Plant Labels – National Band and Tag Company

Winter Greenhouse: Elevating the Display Garden Experience with Professional Plant Signage

Our customer – Winter Greenhouse – was featured in the June 2025 issue of Green Profit magazine in an article highlighting effective display gardens. The feature showcases how intentional layout, themed garden spaces, and clear plant identification signage work together to enhance both the customer experience and overall business growth.

In the article, Kelly Larsen (Manager) talk about how the display gardens inspire customers:

“Many customers walk through the display gardens before they go shopping,” Kelly said. “It sets a mood because of the beauty and quiet, and customers enjoy touring it.” “Many of the gardens have a theme, which helps consumers narrow down ideas for their space. Walking paths allow visitors to explore each area, while signage identifies each plant.”

The plant identification plays an important role in the overall experience. Clear, durable garden center plant labels not only enhance the visual appeal of a display — they improve navigation, education, and purchasing confidence. When visitors can easily identify plant varieties, they are more likely to envision those selections in their own landscapes.

Winter Greenhouse utilizes National Band & Tag’s Style #14PLANT Tags throughout their display spaces. These outdoor plant identification tags are built for long-term durability and legibility, maintaining a clean, professional appearance through changing seasons. Designed specifically for nurseries, garden centers, and public display gardens, they provide reliable performance in demanding outdoor environments.

In the article, Jim Wilson (Owner) also highlights how impactful well-executed display gardens can be for business:

“Much of our initial business came from people visiting the gardens and saying, ‘This is such a wonderful display. Can you do this at my place?’” Jim added. “It’s a wonderful way to mix the landscaping and retail business.”

A well-maintained and clearly identified display garden does more than inspire — it builds credibility. Professional nursery signage and consistent plant labeling reinforce expertise, encourage customer engagement, and support both retail and landscaping services.

We’re proud to support Winter Greenhouse with durable plant labeling solutions that help bring their display gardens to life. If your nursery or garden center is looking to upgrade its plant tags or improve long-term outdoor identification, our Style #14PLANT Tags are built to deliver lasting clarity with a polished, professional finish.

Check out the full Green Profit article here.

Discover the Benefits of Tree Tags for Parks of All Sizes

Did you have the opportunity to visit us at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Annual Conference back in October 2023? This conference is the largest annual gathering of park and recreation professionals. Just in case you missed us, this is your reminder to order your Tree and Plant Tags in preparation for all the visitors coming to your parks this Spring and Summer!

For parks of every size, from sprawling national parks to intimate community green spaces, National Band & Tag is proud to offer innovative identification solutions.

Why Tree Tags?

Tree tags from NB&T are more than just ID markers; they are essential tools for educational outreach, inventory management, and conservation efforts. Designed to withstand the elements, our tags can be customized to feature QR codes, serial numbers, and any text of your choosing, making them a versatile option for parks looking to monitor tree health or display species information.

Educational Outreach: Enhance visitor’s experience by providing information about the tree, such as common name, scientific name, and origin directly on the tags.
Inventory Management: Simplify the tracking of your park’s tree population with easily scannable QR codes or serial numbers, facilitating a streamlined approach to park management.
Conservation Efforts: Track the growth, health, and maintenance needs of individual trees to support your park’s conservation objectives.

Get Started Today

NB&T offers customizable tree tags to meet the specific needs of each park. Whether you’re managing a vast natural reserve or a small urban green space, our tags can be tailored to fit the scale and scope of your park’s requirements. Contact National Band & Tag today to explore how our customizable tree tags can be integrated into your park’s landscape.

Be on the lookout for National Band and Tag at this year’s NRPA Annual Conference, October 8 & 9, 2024 – Booth #535. We’ll see you in Atlanta!

Write-On Tags for Indoor and Outdoor Applications

If you need quick, on-site identification, then try Write-On Tags! These thin, flexible tags are made of aluminum or copper and can be engraved with a pen or pointed object. We have multiple shapes and sizes of Write-On tags that can be used for various applications. Write-On tags can be used indoors for industrial uses, such as labeling assets and equipment parts. Or, they can be used outdoors for labeling plants, trees, and other horticultural uses. We have multiple styles of Write-On tags to meet your needs.

The 2702 series comes in 3 different sizes and is available with or without copper wires attached. Made from aluminum stock wrapped around a stiff cardboard backing. This backing allows you to easily write on the aluminum with a pen or pointed object. This tag will last for years, even under harsh environments. The cardboard is biodegradable, but the aluminum “embossed” with your information remains.

The style 2725 wrap around write-on tag is popular because of it’s flexible tail. It’s great for wrapping around wires or plant stems. The tail wraps around the item, through the hole, and then pinches closed to help hold the tag on.

The 2729 and 2720 series are available with or without eyelets. We recommend getting the eyelets because they help reinforce the hole and will help the tag last longer. These two styles are also available with or without copper wires pre-attached.

ALUMINUM
WRITE-ON TAGS
RECTANGLES

Style 2702 Series

ALUMINUM
WRITE-ON TAGS
WRAP AROUND

Style 2725

ALUMINUM
WRITE-ON TAGS
OBLONG

Styles 2729/2729E

COPPER
WRITE-ON TAGS
OBLONG

Styles 2720/2720E

Matching Tree and Plant Tags

Create custom matching Tree and Plant tags to label every size plant, flower, shrub, bush, and tree in your garden. Used by arboretums, botanical gardens, park walking trails, and more. We can create a unified look on all your tags with your logo, QR Codes and text layout.

Shown below are examples from our customers of Style #14ARBOR (3″ x 5″) and Style #14PLANT (1.5″ x 4.5″). Other custom sizes are also available.

Tree and Plant Labels for ArbNet Accreditation

What is ArbNet?

The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is designed to recognize standards of excellence in tree-focused gardens, foster professionalism of arboreta worldwide, enable conservation collections and scientific collaborations, and advance the planting study, and conservation of trees. An ArbNet Accreditation provides multiple benefits, such as being recognized for your achievements, earn distinction in your professional and local communities, serving as a model arboretum, and having opportunities for collaboration with other arboreta.

The four levels of accreditation recognize arboreta at various degrees of development, capacity, and professionalism. Accredited arboreta are encouraged to seek and achieve higher professional standards and move up through the levels.

Do I need to label my trees?

If you are an arboretum looking to get your ArbNet accreditation, one of the credentials for applying is you must have labeled trees and woody plant taxa.

25+ labels – Level I
100+ labels – Level II
500+ labels – level III & Level IV

National Band & Tag can help both small and large arboretums with our 3″ x 5″ Arboretum Labels and 1.5″ x 4.5″ Plant Labels. These are our two most popular styles. They are made from UV Stable Black Aluminum that can last outdoors for 20+ years. NB&T tags can be customized with text, QR Codes, logos, and artwork. Other styles and materials of tree tags are available.

Thank you to our ArbNet Accredited customers who shared pictures with us!

Arboretum at Redmond Park (Bensenville, IL) – ArbNet Level II

Carl S English Jr. Botanical Garden (Seattle, WA) – ArbNet Level II

Cave Hill Heritage Foundation, Inc. (Louisville, KY) – ArbNet Level II

Century Park Arboretum – (Vernon Hills, IL) ArbNet Level II

Heritage Center Arboretum – (Cincinnati, OH) ArbNet Level I

Lewis & Clark State College Arboretum – (Lewiston, ID) ArbNet Level I

Mahr Park Arboretum – (Madisonville, KY) ArbNet Level I

Mary Price Ratrie Arboretum – (Charleston, WV) ArbNet Level II

Oak Lawn Cemetery Association – (Fairfield, CT) ArbNet Level II

Old Mountain Arboretum (Winona, MS) – ArbNet Level I

Stanley M. Rowe Arboretum – (Cincinnati, OH) ArbNet Level II

The Arboretum at Salve Regina University – (Newport, RI) Level II

Van Vorst Park – (Jersey City, New Jersey) ArbNet Level I

The Woodlawn Cemetery – (Bronx, NY) ArbNet Level II

Plant Labels: Plastic, Wood, Aluminum and Copper.

National Band & Tag is the manufacturer for all your plant label needs! With our wide variety of sizes, styles, shapes, and material, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. We sell plant labels in packs of 100 with quantity discounts at 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 labels. No garden is too small or too large. Proper plant identification is important for the gardener planting, as well as for the garden centers selling the plants.

Plastic plant labels are available in pink, orange, yellow, or white .020″ Vinyl. Plastic labels come in an oblong shape (style 2739) or a stake shape. We have 13 different stake sizes to choose from (style 2745, style 2754 – 2788)! All of our plastic labels can be custom laser-etched with a barcode, text, or logo. Contact us for a laser etching quote.

Write-On tags are available in .005″ aluminum or .005″ copper. These are very thin, flexible materials. Copper Write-On tags are available in an oblong shape (style 2720) or in the shape of a watering can (style 2721)! Aluminum Write-On tags are available in 3 different rectangular sizes (styles 2702w1 – 2702w3), an oblong shape (style 2729), or a rectangle with a wrap-around tail (style 2725). Tags featured in the picture below (except the wrap around tag), have the option of copper wires attached. Oblong shaped tags have the option of an eyelet in the hole for extra reinforcement. The 2702 series comes with a biodegradable cardboard backing. This makes writing on the tag while in the garden easier because the cardboard gives you a sturdy backing to write against.

Wood labels are available in plain wood or treated wood. Treated wood will last outdoors longer than plain wood. Shown in the picture below are the popular 4″ and 6″ tall labels. Other sizes are available (styles 2704 – 2712).

Botanical gardens, nurseries, garden centers, gardening clubs, greenhouses, agricultural organizations, and universities all use our plant labels for identification. Distributors and resellers who are interested in learning more about wholesale pricing, please contact us for more information.

World Landscape Architecture Month

April is World Landscape Architecture Month, a month-long celebration of landscape architecture and design in both public and private spaces. Established by the American Society of Landscape Architecture, WLAM aims to demonstrate how landscape architecture affects our daily lives.

Landscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture the built and natural environments. You may see landscape architecture at parks, college campuses, streetscapes, walking trails, plazas, and more.

National Band & Tag creates custom metal tags that landscape architects can use to identify their projects. These metal tags can be customized with the company or designer’s name, information, website, date, etc. and then placed somewhere in the landscape, such as on a tree or rock. This is a great way to help promote and identify your work. Our black UV stable tags are great for outdoors and will last 20+ years, even in harsh environments. The white text on black background provides a high contrast that is visible and easy to read.

Check out our website for more design ideas, or email your tag designs to tags@nationalband.com for a free quote.

Here are some examples from our other customers:

landscape tags

tree tags for landscapers

tree tag

How To: Use a QR Code for Educational Walking Trails

Are you looking to use QR (Quick Response) Codes to create an educational walking trail in your museum, arboretum, botanical garden, school, or park? QR Codes are a great way to provide more information about an item by sending people to a website. NB&T is here to help guide you through the process of getting your website into a QR code and onto a tag.

barcode scan

Follow these easy steps to complete your educational walking trail and get people scanning your QR Coded tags!

Prep your QR Code Information:

Determine what you want to have a QR Code on (plants, statues, trees, posts, memorial sites, exhibits etc.)
Create and design a separate web page for everything you want to have a QR Code on. (Ask your webmaster for assistance with steps #2 and #3 if needed).

Example:
Tree 1 – QR Code goes to www.tree1.com
Tree 2 – QR Code goes to www.tree2.com

3. Optional – For best scanning of a QR Code, use redirects for extremely long URLs.

Design Your Tag:

Browse through our website to determine the tag style, size, material, and hole size you want.
Sketch up a mockup, or layout of how you want your tag to look, along with any other information you want, such as company name, logo, item name, year, etc.
Send info from #4 and #5, along with quantity of tags you need to tags@nationalband.com for a free price quote.
Once ready to order – send your complete tag info to us using our Data Transfer Instructions. It is important to send us your info correctly so none of your tags are off. We will turn your web page URL into a QR Code!

Setting up Your Walking Trail:

Set up all your tags in a visible place where people can easily scan them.
Encourage people to use their smart phones to scan the tag for more information on the item they are looking at.
Maintenance – you can change the info on your web pages as much as you need. As long as the URL doesn’t change, you won’t need to replace your QR Coded tag.

Send us pictures of your completed walking trail!

Example: NC Coastal Reserve

nature trail tag educational trail tag with QR Code

Determined they had 22 places throughout the walking trail on the reserve that needed a QR Code.
Created their 22 web pages that in this case, held audio files.
This customer used tinyurl.com for their redirects.
They chose a style 14 tag, 3” x 4” inches, in UV stable black aluminum material, with an 1/8” inch hole on the top and bottom of the tag.
They decided they wanted for their tag layout the QR Code first, then “Audio Trail Interpretation Station” the URL, and their company name smaller at the bottom.
Sent the info to us for a quote.
Sent their data transfer Excel sheet to us using the correct format.
Used screws to hang their tags into posts along the trail.
Promoted scanning their new tags through social media.

15 Benefits of Using Labels to Identify Plants in your Garden

When you are growing a wide variety of plants, flowers, vegetables, and herbs in your garden, it can become difficult to name and remember the details of each plant. Plant tags and tree tags can simplify things no matter if you are an at-home gardener or a large botanical garden.

Plant Markers can be beneficial when you are:

Growing food and having other people harvest it
Learning how to identify plants
Trying to save seeds or bulbs
Sharing a plot of land and want to keep everything separate from your neighbors
Planting in a public community garden with multiple people working on it
Trying to use intercropping (companion planting) to reduce weeds and pests
Running a nursery or greenhouse to increase efficiency
Maximizing care of your plants by having instructions right next to them
Minimizing buying duplicates so that you can have a wide variety of plants
Trying to locate where you had a plant no longer in bloom.
Educating others with an interactive walk-through garden
Grouping plants according to type
Identifying plants for sale or that were already sold
Creating a professional-looking garden to impress others with your plant knowledge
Monitoring growth by marking the date it was planted

Are you ready to start identifying plants? The next step is to decide on what type of plant label is best for you, your identification goals, and the garden environment. Check out our blog, What type of plant label will work best in your garden?

What type of plant label will work best in your garden?

The first step to finding the plant label that will work best in your garden is to know what your identification goals are. Are you looking to color coordinate, sequentially number, or write on the tag yourself? Do you need something simple or do you need something with a high end polished look? Another factor to keep in mind is the environment; are these temporary for the summer, or do they need to last year-round where the tag will be subjected to harsh weather?

National Band & Tag has a variety of plant labels available to meet your identification needs.

Plastic Plant Labels
Plastic plant labels are helpful in the garden when you want to color-code your plants or have bright visible labels. Plastic plant labels can be written on with a sharpie, or our recommended All-Weather Marker. These tags can also be custom laser etched with your company’s name, logo, and a barcode. Plastic plant labels come in a variety of sizes, from a small potted plant all the way to a large shrub or bush, we have the size to fit your plant. They are versatile and can work for an at-home gardener or a garden retail store. Plastic tags are great for temporary use or 1+ years outdoors, depending on how harsh the weather is. Available in Pink, Orange, White, and Yellow.

Write-On Plant Tags
Write-On Tags are made from a thin metal (aluminum or copper) that you can engrave on yourself with a pen or sharp object. The 2702 series has a biodegradable cardboard backing to assist in writing on the tag. These tags are helpful when you need to engrave on the spot and want something durable to last outdoors.

Metal Tags
Metal plant tags are helpful for gardeners looking to identify a lot of information about one plant, such as their name, species, genius, care instructions, etc. Metal plant tags come in a variety of materials, but we recommend the UV Stable Black Aluminum material, especially if you need the label to last for years outdoors. QR Codes can be laser etched onto metal tags for those who want to create an education walking trails like an arboretum or botanical garden.

Wood Pot Labels and Wood Stakes
Both plain and treated wood pot labels are available in multiple sizes depending on the size of the potted plant you are trying to label. Wood Pot Labels are great for labeling plants for sale at a garden store or nursery. Wood Stakes are helpful for labeling trees, plots of land, rows of trees, and bushes. They can be written on with a sharpie or our All-Weather Marker shown above under plastic tags.

Questions? Call us at 859-261-2035 to talk with one of our tag specialists, or leave us a comment below!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Styles 2754, 2766, 2778, 2788

It’s that time again for flowers and other plants to start blooming! Are your plants marked with some sort of identification?

We offer a variety of plant and garden markers, but we are excited to share with everyone our newest color, PINK!

These virgin vinyl labels can be written on with a sharpie so you can identify the plant’s name, price if it is for sale, the date it was planted and anything else you want. Plastic plant labels can range in size anywhere from 5/8” x 4” inches all the way up to 1-1/4” x 8” inches to meet all your identification needs. Try using smaller ones to identify small potted plants and larger tags to identify shrubs and trees.

Style 2745

QR Coded Tags

QR (Quick Response) Coded tags have a variety of uses in multiple industries! A QR Code is a barcode that can be scanned by an app on your smart phone that leads to a website.

Here are a few examples of how QR Coded tags are being used by current customers:

landmark tag with qr code

Landmarks: These tags are mounted outside of a landmark and allows visitors to scan the QR Code, which then leads them to a website with more information and videos about that specific landmark.

walking trail tag with qr code

Walking Trails: These tags are usually nailed to wooden posts along a trail in a park or nature preserve. By scanning the code with your phone you are led to a website with more information on the different species of wildlife and plants in the area.

tree trail tag with qr code

Tree Tags: QR Coded tags on trees can be used on nature trails to inform visitors about that specific species of tree. They can also be used by researchers and tree farmers to collect fruit/nut yield for the year from that tree, as well as for recording age, health, and other valuable information.

divot tool

circle tags

Promotional Use: Tags can be given away with a QR Code that leads to your company’s website. This is a great way to remind potential customers of your company and drive them back to your website.

To achieve the best QR Code on your NB&T tag we recommend shortening your URL to increase readability. Try using bitly or tinyurl to shorten your URLs. Ex: https://nationalband.com/custom-laser-etched-tags/ is 50 characters long but http://bit.ly/1f77EEC is only 21 characters long and both lead to the same web page. By cutting the length of the URL by over half, the quality of the laser etched code will be best for long lasting readability. Another way is to buy a shorter URL and then re-direct it to the correct page on your website.

How do you use your QR Coded Tags? Share with us below!

18 Uses for Write-On Tags You May Not Have Thought Of

write-on aluminum tags Our Write-On Tags can be used for a variety of applications ranging from heavy machinery to plants and trees to electrical wires. With the ability to be engraved with a pen on the spot makes these tags a perfect candidate for those who know they need to identify their assets, but aren’t sure what they want the tag to say yet. Check out these 18 different ways our current customers are using Write-On Tags!

Labeling equipment
Marking wires and cables
Numbering inventory on a shelf in a warehouse
Identifying valves and pipe contents
Labeling large pieces of machinery
Identifying plant species in nurseries and botanical gardens
Labeling flowers and plants for sale at garden centers
Numbering trees for research purposes
Identifying products for different landscaping projects
Labeling furniture for sale
Labeling pottery with artist’s name
Tool checks
Labeling painting assets
Marking fences and gates to be installed
To number RV refrigerators that are ready to be shipped out
Label large industrial fan parts
Home organization designers
Concrete products for construction jobs

Comment below, how do you use Write-On Tags? Share your pictures!

wrap around write on tag

watering can write on tag

copper write on tag

aluminum write on tag

A Look Back at 2015

National Band & Tag Company has had a wonderful 2015! We have introduced new products throughout the year as well as new features for our existing products and more. Check out the links below to see what you might have missed!

New Products

Split Ring Chain Sling – Joining our chain sling tag line up, this tag is made of galvanized steel and has a split in the ring that can be welded shut.
Plumber Tags – Now available laser etched with boxes that can be written in with a sharpie.
Size 14 Bandettes – Our largest sized plastic bandette with a 7/8^th inch diameter.
Wire Bundles – Customized to the length you need between 3” to 20” inches. Available in 304 stainless steel or galvanized steel.
Black UV Cable Ties – These cable ties will stand up to UV exposure, are 18 inches long and come in a 50lb bag.
3/16^th hand stamps – Our largest sized hand stamp for letters and numbers so that you can stamp tags yourself.

New Product Features

The letter Ñ ñ stamp is now available to be stamped on any band or tag.
Laser etched corners and borders can be added to almost any tag to give it a more decorative look.
Laser etched inverted logos are a new creative way to show off your company’s logo.
Yellow backing on the Write-On Tag (Style 2702) has been removed, the cardboard backing is biodegradable.
Zip 892-3 Wing Band, the 1,000 band minimum has been lowered to a 100 band minimum.

New Services

Industrial Blank Tag Quick Ship, get your stainless steel blank tags quick!

Are there any new products, features or services you would like to see from National Band & Tag in 2016? Just let us know in the comment section below or call us at 859-261-2035!

We’d also like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and many blessings in the New Year!

Blank Tags

Hand Stamp Set – Great for engraving your blank tags!

Did you know that at NB&T any tag or band we make can be produced blank? On our website, you can view over 150 tag shapes and sizes that come in multiple materials and thicknesses. Buy our blank tags and custom stamp or laser etch them yourself. Blank tags can be used for everything from art and jewelry projects, to identification of equipment, to color coding trees. Need your own stamping set? Check out our Hand Stamps, great for putting serial numbers, dates, and more on your tags.

Want to quickly engrave your own tags as you need them? Try our Write-On Tags! The aluminum tags have cardboard backing to give you a hard surface to “engrave” on. Use a pen or sharp pointed object and write normally on the aluminum to create a readable, engraved look.

Multiple industries need blank tags for multiple reasons. What will you use them for?

These are just a few of the 150 styles of tags we have. Need a different shape? Click the image to view more options. Still don’t see what you need? Call us! 859-261-2035

Time to Harvest the Grapes – Vineyard Tags

Wine harvesting season is upon us as the summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to change, fall is right around the corner! Each wine is harvested at a different time through the months of August to October in the northern hemisphere. The time depends on the grapes of course, but each one ripens during specific weeks throughout this time period.

How can National Band & Tag Company help with your harvest?

To distinguish between the multiple rows of differing grapes, some form of identification is needed. Our custom vineyard labels have been the solution for numerous winemakers. These vineyard tags come in many styles and materials including polyurethane and UV Stable Black Aluminum. Our UV Stable Aluminum is fantastic for outdoor uses such as this and will stand up against time and weather. These tags can be laser etched, bar-coded, or can come with logos and graphics.