Florists feel pressure as flower costs rise due to tariffs

Are Trump's tariffs raising flowers prices for Mother's Day?

How are tariffs impacting flower shopping for Mother's Day with rising prices in the U.S., according to business owners.

SAN FRANCISCO - Flower shops across the Bay Area were buzzing with activity this Mother’s Day weekend, but many florists are facing a thorny challenge: higher costs due to tariffs on imported blooms.

Roughly 85% of flowers sold in the United States are imported, with many coming from Colombia and Ecuador. Vendors say tariffs ranging from 10% to 25% are hitting popular stems like roses and hydrangeas.

At J. Miller Flowers and Gifts in Oakland, customers said they were still willing to pay.

"I think a little bit higher this year," said Alison Keller of Lafayette. "I was looking for really high quality, so it’s for my mom and all, so I was willing to pay the extra to get the really nice bouquet."

"I think these used to be $13 or something like that. I think I spent $16.50," said Florencia English of Alameda. 

When asked if she minded the difference, she replied, "No, because it’s for my mom. It don’t make a difference, it’s Mother’s Day!"

According to the National Retail Federation, people celebrating Mother’s Day are expected to spend an average of about $260 this year - about $5 more than in 2024 - with flowers still among the most popular gifts.

Tariffs put pressure on some florists ahead of Mother’s Day

Tariffs on imported flowers are squeezing florists just in time for Mother’s Day. Some businesses, like Farmgirl Flowers, have raised prices to stay afloat.

Tight margins, rising costs

Christina Stembel, founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, said her company’s profit margins are about 5%, forcing price increases on some specialty bouquets by as much as $10. Signature arrangements remained unchanged.

"We found that people did choose cheaper options this year than in year’s past, so the more expensive options were the last to sell," Stembel said.

Stembel, who started her company in San Francisco, said she originally tried to build an entirely domestic supply chain, but found that goal difficult to achieve.

"We tried every single way, in this very idealist mindset that I had starting out to make this work, to use all American grown, only manufactured in the US, and it didn't work. In South America, they’re just better equipped to be able to grow flowers based on being close to the equator, it’s like bananas and coffee," she said.

She emphasized how interconnected the global supply chain is and how tariffs affect more than just the flowers.

"It’s going to make everything more expensive. When you think about where the bulbs come from, even if they’re grown in the US, the bulbs don’t come from the US, the fertilizer, the pulp for the boxes, the conveyor belts, the truck parts for UPS and FedEx - everything is connected," she said.

Despite strong Mother’s Day sales, Stembel said her customers are becoming more price-sensitive.

"Based on what we saw for Mother’s Day, we need cheaper options, so trying to find cheaper options might mean that we have to make cuts, that we don’t want to make," she said as she reflected on the next year ahead.