Why Grow Cut Flowers?
The cut flower market in the U.S. has changed dramatically over the years. The Dutch dominated the flower growing market in the ’80s with new varieties. Competition from Third World countries increased as they took a lion’s share of the “traditional” domestic cut flower market. Rising freight costs put a damper on shipping from one coast to the other. In the U.S., the once-profitable production of standard crops like mums, carnations and roses has been supplanted by nontraditional and specialty cut flowers. The U.S. flower consumption market, though not nearly as sophisticated and well-developed as the European and Japanese markets, has incredible potential for expansion. Growing market segments exist, such as supermarket floral departments. Though large quantities of cut flowers are imported into the U.S. from Holland, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, there is still room (and profit) in the cut flower business for the savvy grower. Some relatively high dollar-value crops
