Horticultural Therapy Institute

What Horticultural Therapy Institute does

The Horticultural Therapy Institute (HTI) is a non-profit educational organization founded in 2002 by Christine Capra and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It delivers a three-course certificate program in horticultural therapy (Fundamentals, HT Programming, and HT Management) totaling nine credit hours, with course credit articulated through Colorado State University. The program is accredited by the American Horticultural Therapy Association, the field's principal credentialing body, and is taught in person at sites in Colorado, California, North Carolina, and Maine, with the Fundamentals course also offered via synchronous online delivery. Tuition is $950 per class for standard enrollees and $760 for full-time college students.

The Institute's intellectual capital is concentrated in its leadership and its published textbooks, including a third edition released in April 2025 that serves as a reference work for the discipline. Director Rebecca Haller is a co-editor of these textbooks and an internationally recognized practitioner, and the Institute co-organizes international symposia in the field. The go-to-market model is community-driven: enrollment flows from professional referrals, the AHTA network, and word-of-mouth rather than paid acquisition. There is no disclosed technology platform, no AI/ML component, and no enterprise sales motion; the Institute is structured as a small (1-10 employee) teaching operation with modest scale.

The customer base is long-tail individual learners — practicing horticultural therapists, allied health professionals, and students — rather than institutional buyers. Revenue mechanics are direct tuition payment per course, with the certificate representing the full multi-course package. Forward signals include geographic broadening of in-person sites, online delivery, and refreshed textbook IP, but there are no indications of venture funding, platform investment, or significant headcount scaling.

Name

Horticultural Therapy Institute

Legal name

Horticultural Therapy Institute

Website

https://htinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Horticultural Therapy Institute is a Denver-based non-profit founded in 2002 that delivers an AHTA-accredited, CSU-articulated certificate program in horticultural therapy to individual practitioners and students, taught in person across multiple U.S. states and online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Certificate Program Tuition: HTI generates revenue through tuition fees for its horticultural therapy certificate program. Students pay for individual classes within the certificate series, with pricing varying by student status (standard vs. full-time college student). The program consists of multiple classes including Fundamentals of HT, with classes offered both face-to-face and online synchronously.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Horticultural Therapy Institute provides a Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program consisting of three sequential courses (Fundamentals of HT, HT Programming, HT Management) delivered face-to-face at U.S. class sites and via synchronous online instruction. The program is accredited through the American Horticultural Therapy Association and offers college credit through Colorado State University, preparing individual students to design and run horticultural therapy programs.

Product overview

The Horticultural Therapy Institute offers a unified certificate program in horticultural therapy consisting of three sequential courses (Fundamentals, HT Programming, and HT Management) combined with educational support resources. The core certificate program is supplemented by newsletters, blog content, and workshops. Instruction is delivered through both face-to-face sessions at various class sites (Colorado, California, North Carolina, Maine) and online synchronous formats. The institute provides college credit through Colorado State University and credentials through the American Horticultural Therapy Association, positioning it as a comprehensive educational training provider rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program A professional certificate program in horticultural therapy providing comprehensive training through multiple sequential courses (Fundamentals, HT Programming, HT Management) with face-to-face and online instruction options, accredited by AHTA and eligible for college credit through Colorado State University.
• Fundamentals of Horticultural Therapy Class The foundational course in the HT certificate series, introducing students to practicing horticultural therapists who work with special populations in different settings, offered face-to-face and online synchronously at $950 for standard students and $760 for full-time college students.
• Horticultural Therapy Programming Class Second course in the HT certificate series focusing on programming aspects of horticultural therapy, building on the Fundamentals class.
• Horticultural Therapy Management Class Final course in the HT certificate series covering management and leadership aspects of horticultural therapy programs.
• HTI Workshops Additional educational workshops supplementing the certificate program curriculum, offered separately as standalone supplementary training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive credentials from the American Horticultural Therapy Association
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTI offers college credit through Colorado State University. Students in the HT certificate program can earn transferable college credit. The partnership provides academic recognition for HTI coursework and creates a pathway for further education in related fields.
• American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTI courses are accredited through AHTA, the primary professional body for horticultural therapy in the United States. Graduates of HTI's certificate program are eligible for AHTA credentials including HTR (Horticultural Therapist-Registered) and HTP (Horticultural Therapy Practitioner). HTI director Rebecca Haller is involved in AHTA activities and presentations.
• International People Plant CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTI director Rebecca Haller co-organized the 16th International People Plant Symposium with partners including Sin-Ae Park from the International People Plant Council. This collaboration advances global awareness of horticultural therapy and therapeutic horticulture.
• Anchor Center for Blind ChildrencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHTI uses Anchor Center for Blind Children in Denver, CO as a class site for Fundamentals of HT section I. Students visit the center for hands-on learning experience with special populations and receive training in HT for children with visual impairments.
• Craig HospitalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCraig Hospital in Englewood, CO serves as a field trip destination for HTI students. Students visit the hospital's horticultural therapy program which has operated for 43 years, gaining exposure to neurorehabilitation settings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Michigan State University Horticultural Therapy: MSU's Department of Horticulture offers horticultural therapy courses and research-based programming, providing academic credit and competing with HTI for the same pool of career changers and health-focused professionals in the Midwest.
• Temple University Horticultural Therapy Certificate: Temple University's College of Liberal Arts has offered horticultural therapy coursework and credentialing, competing with HTI particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region for students seeking formal academic recognition in the field.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Chicago Botanic Garden offers horticultural therapy training and certificate programs through its continuing education and therapeutic horticulture initiatives, directly competing with HTI for students seeking AHTA-aligned credentials in the US Midwest.
• University of Florida Horticultural Therapy Program: UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers horticultural therapy courses and certificates, providing an academic pathway in the Southeast that competes with HTI for both traditional college students and adult learners.
• Kansas State University Horticultural Therapy: K-State has one of the longest-running academic horticultural therapy programs in the US, offering university-credit coursework that overlaps with HTI's certificate curriculum and competes for the same career-changer and college student segments.
• New York Botanical Garden: NYBG runs horticultural therapy certificate and continuing education programs with on-site therapeutic gardens, serving as a direct competitor in the Northeast for aspiring HT professionals and a parallel institutional pathway into the field.
• Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education: Rutgers offers a Horticultural Therapy Certificate program through its continuing education division, providing AHTA-recognized training and competing with HTI for adult learners and career changers in the Northeast.

Broad incumbents

• American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA): AHTA is the national professional body that sets horticultural therapy credentialing standards and accredits programs including HTI's. It is not a direct competitor but functions as the regulatory and professional ecosystem gatekeeper that shapes HTI's competitive landscape.

Regional players

• Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA): CHTA is the Canadian counterpart to AHTA, providing credentialing and training resources for horticultural therapy practitioners in Canada. It serves a parallel but non-overlapping geographic market to HTI, with some cross-border student interest.

Emerging players

• Delaware Valley University Horticultural Therapy Program: DelVal offers horticultural therapy coursework within its horticulture degree programs, providing a smaller-scale academic pathway that overlaps with HTI's target audience of students seeking entry into the HT profession.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Horticultural Therapy Institute