Human Flower Project
Gerberas, Poor Travelers, Boost U.S. Hopes
A South African sunflower, first popular in Europe, is turning into a boon for farmers in the U.S.—and mainly because, with all its continent-hopping history, it doesn’t travel well as a cut flower. Marie Vasari profiles a Salinas, California, flower farm that’s shifting its production from labor and cost-intensive roses to gerberas. Since the local climate is “ideal,” Green Valley Floral doesn’t have to shell out to create an artificial one, as it had been required to do for its roses.
Also, “gerberas, in particular, are costly flowers to ship over long distances, because their fully opened blooms require more protective packaging space to avoid bruising.” Even with high fuel costs, it’s still more economical to buy many flower varieties from offshore sources, where labor costs are lower, but obtaining more finicky gerberas locally can save retailers money. (The geometrical simplicity and perfection of gerberas in part are what make them more expensive to handle; just one petal out of place spoils their cartoony impact.)
Florida flower farms have also taken an interest in gerberas (see this extension service report from 2005) as have growers using hydroponics in New York state. Surviving as a cut-flower grower is tough, getting tougher all the time, and requires flexibility as markets shrink and shift. Vasari writes that Green Valley began forty years ago with carnations. One would be hard pressed to find a carnation grower anywhere in the U.S. today; tomorrow may be different.
Red varieties of gerbera, from Green Valley Floral, Salinas, California
Photo: Green Valley Floral
I love gerberas! They are my favorite annual. Great post.