its collaboration with ANVE provides a direct link to a sector made up of a large number of specialised producers with significant export potential.
Established in 2006, ANVE represents Italian horticultural producers nationally and internationally and works with the wider ornamental horticulture supply chain. Alongside its work on regulatory and plant-health issues, the association supports members’ international promotion through trade fairs, business missions and partnerships with institutions including the ITA.
The joint participation at Four Oaks reflects this shared objective: creating direct connections between Italian producers and UK industry professionals while presenting a broad picture of Italian nursery production.
A cross-section of Italian nursery production
The companies taking part demonstrate the range of Italy’s nursery industry, bringing together businesses from different regions and with a variety of specialisms.
- Aumenta Vivai – Operating across more than 400 hectares, the nursery offers Mediterranean and exotic species alongside large specimen trees and sculptural plants.
- Caporalplant – With 150 hectares of production and exports to more than 30 countries, the company combines ornamental and Mediterranean plants with advanced logistics and sustainable cultivation techniques.
- Vivai Cintoli – Based in Sicily, the nursery draws on the island’s biodiversity to produce Mediterranean plants for gardens and landscaping.
- Sicilia Verde di Giambò – Specialises in citrus and ornamental olive trees.
- Ideaverde – Based in Umbria, the company focuses on Mediterranean trees and ornamental plants for professional European customers.
- Piante Marconi – Combines family tradition with modern production methods and specialises in container-grown Mediterranean plants.
- Giorgio Tesi Group – Headquartered in Pistoia and operating across several production centres, the group exports to more than 60 countries and offers ornamental plants, bonsai, cacti and succulents.
- Coplant – Produces more than 1,000 botanical varieties across 100 hectares.
- Compagnia del Lago Maggiore – Known for its extensive collections of camellias and azaleas.
- Vivai De Laurentiis – Specialises in outdoor ornamental plants.
- Giuntoli Vivai – Focuses on pot-grown evergreen and deciduous trees.
- Romiti Giampaolo Vivai Piante – Offers a broad range of shrubs and ornamental trees.
- Verde Molise – Produces more than 100 Mediterranean species.
- La Felce – Produces perennials and grasses and develops vertical green solutions.
- Vivai Fortunato – Specialises in certified fruit trees, olive trees and varietal research.
- Bernabei Vivai – Focuses on responsible production and resource efficiency.
- Antonio Radice – A historic nursery whose tradition dates back to 1860.
Together, the companies illustrate a sector where established growing expertise sits alongside modern production, research and export-focused businesses. Their work spans areas including traceability, efficient water use, biodiversity protection and new production technologies.
For UK professionals visiting Four Oaks, the Italian Pavilion offers a chance to meet a broad range of Italian nurseries in one location, from Mediterranean and specimen plants to ornamentals, trees, perennials and specialist crops.
Visit the ITALIA Official Pavilion by ITA and ANVE at Four Oaks Trade Show 2026, Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 September 2026, to meet the Italian companies looking to develop business in the UK market. STAND B36-38 - ITALIAN Pavilion
