A shortage of flowers could have some Mother’s Day gift-givers scrambling for holiday bouquets. Uncertainty during the early days of the pandemic and lingering supply chain issues have left some varieties of flowers in short supply and raised prices on others, florists said. That could have buyers paying more for their Mother’s Day bouquets or leave them unable to find specific varieties for holiday or wedding arrangements.
At Kennicott Brothers, a wholesaling business in Chicago, roses, and carnations have become more expensive. Baby blue eucalyptus has been in short supply recently, and the company has at various times had trouble stocking varieties of white garden roses, burgundy, and cafe au lait dahlias, and a type of rose known as quicksand, which is popular for weddings, Chairman Red Kennicott said.
Demand for flowers has been 10% to 20% higher during the pandemic as buyers look for ways to express emotion when other methods are limited, especially on holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, he said.
The supply chain issues are similar to those experienced across all industries since the COVID-19 pandemic began 14 months ago, as businesses dealt with temporary shutdowns and sick employees. But there are also other factors when the product is a living thing: Growers had nowhere to ship flowers early in the pandemic. Some went out of business and others chose to plant more conservatively, meaning fewer flowers months later.
“Decisions that were made during the height of the pandemic are now coming home to roost this Mother’s Day,” said Seth Goldman, CEO of UrbanStems, a national plant and flower delivery company. UrbanStems sources some of its flowers from Ecuador and Colombia, where a rainy spring also might have affected supply, though likely much less than the growing decisions made months ago, Goldman said.
After navigating Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, she is confident her shop will successfully handle Mother’s Day, she said.
“Whatever flowers we have, it’ll be beautiful,” she said. “But it’s not going to be what you want.”
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