With dozens of stately blossoms and vibrant colors welcoming customers, an early morning on Wall Street in Los Angeles conjures the historic charms of the city.
The L.A. Flower District is the largest of its kind in the nation and an epicenter for floral imports around the world — an ironic twist for an industry created and made prosperous mostly by the city's immigrants.
The Flower District began in earnest with the Southern California Flower Market, a shareholder collective started by Japanese flower growers and sellers in 1909 at 421 South Los Angeles Street. It soon moved to its current and permanent location on Wall Street. At the time, Los Angeles was not much more than a large farming community, with a population below 100,000 and agriculture fueling the industry of the city.
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