Roses are Red, Violets are Blue- Yes a Warming Climate is Impacting Them, Too

Welcome back to Climatific, a free, weekly read that breaks down climate science so it makes sense- not for scientists or researchers, but for everyday people trying to understand the planet we live on, what’s happening to it, and why it matters.

Happy belated Valentine’s Day to all who celebrated!

Do you remember the iconic Chef Boyardee commercial from 2004 with the rolling can making its way to a ravioli lover’s home after it was left behind at the supermarket? Allow me to jog your memory:

In this issue, we’ll dive into the unseen tight corners, uphill battles, and bumps in the road that the flower industry is experiencing because of rising global temperatures to get your Valentine’s Day roses from the field to the supermarket. Kinda like the Chef Boyardee can.

If you’re a new subscriber, catch up on past issues of Climatific and learn more about who we are here:

Did you know that imported Valentine’s Day roses are harvested, processed, and shipped to the US often in under 48-72 hours?

Around eighty percent of the flowers sold in the US are imported. Sixty percent of imported flowers come from Columbia, a quarter come from Ecuador, and the Netherlands, Canada, and Mexico supply most of the remainder. In 2024, these cut flower imports totaled a value of nearly $2 billion.

The Miami International Airport receives 91% of all air imports of flowers, which equates to more than $400 million worth of flowers for Valentine’s Day alone!

We can thank California for supplying the small (but mighty!) chunk of cut flowers that we produce domestically. And we owe a bigger thank you for their supply of roses, specifically. More than 70% of all roses grown in the US come from California.

It’s not surprising to understand why roses are either imported from South America or grown in California. Roses thrive in temperate climates that average 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and get relatively little precipitation.

Over the past few decades, the rose industry has developed several thorns in its side due to what scientists are attributing to a warming climate.

Shifting growing seasons. Similar to other crops, warmer temperatures shift the growing season for roses earlier in the year. This impacts the blooming cycle and subjects roses to severe stress that reduces their overall size and health.

Unusual precipitation. Several studies have explored the impacts of unusual weather patterns like droughts and unseasonal precipitation in rose-growing regions like Kenya and Ecuador. According to the Kenyan Meteorological Department, Kenya experienced a 15% decline in flower yields from prolonged dry spells in 2022 that hit rose crops particularly hard.

Water scarcity. Roses drink a LOT of water- up to nearly three gallons per stem! Unsurprisingly, droughts and glacier retreat in already water-scarce areas are having a real impact on water availability and, consequently, rose yields. You’ll see this reflected in your time at the supermarket through price volatility and reduced access to the bouquet you’re after.

Increased pesticide use. The rose industry is experiencing more issues with bugs than normal. This is congruent with what scientists are telling us about the impacts of a warming climate on the spread of disease, which is that the spread of disease increases as temperature increases because of

Read more from this study by the National Library of Medicine.

This is especially tough for the flower industry because countries have stringent regulatory standards when transporting agricultural products across borders. In 2021, the European Union rejected more than 5% of imported flowers due to excessive pesticide residues.

It’s not easy being a rose.

There are several key players in the global rose market who have taken action, rather quickly, to adjust to growing roses in a warming climate:

Roses that beat the heat. In March 2023, David Austin Roses introduced a new collection of English roses bred for a warmer climate. By catering to regional growing conditions, their Evelyn roses will allow them to expand their market presence to the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

The au naturel rose. Dümmen Orange developed a rose variety that requires minimal chemicals in June 2022, which helps them save money during production and surpass stringent regulations at the border.

Roses that are never under the weather. In September 2021, Kordes Roses worked smarter, not harder, by collaborating with European florists to promote existing varieties of roses that are disease-resistant.

Introducing new rose varieties to the market are a big deal- it can take eight to ten years for each variety!

Energy is in the forecast!

Wait, no. Not that kind. We mean the kind that powers your home, the grid, and that’s all the talk nowadays with unprecedented demand.

Still confusing? We get it. Energy can seem like an ambiguous topic. What is a grid, and why is it volatile? Can’t it just… chill out?

Next week will start the first of several issues we’ll spend talking about energy. We’ll break down the differences between energy generation, transmission, and distribution, where the grid fits in, and why everyone’s talking about it.

Have a specific topic on climate science you want to learn about? Let us know. All responses are anonymous!