Latest news with #SocietyofAmericanFlorists
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariffs impacting local flower shops ahead of Mother's Day
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Mother's Day is right around the corner (Sunday, May 11, if you forgot) and if you're looking to get a special mom some flowers, you might notice a wilt in your wallet. Most of the flower shops in Springfield have items imported from other countries, whether that's the soil or actual cut flowers. Because the bulk of the blooms are coming from overseas, you might notice a difference in your Mother's Day bouquets. 'They definitely have increased prices,' said Rcena Maness, a manager at Flowerama in Springfield. 'However, we knew that was going to happen.' The new tariffs put in place over the last few months have started to impact local flower shops. Maness said their prices have changed since the tariffs went into effect. 'They have gone up slightly,' Maness said. 'However, it's just leaving out a stem here and there. We can still do that $30 bouquet and still just as beautiful. Just maybe you get a little bit less than you did a couple of months ago.' Flowerama's cut flowers are not grown locally, they are imported primarily out of South America. However, the greenery that fills the rest of the bouquet comes from Florida. 80% of flowers consumed in the United States are grown elsewhere. Last year the U.S. imported $2.2 billion worth of cut flowers and greens, the bulk of it from South America. 'The fact that they can grow year-round gave them a natural advantage,' said Kate Penn, the CEO of the Society of American Florists. Penn says local, small growers have flourished since the pandemic. 'The consumer does want to buy local,' Penn said. To help ease the costs, Maness tells Ozarks First they prepared as much as they could before the tariffs were put in place, stocking up on items like vases. 'We did prep a little bit ahead of time with some hard goods and things that came from other countries,' Maness said. Maness says if you want to plan ahead to beat the rush of everyone trying to buy flowers over the weekend, their flowers do have a four-day guarantee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR -
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flowers for Mother's Day may be more expensive due to Trump's tariffs
With Mother's Day approaching, you may be looking to buy a bouquet of flowers — and prices could be higher due to tariffs enacted by President Trump. "We're going to do the best we can to sort of keep those prices where they need to be. But people can definitely expect to be paying a little bit more," said Jody Costello, a florist in Royal Oak, Michigan. While Mr. Trump paused hefty tariffs he announced in early April for 90 days, a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports is in effect. About 80% of flowers bought in the United States are grown elsewhere. Last year, the U.S. imported $2.2 billion worth of cut flowers and greenery, the bulk of which came from Colombia and Ecuador, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. "The fact that they can grow year-round gave them a natural advantage," said Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists. Penn said domestically, small growers — many of whom have an acre or less — have flourished since the COVID-19 pandemic, selling at farmers' markets and to a blossoming wedding industry. "The consumer does want to buy local, especially brides," she said. "They love to be able to have local flowers featured." But even small growers like Moonshot Farm in East Windsor, New Jersey, aren't immune to the fallout from tariffs. A shopper carries a floral arrangement as a Mother's Day gift in downtown Los Angeles, California. / Credit: Getty Images Moonshot Farm owner Rebecca Kutzer-Rice said some of the bulbs she uses to grow flowers are imported from Italy and Holland. She just received her first few shipments to be hit with the 10% tariffs. "We're estimating it could cost our small business anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 a year, which for a small farm is almost the equivalent of like a salary of another employee," she said. Some florists say they'll try not to pass on costs to customers. Mistine Boren, a florist in Austin, Texas, told CBS affiliate CBS19, she's waiting until after Mother's Day to decide if she'll raise prices. "It's tough," she said. "Our margins are so thin already, and especially when it comes to buying fresh flowers, it's a big splurge and expense for people." Boren said she's also trying to source more wild, local flowers to avoid the tariffs. Consumers may just need to be a little more flexible about what types of flowers they buy, but they can still get quality bouquets, Penn said. "There literally are countless substitutions and florists are just masters at creating something that's still gonna make a big impact," she said. Why Hegseth is calling for cuts to senior ranks across U.S. military The rise of "Barstool Conservatism" Student loan borrower shares her story as collections resume for those in default
CNN
12-02-2025
- General
- CNN
Where do Valentine's Day roses come from?
More than chocolates in a heart-shaped box, more than dinner reservations and bright red teddy bears, it's roses that have really come to symbolize Valentine's Day. The most popular flower of the holiday — which is for some, the only day a year they resolve to purchase a flower bouquet — roses have maintained their status as a favorite among Americans. A whopping 83% of flowers purchased for Valentine's in 2022 were roses, according to the Society of American Florists — and about two-thirds were specifically of the red variety. While there was a time when the US grew the majority of these roses itself, largely in California, today the country is home to less than 20 commercial-level rose growers, thanks to federal investment in countries in South America, according to Certified American Grown CEO & Ambassador Camron King. But regardless of where they're grown, the demand for roses is high. Nearly one billion rose stems are now — and by the time you're reading this, have likely already been — imported into the US just in time for Valentine's Day, according to Christine Boldt, executive vice president of the Association of Floral Importers of America. And as soon as these flowers are cut, the race against time begins. Here's how your sweet, heady bouquet of roses made the incredible journey from South America to you and your loved ones at home. These days, most roses shipped to the US come from Colombia (a top exporter of all cut flowers to the US, not just roses) and Ecuador, according to the AFIA. For farmers in the region, planning for the big day starts months before the actual holiday, when they decide how much of their rose crop to 'pinch' — or cut back — so it blooms on time for February 14, said Boldt. Flowers are living things, she said, and pinching too early means the blooms might not last until the big day. The amount matters, too. How much of your crop should you bank for the holiday? Do you want to pinch 60%? Or just 40%? If your crop is primarily red roses, pinching a majority for Valentine's Day might be in your best interests, Boldt explained, since red roses may not pull as high of a price other times in the year. Once bloomed, harvesting 60% of a crop is serious business. Farms often hire extra staff to handle the massive volume, she said — way more than they would have otherwise been dealing with on a normal week. Once harvested, the roses are then organized into bouquets and bunches, and packed into boxes and coolers. Then, they're on a plane and off to Miami. At other times of the year, flowers are typically brought into the country by plane seven times a day, six days a week. But just before Valentine's Day, those numbers leap. In the two weeks leading up to February 14, there are more than 14 flights of flowers a day, seven days a week. Those one billion rose stems aren't going to ship themselves, after all, and importers still need to bring in their usual shipments, Boldt said. 'There's no way that we could ship, in one day, all of the flowers from all of the farms, to come in, to get processed, and then get on trucks and go to the supermarkets, all at the same time,' she said. 'The stuff has to come in waves, day by day.' Once the flowers land at Miami International Airport, usually just hours after being cut, their journey isn't over. Customs and border inspectors check the flowers, Boldt said. Once complete, flower importers and distributors pick up the precious cargo and take it to warehouses and distribution centers — where many flowers are then trimmed and kept hydrated, she said, so supermarkets can easily set them out for sale. USA Bouquet Company, a national flower manufacturer and distributor, moves its flowers right from the Miami airport to a processing center. The company distributes approximately 10 million rose stems just for Valentine's Day, said Scott Hill, vice president of sales and marketing — about five times its usual volume. At this point, your bouquet has traveled across at least two different continents, in multiple trucks and an airplane. Everyone along the supply chain process — from farms, to customs inspectors, to processing centers — has to hire extra people for the holiday, Boldt said. Flowers are perishable; they can't sit on a shelf for months like greeting cards or chocolate. Everything has to be kept refrigerated and moved as quickly as possible through the supply chain. And of course, just because it's Valentine's Day doesn't mean the world stops. There's still births, funerals and other reasons to buy bouquets, too. 'Every single day, you're moving your normal flowers, but then you have this extra volume that's there for that one day holiday,' Boldt said. 'It takes a lot of logistics, it takes a lot of planning, and it takes a lot of people and resources in order to get everything to where it needs to be.' Once the roses have left the airport and have been taken to distribution and processing centers, trucks then pick the roses up for delivery to retail locations across the US. Large supermarkets and retail centers might have their own trucks that come to the warehouses, get the flowers, and bring them back to their own supermarket distribution centers, Boldt said, before being sent to individual stores all over the country. All of this requires refrigeration to ensure the flowers stay fresh. There's refrigeration at the farms, the warehouses, the trucks. And sometimes, like with any supply chain, there can be problems: A February snowstorm might mean trucks can't get to supermarket distribution centers, or to individual stores, delaying or potentially halting the roses' journey. There are concerns about the journey. Some environmental advocates have noted that buying imported flowers, which almost all roses are, is a drain on the environment, particularly because of the refrigeration requirements and the long distances traveled. Some argue that customers should seek out locally grown bundles from local florists or farmers markets instead, eliminating the long supply chain and resulting in a fresher bouquet overall. The blooms may not be the classic roses you're used to, but the joy in receiving flowers is still there. Either way, the end result is the same: The customer walks into a store and is greeted with bursting displays of pink, red and white bouquets. You know the rest. You trim the stems, fill your favorite vase with water, and spend the next week ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the blooms — roses or not.
CNN
12-02-2025
- General
- CNN
About 1 billion roses will cross borders for Valentine's Day. Here's how they get to you
More than chocolates in a heart-shaped box, more than dinner reservations and bright red teddy bears, it's roses that have really come to symbolize Valentine's Day. The most popular flower of the holiday — which is for some, the only day a year they resolve to purchase a flower bouquet — roses have maintained their status as a favorite among Americans. A whopping 83% of flowers purchased for Valentine's in 2022 were roses, according to the Society of American Florists — and about two-thirds were specifically of the red variety. While there was a time when the US grew the majority of these roses itself, largely in California, today the country is home to less than 20 commercial-level rose growers, thanks to federal investment in countries in South America, according to Certified American Grown CEO & Ambassador Camron King. But regardless of where they're grown, the demand for roses is high. Nearly one billion rose stems are now — and by the time you're reading this, have likely already been — imported into the US just in time for Valentine's Day, according to Christine Boldt, executive vice president of the Association of Floral Importers of America. And as soon as these flowers are cut, the race against time begins. Here's how your sweet, heady bouquet of roses made the incredible journey from South America to you and your loved ones at home. These days, most roses shipped to the US come from Colombia (a top exporter of all cut flowers to the US, not just roses) and Ecuador, according to the AFIA. For farmers in the region, planning for the big day starts months before the actual holiday, when they decide how much of their rose crop to 'pinch' — or cut back — so it blooms on time for February 14, said Boldt. Flowers are living things, she said, and pinching too early means the blooms might not last until the big day. The amount matters, too. How much of your crop should you bank for the holiday? Do you want to pinch 60%? Or just 40%? If your crop is primarily red roses, pinching a majority for Valentine's Day might be in your best interests, Boldt explained, since red roses may not pull as high of a price other times in the year. Once bloomed, harvesting 60% of a crop is serious business. Farms often hire extra staff to handle the massive volume, she said — way more than they would have otherwise been dealing with on a normal week. Once harvested, the roses are then organized into bouquets and bunches, and packed into boxes and coolers. Then, they're on a plane and off to Miami. At other times of the year, flowers are typically brought into the country by plane seven times a day, six days a week. But just before Valentine's Day, those numbers leap. In the two weeks leading up to February 14, there are more than 14 flights of flowers a day, seven days a week. Those one billion rose stems aren't going to ship themselves, after all, and importers still need to bring in their usual shipments, Boldt said. 'There's no way that we could ship, in one day, all of the flowers from all of the farms, to come in, to get processed, and then get on trucks and go to the supermarkets, all at the same time,' she said. 'The stuff has to come in waves, day by day.' Once the flowers land at Miami International Airport, usually just hours after being cut, their journey isn't over. Customs and border inspectors check the flowers, Boldt said. Once complete, flower importers and distributors pick up the precious cargo and take it to warehouses and distribution centers — where many flowers are then trimmed and kept hydrated, she said, so supermarkets can easily set them out for sale. USA Bouquet Company, a national flower manufacturer and distributor, moves its flowers right from the Miami airport to a processing center. The company distributes approximately 10 million rose stems just for Valentine's Day, said Scott Hill, vice president of sales and marketing — about five times its usual volume. At this point, your bouquet has traveled across at least two different continents, in multiple trucks and an airplane. Everyone along the supply chain process — from farms, to customs inspectors, to processing centers — has to hire extra people for the holiday, Boldt said. Flowers are perishable; they can't sit on a shelf for months like greeting cards or chocolate. Everything has to be kept refrigerated and moved as quickly as possible through the supply chain. And of course, just because it's Valentine's Day doesn't mean the world stops. There's still births, funerals and other reasons to buy bouquets, too. 'Every single day, you're moving your normal flowers, but then you have this extra volume that's there for that one day holiday,' Boldt said. 'It takes a lot of logistics, it takes a lot of planning, and it takes a lot of people and resources in order to get everything to where it needs to be.' Once the roses have left the airport and have been taken to distribution and processing centers, trucks then pick the roses up for delivery to retail locations across the US. Large supermarkets and retail centers might have their own trucks that come to the warehouses, get the flowers, and bring them back to their own supermarket distribution centers, Boldt said, before being sent to individual stores all over the country. All of this requires refrigeration to ensure the flowers stay fresh. There's refrigeration at the farms, the warehouses, the trucks. And sometimes, like with any supply chain, there can be problems: A February snowstorm might mean trucks can't get to supermarket distribution centers, or to individual stores, delaying or potentially halting the roses' journey. There are concerns about the journey. Some environmental advocates have noted that buying imported flowers, which almost all roses are, is a drain on the environment, particularly because of the refrigeration requirements and the long distances traveled. Some argue that customers should seek out locally grown bundles from local florists or farmers markets instead, eliminating the long supply chain and resulting in a fresher bouquet overall. The blooms may not be the classic roses you're used to, but the joy in receiving flowers is still there. Either way, the end result is the same: The customer walks into a store and is greeted with bursting displays of pink, red and white bouquets. You know the rest. You trim the stems, fill your favorite vase with water, and spend the next week ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the blooms — roses or not.
CNN
12-02-2025
- General
- CNN
About 1 billion roses will cross borders for Valentine's Day. Here's how they get to you
More than chocolates in a heart-shaped box, more than dinner reservations and bright red teddy bears, it's roses that have really come to symbolize Valentine's Day. The most popular flower of the holiday — which is for some, the only day a year they resolve to purchase a flower bouquet — roses have maintained their status as a favorite among Americans. A whopping 83% of flowers purchased for Valentine's in 2022 were roses, according to the Society of American Florists — and about two-thirds were specifically of the red variety. While there was a time when the US grew the majority of these roses itself, largely in California, today the country is home to less than 20 commercial-level rose growers, thanks to federal investment in countries in South America, according to Certified American Grown CEO & Ambassador Camron King. But regardless of where they're grown, the demand for roses is high. Nearly one billion rose stems are now — and by the time you're reading this, have likely already been — imported into the US just in time for Valentine's Day, according to Christine Boldt, executive vice president of the Association of Floral Importers of America. And as soon as these flowers are cut, the race against time begins. Here's how your sweet, heady bouquet of roses made the incredible journey from South America to you and your loved ones at home. These days, most roses shipped to the US come from Colombia (a top exporter of all cut flowers to the US, not just roses) and Ecuador, according to the AFIA. For farmers in the region, planning for the big day starts months before the actual holiday, when they decide how much of their rose crop to 'pinch' — or cut back — so it blooms on time for February 14, said Boldt. Flowers are living things, she said, and pinching too early means the blooms might not last until the big day. The amount matters, too. How much of your crop should you bank for the holiday? Do you want to pinch 60%? Or just 40%? If your crop is primarily red roses, pinching a majority for Valentine's Day might be in your best interests, Boldt explained, since red roses may not pull as high of a price other times in the year. Once bloomed, harvesting 60% of a crop is serious business. Farms often hire extra staff to handle the massive volume, she said — way more than they would have otherwise been dealing with on a normal week. Once harvested, the roses are then organized into bouquets and bunches, and packed into boxes and coolers. Then, they're on a plane and off to Miami. At other times of the year, flowers are typically brought into the country by plane seven times a day, six days a week. But just before Valentine's Day, those numbers leap. In the two weeks leading up to February 14, there are more than 14 flights of flowers a day, seven days a week. Those one billion rose stems aren't going to ship themselves, after all, and importers still need to bring in their usual shipments, Boldt said. 'There's no way that we could ship, in one day, all of the flowers from all of the farms, to come in, to get processed, and then get on trucks and go to the supermarkets, all at the same time,' she said. 'The stuff has to come in waves, day by day.' Once the flowers land at Miami International Airport, usually just hours after being cut, their journey isn't over. Customs and border inspectors check the flowers, Boldt said. Once complete, flower importers and distributors pick up the precious cargo and take it to warehouses and distribution centers — where many flowers are then trimmed and kept hydrated, she said, so supermarkets can easily set them out for sale. USA Bouquet Company, a national flower manufacturer and distributor, moves its flowers right from the Miami airport to a processing center. The company distributes approximately 10 million rose stems just for Valentine's Day, said Scott Hill, vice president of sales and marketing — about five times its usual volume. At this point, your bouquet has traveled across at least two different continents, in multiple trucks and an airplane. Everyone along the supply chain process — from farms, to customs inspectors, to processing centers — has to hire extra people for the holiday, Boldt said. Flowers are perishable; they can't sit on a shelf for months like greeting cards or chocolate. Everything has to be kept refrigerated and moved as quickly as possible through the supply chain. And of course, just because it's Valentine's Day doesn't mean the world stops. There's still births, funerals and other reasons to buy bouquets, too. 'Every single day, you're moving your normal flowers, but then you have this extra volume that's there for that one day holiday,' Boldt said. 'It takes a lot of logistics, it takes a lot of planning, and it takes a lot of people and resources in order to get everything to where it needs to be.' Once the roses have left the airport and have been taken to distribution and processing centers, trucks then pick the roses up for delivery to retail locations across the US. Large supermarkets and retail centers might have their own trucks that come to the warehouses, get the flowers, and bring them back to their own supermarket distribution centers, Boldt said, before being sent to individual stores all over the country. All of this requires refrigeration to ensure the flowers stay fresh. There's refrigeration at the farms, the warehouses, the trucks. And sometimes, like with any supply chain, there can be problems: A February snowstorm might mean trucks can't get to supermarket distribution centers, or to individual stores, delaying or potentially halting the roses' journey. There are concerns about the journey. Some environmental advocates have noted that buying imported flowers, which almost all roses are, is a drain on the environment, particularly because of the refrigeration requirements and the long distances traveled. Some argue that customers should seek out locally grown bundles from local florists or farmers markets instead, eliminating the long supply chain and resulting in a fresher bouquet overall. The blooms may not be the classic roses you're used to, but the joy in receiving flowers is still there. Either way, the end result is the same: The customer walks into a store and is greeted with bursting displays of pink, red and white bouquets. You know the rest. You trim the stems, fill your favorite vase with water, and spend the next week ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the blooms — roses or not.
