Back in 1890 — when the population of Pasadena was 4,882 and the Rose Parade was in its earliest iteration — members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with hundreds of blooms to showcase the region's abundance of flowers, even in winter.
“In New York, people are buried in snow,” Charles F. Holder said at a club meeting, according to historical accounts. “Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise.”
But somewhere along the way in the decades since, Pasadena began to import its paradise. The colorful flower petals and shiny green leaves decorating Rose Parade floats were less likely grown in California's rose fields and more often flown in from abroad, a reflection of global shifts in the floral trade.
“The Rose Parade began as a way to flaunt California's year-round beautiful weather by showcasing its bounty of flowers,” said Kasey Cronquist, chief executive of the California Cut Flower Commission. “Ironically, today, most floats feature flowers sourced from overseas.”
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