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Floral costs up due to Mother's Day, prom season and tariffs

By
Published  May 8, 2025 9:35pm MST
Tariffs
FOX 10 Phoenix
Why are flower costs up?

Why are flower costs up?

Flower costs are rising in the Valley due to high demand with Mother's Day on Sunday and tariffs on imported stems. However, shoppers are still purchasing bouquets. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has this story.

The Brief

    • The cost of flowers is up in Phoenix because of Mother's Day, but also recent tariffs.
    • FOX 10's Kenzie Beach spoke with a floral wholesaler who explains more behind the rise in costs.

PHOENIX - There's an increase in flower costs right here in the Valley.

There's a high demand this time of year with Mother’s Day on Sunday, paired with tariffs on imported stems.

But, it’s not stopping shoppers from getting out and buying a bouquet.

What we know:

There are some flowers you can’t get in the U.S.

80% of roses are imported from Ecuador and some peonies are brought in from France. A lot of flowers are brought in from California, meaning they don't have a tariff. 

Hundreds of thousands of stems made their way through wholesalers' doors this week alone.

We Got Flowers is one of many buying and distributing to florists from Tuscon to Flagstaff and right in between.

"We're pushing out a lot of volume in a little time to get it to our florists. That way they can get it prepped and in time for the big day," said Juliana Benharbon, an Arizona wholesale florist and owner of We Got Flowers.

Growers to wholesalers, florists to consumers – the cost is up.

"I really don't care about the price, obviously. It's just to make her feel good," a shopper said about buying Mother's Day flowers.

‘Production is not coming in as they expected’

"Adding tariffs this year, the costs just changed the game for us," Benharbon said. "This all comes from South America. It's probably, like I said, a 20% increase from what it used to be. The hardest to get is probably roses. Production is not coming in as they expected."

What you can do:

So, where can you save?

You can opt for a non-traditional flower, like Arizona’s very own cactus and succulents, or find greenery and filler flowers grown on the West Coast.

"It's not just Mother's Day. It's their busiest time of year. Prom season to wedding season, from sunup to sundown, there's hundreds of thousands of roses coming through these doors," Benharbon said.

The Source

  • May 8 interview with Juliana Benharbon, an Arizona wholesale florist and owner of We Got Flowers.

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