Seasonality & The Dark Side of Flowers

Here in north central Pennsylvania, as in much of the northern US, we have a true winter. Winter and flowers don’t really coexist. (….as I stumbled upon an anemone bloom at the end of January…jaw drop…but seriously, I did and it wasn’t in a heated greenhouse either). But typically, without a heated greenhouse, you’re not going to find flowers in the winter. Winter flowers must come from a warmer climate and while sometimes that means California or Florida, it’s most often South America.

In the 1960’s it became cheaper and easier to import flowers such as roses, chrysanthemums, and carnations from places like Columbia. Labor was cheap, restrictions were non-existent, temperature and light were perfect for growing, and refrigerated air transport was available. This was the start of the destruction of US flower farms. (Source: https://cutflowers.ces.ncsu.edu/welcome/brief-history-of-specialty-cut-flower-production/)

Then, in the early 1990’s the US government, in an effort to stop drug trade, lifted import duty fees on cut flowers. This seemingly insignificant effort did not produce the intended effect but it did nearly annihilate the already dwindling US flower industry, causing approximately 60% of US flower farms to go out of business. Colombia is the second largest importer to flowers to the US, behind the Netherlands. “In 1971, the United States produced 1.2 billion blooms of the major flowers (roses, carnations and chrysanthemums) and imported only 100 million. By 2003, the trade balance had reversed; the United States imported two billion major blooms and grew only 200 million.” Let that reversal sink in.

(Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-secrets-behind-your-flowers-53128/)

What is currently happening in the US floral industry, though, is a powerful shift back to sourcing US flowers. The more local the better! While COVID has ruined so many things, it has actually magnified the focus on local flowers. Florists are having a hard time securing imported flowers at the volume and prices they were accustomed to. Local flowers are fresh, available, and so much better.

Why are imported flowers not so great? Well, for one, they aren’t that fresh and they aren’t that special. They often lack scent, longevity, and they cost a ton of money and fuel to get into your hands. It’s difficult to ship in water so everything is shipped dry in boxes. So many varieties of flowers just cannot handle that kind of treatment so they stick with those that can handle it. If you place a shipped dahlia next to a local dahlia, there is just no comparison. It’s night and day. Upon arrival to the US, flowers are inspected for insects but not for chemicals. Therefore, the goal is to eliminate pests at any cost, including the the health of their workers, customers, and the environment.

I’ve heard the argument that you don’t eat flowers so why be as concerned with what’s put on them as you would be with food?

Studies have been done to look at the levels of pesticide/fungicide/chemical etc residues on cut flowers. One European study found the flowers had such high levels of contamination that they were about 1000x higher than what is permitted for food products. Acute toxicity of these substances ranged from causing fatality, toxicity, harm, or cellular toxicity (genetic and cellular defects) if either making contact with the skin, inhaled, or swallowed. Of the 90 samples they took, over 100 different substances were found. Roses were the most highly contaminated flower (included roses, chrysanthemums, and Gerbera). (Source: Pesticide Residues on Three Cut Flower Species and Potential Exposure of Florists in Belgium by k. Toumi et al, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5086682/ )

That’s absolutely crazy to me. I don’t want that for me, my family, my land and environment, or for anyone else. And you shouldn’t either. We use beneficial insects and neem oil throughout the season. When absolutely necessary (infrequently) we have used an organic knockdown spray with a short half-life to combat severe problems before reintroducing beneficial insects. I’m learning more and more about pest management, identification, and prevention methods. Ultimately, being that I grow outside, on their turf, I’d rather have a bug than spray a harmful chemical so I weigh my options with that in mind.

I know this is a heavy topic. But it is important to me and it’s important to educate the public because just like so many people, I had no idea. I always try to live by the motto “when you know better you do better.” I’m trying my best to continue to learn more, know better, and do better in my small part of the world.