While it may be fashionable to investigate the early childhood of your steak, when was the last time you probed your florist for the provenance of your peonies?
According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, the U.S. produced $374 million in wholesale cut stems in the 15 states that produce the majority of domestic flowers; 78 percent come from California. This reflects only a fraction of the flowers bought and sold stateside, with major imports coming from South America. Census Bureau figures put the total value of imported fresh flowers, foliage, and seeds at $1.2 billion in 2016.
With so many blooms originating outside the U.S., assessing what has and hasn’t been raised sustainably is thorny.
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