Market Trends of United States Floriculture Industry
The Cut Flowers Segment is Expected to Grow at a Rapid Rate
There is an increasing demand for fresh-cut flowers in the United States. Apart from domestic production, the country imports 80% of cut flowers from countries like Colombia. To meet this demand, optimal purchase of flowers, along with superior quality, is required at the distribution and consumer level. This factor drives the popularity of online growing auctions in the country.
The American taste for flowers is shifting from chrysanthemums and carnations to more unique blooms. This factor drives imports from other countries. Colombia is the dominant producer of US cut flowers, with roses, carnations, spray chrysanthemums, and alstroemeria as the major crops. The flowers exported from Ecuador to the United States include roses, delphiniums, asters, and mixed bouquets. The prevailing growing environment in these countries has a greater impact on the import prices of floral products.
Furthermore, cut flowers have gained popularity among younger generations and city residents for their ability to self-express with their diverse shapes, sizes, and colors. Besides, the increase in online sales of cut flowers is attributed to the convenience and wide selection available in the market. Online platforms have simplified consumers' access to a diverse range of cut flowers and varieties. The market is also driven by the increasing demand for cut flower-related products like ceramics, pots, and DIY kits.
Consumers, especially millennials, value uniqueness and authenticity in the products they purchase. To keep in line with this interest, many florist stores offer customized flower colors, packaging, creatively themed arrangements, prices, and delivery services, as well as bring-your-own-vase/container options to attract the millennial population in the country.
Lilies are the Largest Growing Cut Flowers
In the United States, lilies are mainly grown in California, Colorado, and Illinois. California is the major producer, compared to the other states, with 100% of the quantity sold at the wholesale level. Around 66.7 million stems were sold, and the wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers was USD 68.0 million. The plant is cultivated mainly for its flowers, which have a high commercial value. In this region, the Java variety is the more well-known species.
Rain lily is a common garden plant in the United States and is widely planted to cover the ground. Some of the varieties grown in the country are Casablanca, Star Gaze, Dreamland, Harmony, Snow Queen, and Olympic Star. Flame lily has many medicinal properties, like colchicine, gloriosine, pungent, bitter, acrid, heating, anthelmintic, laxative, alexiteric, and abortifacient. It is also used as a tonic, anti-periodic, anti-helminthic, anthelmintic, and laxative.
Colombia is the largest exporter of lilies to the United States, followed by Costa Rica and Ecuador. The import of lilies into the country is increasing as the demand rises. Based on ITC TradeMap, the total import value of lilies in 2020 was USD 67,168 thousand, which increased to USD 125,220 thousand in 2023.
In the United States, lilies are purchased for various reasons, ranging from expressions of love or sympathy to satisfying environmental and beautification goals. The expenditure choice of purchase is closely tied to the demographic and occasions or periods. Consumers in the United States believe in gifting flowers on special occasions to communicate their deepest feelings most elegantly. For instance, in 2021, approximately 75% of people celebrating Mother's Day planned to buy flowers as gifts, according to the National Retail Federation.
Moreover, the United States has a wide HORECA industry, which demands different flowers based on different occasions and tourist demands. Lilies are majorly preferred by big luxurious resorts for decoration purposes, guest welcoming purposes, gifts, etc.
Thus, the growing preference of consumers for lilies as the most popular gifting choice and the rapid innovation in terms of packaging and customization from the florists to cater to the consumer's interest are the factors projected to drive the growth of lilies in the United States during the forecast period.
