This Valentine’s Day about 250 million roses will be gifted. You can find them at any variety of store; florists, supermarkets, gas stations, and roadside vendors or some dude named “Paul” walking through the bar with a bucket at 2am. But the very long journey these flowers had to take to end up in Paul’s bucket and into your lover’s arms is the real story.
A staggering 83% of flowers purchased for Valentine’s Day are roses, according to the Society of American Florists — and about two-thirds are specifically of the red variety.
Needless to say, 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. But considering that there are fewer than 20 commercial rose growers in the United States (most in California) these days, most of the roses we get are actually imported from countries in South America like Colombia and Ecuador.
It is THE busiest time of the year for rose growers in these countries as they harvest about 60% of their crop.
Once picked, they have to be carefully bunched, boxed, and put on a plane to Miami. After they arrive, they have to be inspected by customs agents. Next, importers and distributors have to pick them up and bring them to warehouses and distribution centers around the country. THEN, they’re delivered to sellers and ultimately to friends and lovers.
So if you’ve ever wondered, “WHY do these roses cost SO much?” – that’s a big part of it.
No word yet if the current administration’s string of tariffs will affect and extend to flowers going forward – if so – you might want to start saving for next year’s flowers now.
For a Deeper More Detailed Dive into the Journey of Roses HERE
[CNN]
