Floral industry

The floral industry is focused on the production, distribution and sale of flowers for human enjoyment. The floral industry began in the Golden Century of the Netherlands, where flowers were grown on a large scale on vast estates. The industry continues to diversify from the production of cut flowers to the production and sale of plants and flowers in many different forms. The global floral industry market size is estimated to be worth US$ 50040 million in 2022 and is forecast to increase to US$ 58030 million by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate of 2.5% during the review period.^[1]

For example, the U.S. Agricultural Census identifies six categories of "flowers".^[2] Most U.S. consumers purchase "flowers" as a general category because plant purchases are made based on appearance and enjoyment, not by name. These groups are just for convenience to help organize the long list of flowering plants in the floral industry. The groups are Cut Flowers, Cut Cultivated Greens, Annual Bedding/Garden Plants, Potted Flowering Plants, Herbaceous Perennial Plants, Foliage Plants - Indoor/Patio Use, Propagative Floriculture Materials. Generally, these are garden flowers and houseplants, most produce attractive flowers, while some offer attractive foliage. Although these plants are from diverse native habitats and taxa, years of selection have found those that can be produced economically and are adaptable to the human environment.

The floral industry includes transportation companies, brokers, and wholesalers that ship the flowers from the production location to population centers around the world where the flowers are purchased. Additionally, the floral industry includes plant breeders and companies that sell seed, bulbs, and cuttings, and companies that sell greenhouses, pots of all kinds, potting soil, labels and marketing supplies, fertilizer, pesticides and machines for plant production activities. The service segment includes floral designers and florists, garden designers, and interior and exterior landscaping companies. Garden centers, supermarkets and hardware stores add the retail segment to the floral industry.^[3][4][5]