Southern California Flower Prices Spike Ahead Of Valentine's Day
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Just ahead of Valentine's Day, the supply chain issues impacting the United States are leading to a shortage of flowers in stores across Southern California.
Florists all over California are seeing flower shortages, especially for red roses. And on top of that, there's also a glassware shortage that has everything from vases to alcohol bottles in limited supply.
One local florist said Saturday prices will probably be up at least 25 percent during Valentine's Day.
"These are 2021 problems that are continuing into 2022," said Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of Professional Florists.
The shortages come just as pandemic-delayed weddings start up again. Flower farms all over the world closed or cut their operations, and those same farms – particularly in South America, where most of the U.S. imports its flowers – are suffering from poor growing conditions, according to The Produce News, a trade website covering fresh produce.
Consumers who do manage to find flowers will likely have to pay top dollar. To save money, people buying flowers should make their purchases early and strongly consider blooms in colors other than red or pink that aren't roses.
