Flowers for Mother’s Day may be more expensive due to Trump’s tariffs

With Mother’s Day approaching, you may be looking to buy a bouquet of flowers — and prices could be higher due to tariffs enacted by President Trump. 

“We’re going to do the best we can to sort of keep those prices where they need to be. But people can definitely expect to be paying a little bit more,” said Jody Costello, a florist in Royal Oak, Michigan.

While Mr. Trump paused hefty tariffs he announced in early April for 90 days, a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports is in effect.

About 80% of flowers bought in the United States are grown elsewhere. Last year, the U.S. imported $2.2 billion worth of cut flowers and greenery, the bulk of which came from Colombia and Ecuador, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

“The fact that they can grow year-round gave them a natural advantage,” said Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists.

Penn said domestically, small growers — many of whom have an acre or less — have flourished since the COVID-19 pandemic, selling at farmers’ markets and to a blossoming wedding industry.

“The consumer does want to buy local, especially brides,” she said. “They love to be able to have local flowers featured.” 

But even small growers like Moonshot Farm in East Windsor, New Jersey, aren’t immune to the fallout from tariffs.

Moonshot Farm owner Rebecca Kutzer-Rice said some of the bulbs she uses to grow flowers are imported from Italy and Holland. She just received her first few shipments to be hit with the 10% tariffs. 

“We’re estimating it could cost our small business anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 a year, which for a small farm is almost the equivalent of like a salary of another employee,” she said.

Some florists say they’ll try not to pass on costs to customers. 

Mistine Boren, a florist in Austin, Texas, told CBS affiliate CBS19, she’s waiting until after Mother’s Day to decide if she’ll raise prices. 

“It’s tough,” she said. “Our margins are so thin already, and especially when it comes to buying fresh flowers, it’s a big splurge and expense for people.”

Boren said she’s also trying to source more wild, local flowers to avoid the tariffs. 

Consumers may just need to be a little more flexible about what types of flowers they buy, but they can still get quality bouquets, Penn said. 

“There literally are countless substitutions and florists are just masters at creating something that’s still gonna make a big impact,” she said.

Nicole Brown Chau

contributed to this report.