THE FLOWER INDUSTRY
The U.S. floral industry includes fresh cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, potted flowering plants, foliage plants and bedding/garden plants, making floriculture the third largest U.S. agricultural crop. The U.S. floral industry consists of more than 60,000 small businesses, such as growers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors and importers.
National Flower Competitions
Every September, more than 450 of the nation’s top retail and wholesale florists, floral designers and flower growers gather for the Annual Convention of the Society of American Florists. SAF invites the public and media to two of the convention’s most exciting events.
The 2020 Convention in Phoenix has been cancelled. The 2021 date and location will be announced in early 2021.
Outstanding Flower Varieties Competition
See 5,000 beautiful flowers in one room
Experience the magnificent sight and fragrance of nearly 5,000 beautiful flowers during one of the floral industry’s biggest flower competitions.
Flower growers from across the country and around the world are exhibiting more than 300 types of their best roses, gerberas, lilies, alstroemeria, carnations, chrysanthemums, anthuriums, hydrangeas, bulb flowers, potted flowering plants and decorative foliage.
Expert judges crown one Best in Show, rank 13 Best in Class, and present Blue and Red Ribbons to dozens more. Vote for your favorite to win the People’s Choice honor.
Sylvia Cup Floral Design Competition
Watch top floral designers in action
120 minutes… Top floral designers … A mystery assignment … Only one will win the grand prize. …
You enjoy the action on Food Network’s “Iron Chef.” The floral industry has a similar contest featuring floral designers and flowers.
Marking its 51st anniversary, the Sylvia Cup is the floral industry’s longest running, live national design competition.
Watch as top floral designers are given two hours, the same flowers and supplies, and a surprise task. Among the contestants: winners of state and regional floral industry design contests, designers of the year and members of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers.
For more Information
Admission is free to the Outstanding Flower Varieties Competition and the Sylvia Cup Floral Design Competition.
To schedule interviews, or for information or photographs, visit Society of American Florists for the latest info.
Floral Industry Careers
It’s never too early to begin planning a career in an industry where your work helps make the world a prettier place while enriching the lives of millions of people every year. Whether your interests lean toward the creative arts or technology and science, you’re sure to find a satisfying and rewarding profession in floriculture. That’s because the floral industry attracts both the artist and the scientist. This diverse field offers you a wide variety of challenging and profitable career choices. It’s never too early!
The floral industry involves flower production, distribution, design, retailing, operations, marketing, publishing, importing, research, teaching, greenhouse design and engineering, climate control systems engineering, soil analysis, sales and pest management. Plus, employers need people skilled in office management, human resources, bookkeeping, accounting and computer systems. In today’s floriculture job market, there is a growing demand for trained professionals who have strong business skills as well as horticultural knowledge.
Resources
- American Floral Endowment Floriculture Scholarships
- American Institute of Floral Designers’ (AIFD’s) Certified Floral Designer (CFD) designation program
- Careers in Floriculture: Catalog of Schools (PDF)
- FFA Career Development (CDE) Awards
- Make People Smile: Grow Your Future in the Floral Industry (PDF)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Aboutflowers.com is hosted by the Society of American Florists, the U.S. floral industry trade association. Click below to find a local SAF member florist to send flowers, roses and gifts for delivery.