At Ecoroses’ 37-acre farm in Ecuador, Ruth Tapia (opposite) loads bundles
of flowers, while other workers (right) start the weekly maintenance of
rose stems. Ecoroses grows over 60 varieties of roses (below).
bought flowers certified through Germany’s FLP or Colombia’s
Florverde. “There are too many labels,” Leckman says. “We can’t
go to the consumer and keep introducing a new name every two or
three years. So we created our Sierra Eco seal, and no matter where
[our flowers] come from, that’s how we market them.”
A
s the flower industry continues to grapple with what a
sustainable future might look like, florists and grocery
stores are wondering how their customers will respond.
VeriFlora-certified bouquets have started showing up at
supermarket chains, where about half of cut flowers are purchased.
Karen Christensen, global produce coordinator for Whole Foods Market,
reports that the company buys VeriFlora-certified tulips and lilies
from Sun Valley Floral Farms, a large California grower, and organic
roses from a farm in Ecuador. “Right now we’re buying pretty much
everything [the Ecuadorian farm] can produce,” she says. Christensen
reports that Whole Foods is also partnering with TransFair USA to sell
Fair Trade–certified flowers under the Whole Trade Guarantee program.
But she’s not sure yet what consumers will prefer. “It’s going to be an
incremental process to turn this industry green,” she says.
Some individual florists have made a conscious decision to go
green. Christine Saunders, owner of the Spiraled Stem Floral Design
in Southern California, offers a full sustainability package for her
eco-conscious wedding and event clients that includes not just
the flowers but also non-petroleum candles, a container rebate
program, recycling, and reduction of waste.
Saunders says there is a growing interest in green weddings and
events, particularly within Los Angeles’ celebrity community, but that
her colleagues are still figuring it out. “I know a florist who just does
flowers for celebrities’ homes,” she says. “He told me that they are all
asking him to go green. He didn’t know how. He thought it would mean
that he would have to stop using flowers and only use potted plants,”
Saun ders says. “I gave him all my sources and even walked him around
the wholesale market and pointed out the eco labels. Those flowers are
out there, but a lot of people just don’t know where to start.” ✤
Where to Buy
Looking to spread some eco-friendly love this Valentine’s Day?
Here’s where to find the purest petals:
1-800-flowers.com
Diamond Organics
Organic Style
offers Fair Trade bouquets and other Fair
Trade–certified gifts. 1800flowers.com
ships organic flowers and produce across
the country. diamondorganics.com
California Organic Flowers
Flowerbud.com
ships organic and VeriFlora-certified
flowers nationwide, and they have a
wholesale division that supplies retail
florists. organicstyle.com
is a family farm in northern California that
ships organic, California-grown flowers
nationwide.californiaorganicflowers.com
ships some VeriFlora-certified flowers—be
sure to ask. flowerbud.com
Consider asking your retail florist to order VeriFlora-certified flowers
from growers listed at veriflora.com or from local growers. They can
check the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ascfg.org) for
local options, or visit localharvest.org to search for nearby farms.
Also look for eco-label and local flowers in supermarkets,
including Kroger, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and
natural food co-ops.
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