The supply of flowers and evergreens is expected to be tight this holiday season, importers and wholesalers say.
The good news: Several importers and wholesalers interviewed for this article aren’t expecting a severe shortage of flowers like what the industry experienced in September, when demand from weddings and events combined with poor weather and transportation logistics made some types of flowers almost impossible to get.
Still, high holiday demand will make for a tight market, says David Kaplan of Above All Flowers, a consulting and market facilitation company in Barrington, Rhode Island. “There’s no overabundance. We’re going to sneak through with the skin of our teeth,” Kaplan says.
Red roses and Christmas greens may be especially hard to come by.
“Red roses will be very tight for the month of December and into January as well,” says Oscar Fernandez, director of sales at Equiflor/Rio Roses and the Society of American Florists’ president-elect. The demand for red roses is typically high in December. Add to that the decision by many farms to pinch their rose bushes, a method used to delay production and ensure enough blooms for Valentine’s Day, and supply isn’t as abundant, Fernandez says.
Some types of evergreens are in short supply because of extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest that damaged the greens this summer, labor shortages, transportation issues and rainy weather during October harvesting, says F.J. Trzukowski, vice president of sales at Continental Floral Greens, based in Belfair, Washington.
“Every level where we could have an issue, we are having an issue,” Trzukowski says.
Douglas fir and cedars were the most badly damaged. Pickers had to closely inspect each bough and search further and longer for usable product, Trzukowski says. Continental Floral Greens has 9,000 acres of Noble fir, so the company harvested more of that evergreen to subsidize the shortage.
Trzukowski couldn’t quantify the shortage of evergreens, but described it as a “significant” problem affecting not just his company, but the industry. His email inbox is filled with inquiries from major stores in the mass market to retail florists seeking product, he says.
Bill Doran Company, which has 30 locations nationwide, has a “tremendous amount of backorders” for greens, says president Bill LaFever, PFCI. “Usually by this time we have all our product. We don’t know if are going to be filled, and if they are, how they are going to be trucked to our locations.”
Some hard good suppliers are also warning of shortages due to labor and a lack of inputs to produce products.
“Syndicate is still fighting inflation and a lack of supply on all fronts and we don’t anticipate relief anytime soon,” says Kelvin Frye, director of sales for Syndicate Sales. Syndicate produces most of its products domestically, which has helped the company avoid extreme delays and freight costs, Frye says.
Syndicate is responding by halting production of some products in an effort to focus available materials and production time on products that are more commonly needed, Frye says.
“We have reduced the breadth of our line for efficiency, and to focus on products which are functionally necessary for the floral industry,” he says. “Although this limits the variety of what we supply, this approach leaves us confident that we can find alternatives and solutions by providing quality U.S. made plastic and glass vases for Valentine’s Day.”
Imported products made with ceramic, tin and glass will likely be hard to come by, Frye says.
“The advice remains the same,” he says. “Plan ahead, and order early if you can. Offer your customer alternatives on products you know you can supply.”
Amanda Jedlinsky is managing editor of SAF Now.
