SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Mother's Day bouquets could come with a higher price tag this year as florists deal with rising fuel costs and continued tariffs on imported flowers.
About 88% of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported, according to Florists' Review, meaning most arrangements travel through a global supply chain before reaching local shops. With the global gas average at $5.72 per gallon as of Saturday, according to Global PetrolPrices, that journey is getting more expensive.
Eric Luoma, owner of Cactus Flower Florists in Scottsdale, says the cost pressures have been significant heading into the holiday.
"It was a lot of concern for what was going to happen to our business, to our country, and what are we, what are we going to be doing?" Luoma said.
Many of the flowers in a typical Mother's Day arrangement come from South America and Central America. Roses often come from Ecuador or Colombia, while Gerber daisies arrive from Mexico or South and Central America.
Those flowers are first flown in by air, and jet fuel costs have climbed. They are then transported across the country in refrigerated trucks.
"They have to add fuel surcharges, because of all the diesel fuel that the semis are running into," Luoma said.
Tariffs are adding another layer of cost. Even though the Supreme Court struck down "Liberation Day" tariffs, the administration implemented new 10% across-the-board tariffs, and there are also duties on South American and Dutch flowers.
"Our vendors are working with us, but it's added another layer of challenge to the flower business," Luoma said.
With Mother's Day demand already pushing prices higher, some customers could notice more expensive arrangements this year. Luoma says the shop is working to keep costs manageable.
"We're just trying to keep things affordable for our customers, because we want to keep people buying flowers," Luoma said.
To help offset costs, Cactus Flower Florists is offering savings through a flower "happy hour" on Fridays and adjusting some designs. The shop is also exploring a longer-term solution: partnering with local Arizona growers.
"State of Arizona doesn't typically grow a lot of flowers, but there are some small farms in the Prescott, Prescott Valley," Luoma said. "We're working with that collective to see what we can do to have an Arizona branded arrangement."
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