What a dozen roses can cost you this Valentine’s Day

Nothing says Valentine’s Day as a classic bouquet of red roses – but this romantic gesture could cost more than what you expect this year.

From the logistics of the supply chain to unpredictable weather conditions, several factors influence the price of flowers.

To which to expect that roses cost for Valentine’s Day

FinancebuzzA financial information resource, recently analyzed prices for a dozen standard red roses in the long term of at least three florists or flower stores in each state, then on average the costs to determine the price on the scale of the state.

The national average for a dozen roses This Valentine’s Day is $ 90.50. This represents an increase of 2% compared to last year, according to Financebuzz.

“Many go in flower prices – it is not only the increase in the price of goods, but more a function of an entire agricultural system which is based on transport, logistics and of course the weather,” said Josh Koebert, principal researcher at Financebuzz, said in an email.

He said prices this year are more in line with inflationCompared to last year, when there were other factors such as “erratic weather conditions having an impact on flower production in the world, the increased costs associated with shipping and the chain of Supply after picking, and a general request for plants and flowers “.

States with the highest cost for a dozen roses include Hawaii ($ 143), Texas ($ 110) and Washington ($ 106.65).

States where they are the most affordable include California ($ 68.33), Indiana ($ 74.33) and Alaska ($ 75.98).

Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists, noted that it is difficult to calculate an average price for roses because “each florist is so unique in their offers” and that there are “many variables that enter into pricing flowers “.

“Where and how they were cultivated; how many volume the retailer buys, what the general costs of the retailer + the workforce is, where the florist is located in the United States-which are all taken into account in The retail price, “she said in an email.

Where do roses come from?

The journey of a farm rose to the consumer is a meticulous process that involves several stages, said Penn.

“It begins with breeders who invest years in the development of commercially viable roses. These roses are cultivated for their rich pigmented colors, its beautiful forms of flowering and their long lifespan,” said Penn. “Beyond aesthetics, breeders focus on the guarantee that roses are sufficiently resistant to diseases and durable to resist transportation.”

After harvesting, roses are stored in nutritious solutions and controlled temperature environments to maintain freshness. When they arrived in the United States, they undergo an inspection before reaching florists. The florists are then clean, breathtaking, hydrate and develop each bouquet.

Customs and American border agriculture specialists have treated more than a billion flower expeditions cut since January 1, the agency said A press release Last week. They inspect the shipments of posts and diseases which “could harm the American agricultural and floral industries”.

From mid-January to mid-February, the agency sends additional specialists to agriculture to the Miami field office to support local inspectors managing the wave of imports of cut flowers. This ensures that flowers reach retailers in time for Valentine’s Day.

Miami receives more than 91% of the cut flowers from South America, according to the press release, making it a key entry point for floral imports.

In 2023, the United States imported more than $ 1.1 billion in roses, according to the Most recent data available from the UN Comtrade. Some of the best rose exporters in the United States were Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala.

In 2023, CBP officials inspected more than 385 million mixed bouquets, 76 million roses and 75 million chrysanthemums.

As of February 7, this year, agriculture specialists have released more than 1.1 billion cut flowers. CBP said that it had intercepted 1,158 expeditions with insects and parasites, including 627 which posed a risk of introduction of diseases in the United States