One thing has come to symbolise Valentine’s Day more than anything – Roses. But where do these flowers come from and how do they arrive fresh? Nearly one billion rose stems have been imported into the United States alone in time for the annual celebration, reflecting the importance of the flower for the season and the season for countries that produce flowers.

For nearly 60 years, Colombia has been a major player in the flower trade, particularly when it comes to the United States. This trade is a key drive for Colombia’s economy, with the flower industry alone valued at US$1.3 billion, making it one of the nation’s most significant non-mining-related exports, second only to coffee.

“For this year’s Valentine’s Day rush, we are expecting a 3 percent year-on-year increase in flower imports, with 1,500 tonnes arriving daily. This will total approximately 90,000 tonnes of flowers, worth around US$450 million during the months of January and February alone,” Jimmy Morales, Chief Operating Officer at Miami-Dade County, explained.

“90 percent of the flowers come through Miami, and the remaining 10 percent go to Los Angeles. From there, the flowers are trucked to various destinations, including Canada,” Diogo Elias, Senior Vice president at Avianca Cargo, highlighted. “In the last three weeks alone, we’ve transported over 19,000 tonnes of flowers just for Valentine’s Day—twice the volume of a regular week. This volume increase makes this period especially intense and critical for us.”

From farm to vase

To reach key markets, it’s essential to deliver flowers perfectly, ensuring they arrive fresh and ready to be celebrated. Whether in a small corner shop in California or a major city on the East Coast, you’ll find Colombian flowers for Valentine’s Day, many of which come from farms outside Bogota and Medellin. 

“Our airline partners play a crucial role during this time in ensuring their timely delivery,” Morales expressed. Thanks to the hard work of airlines like Avianca Cargo and the dedication of our CBP agricultural inspectors, MIA continues to be the nation’s undisputed flower gateway, especially for Valentine’s Day.

“We have more than 40 flights a week in a regular week just to Miami,” Elias outlined. “It’s very critical to be well coordinated because the less time we spend with the flowers the better. From the farm to Miami, it should be less than 48 hours, so we work with authorities, CBP, truckers, delivery, it’s a lot of coordination.” 

Cundinamarca and Antioquia provide perfect growing conditions, particularly when it comes to lighting and soil conditions, for flower production. The amount of light needed to achieve the desired colour in flowers is carefully monitored, as the right environment makes flowers unique and more attractive to consumers, thus driving sales. 

Once produced, the flowers are then harvested on the farm and go through a post-harvest process where they are carefully selected. Afterward, they are packed into boxes and placed in cold storage rooms before being transported to various airports, such as those in Bogotá and Quito. From there, they are flown to destinations like Miami. Once the planes arrive, companies dispatch refrigerated trucks to pick up the pallets.

Upon arrival at handling facility, the teams perform agricultural inspections, breaking down the pallets, and arranging the flowers and boxes on racks. This allows sales team to begin the invoicing process and prepare the flowers for shipment. 

“It’s an exciting and busy time for us as we manage the entire process of growing, selling, and shipping flowers to the US. The quality of our products is exceptional, and we hope that during this period, especially around Valentine’s Day, many Americans will choose our flowers. As the second-largest flower exporter in the world, we’re confident that our blooms will be in homes, stores, and various spaces across the country,” Gabriel Jaime Gómez Arbeláez, Vice President of Exports at ProColombia, highlighted.

“When customers buy flowers from us and experience their freshness, they keep coming back,” said Roberto Guerra, Manager of South Florals, said.

“Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are key seasons for us, and that’s why we focus on importing flowers from Colombia and Ecuador during these times.The types of flowers we import can vary depending on the season, but primarily, we source roses, carnations, orchids, and hydrangeas from both countries.”

 Important employer

The flower industry’s growth is not just about increasing exports—it’s about improving the lives of the people involved. The industry has been vital for job creation, with 30 percent of the workforce hired seasonally during peak periods. In total, floriculture creates over 200,000 direct jobs in the country, with around 140,000 of those being permanent positions. During peak seasons like Valentine’s Day, an additional 25,000 workers are hired for a few weeks, further highlighting the industry’s role in supporting the local economy and providing employment.

“The industry impacts a huge amount of people and it’s really important for the security of our cities and the economy,” Augusto Solano, President of Asocolflores, explained.

This social responsibility extends beyond employment, particularly for women. Many of the workers in this industry are women, and floriculture has given them opportunities for economic independence. In the Colombian countryside, job opportunities for women are limited. Many rural jobs, like cutting cane or picking potatoes, are physically demanding and difficult. Floriculture, on the other hand, offers a decent, flexible job where women can balance work with family responsibilities.

The industry also goes beyond just legal requirements. For example, it has launched a unique breast cancer prevention program. In Colombia, women can only take this exam at age 45, and they often have to travel long distances to get it. However, working in the floricultural sector, health professionals provide this exam to all women, regardless of age.

Beyond health, the industry offers many benefits such as recreation, housing, and job stability. Many workers in the fields, even young people in their twenties, have relatives working alongside them, creating a sense of community and long-term stability.

 “Women are involved in every step of the process, from arranging the bouquets to preparing them for sale in supermarkets, retail outlets, and online markets. They take great care with every detail, ensuring that the perfect flowers are available for Americans to send to their loved ones, especially during important times like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day,” Arbeláez expressed. “This is not only crucial for the flower industry but also plays a significant role in the Colombian economy.”

US-Colombian relationship

This industry between Colombia and the United States has been growing for over twenty years. The US granted tariff preferences through programmes like the Andean Trade Preference Act and Trade Promotion Agreement, which allowed Colombia to export without tariffs. This provided the opportunity for growth in the floriculture business, with the understanding that the country would create quality jobs. Nowadays, despite recent challenges caused by the threat of tariffs, Colombia has a free trade agreement with America, which gives stability to the trade relationship

“The relationship has become very close, with the entire distribution chain to the US closely aligned with production in Colombia.There is a fully integrated system in place, which is important to consider before making any decisions that could harm both sides,” Solano stated. Colombian flowers can be found in supermarkets, wholesalers, and retailers across the US, especially around Valentine’s Day. No matter how small the town, you’ll likely find Colombian flowers available for purchase.”

One of Colombia’s strengths is the incredible diversity of flowers it produces. Colombia has around 50 different species of flowers, including roses and carnations – over 1,400 varieties in total. This sets the country apart from others, which primarily grow roses or pink flowers. 

Thanks to this diversity, Colombia has become a major player in the flower export business. Today, more than 60 percent of flowers in US supermarkets are imported, and 85 percent of those are Colombian. 

“We’re proud to be the leading company in transporting flowers from Colombia to the U.S. We’re not only the leader for Miami, which handles more than 90 percent of the volume, but also for the West Coast, particularly Los Angeles and California,” Elias continued.

“To meet the high demand, we’ve had more staff, increased capacity, and additional flower freighters. Over the past three weeks, we’ve operated 300 dedicated freighter flights—just for flowers. That’s a tremendous amount of cargo moving through Miami, and we’re thrilled to be providing top-tier service to our customers during this critical time.

“There’s a lot of connection between not only the flowers, but all the cargo that goes out of Colombia, fish, fruit and everything, and cargo that comes into Colombia as an import. That’s why we want to keep improving and growing in Colombia and in the US to give the best service.”