Green Daily

Cut flowers: Greener if grown locally or overseas?

At this time of year, for many people in the United States, the surprising answer is that flowers grown overseas most likely have a smaller carbon footprint than those grown locally. The problem is that during the winter months it's too cold for flowers to grow naturally pretty much everywhere but in the most southern of the U.S. states, so any local options you may find were probably grown in heated greenhouses or indoor flower farms with grow lights. Flowers grown in the natural outdoor climate overseas in places like Africa generally use less energy overall, even taking into consideration the long-distance transport.

I've always loved having fresh blooms around in winter, but of course cut flowers as a general rule are hardly "environmentally friendly." Consider giving something else entirely to your sweetie this year, like a potted plant (something that can go outside in the yard come spring) or better yet a donation in their name to a favorite green charity.