Spring’s weddings, graduations and Mother’s Day normally keep florists busy — but it’s not business as usual as the Trump administration implements a 10% tariff on flower‑exporting countries.

Most of America’s favorite flowers, including bulbs for U.S. growers, come from abroad, forcing consumers and producers to make tough choices between getting the flowers they want and staying within their budget, said Tasha Lee, florist and owner of Tasha Flowers, a Baltimore-based floral designer.

“You can continue to get the pre-tariff pricing, but you won’t get as many flowers, or we can do the tariff pricing and you can continue to get the look and feel that you see,” Lee said.

President Donald Trump is steadfast on his campaign promise to impose tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imports. He imposed a 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico and 20% on China.

After multiple tariff starts, stops and pauses, consumers are facing a 10% tariff on goods from most countries, a 145% tax on goods from China and a 25% tariff on auto imports and parts.

It could be beneficial for some industries, but any level of tariff is a challenge for the cut-flower industry. It relies on imports and perishable goods that can’t be stockpiled.

Some $1.9 billion worth of fresh-cut roses and flowers were imported in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than a third came from Colombia, the country’s largest flower and nursery stock supplier, followed by Canada, Ecuador and the European Union.

The 10% tariff applies to each country except Canada. Flower wholesalers work directly with these countries, making price increases for florists and their customers all but guaranteed.

The Claymore C. Sieck Co., a Baltimore-based family-owned flower wholesaler, told its customers the tariffs will “impact all aspects of the floral industry,” including tools, soil, fertilizers and pesticides. Sieck plans to announce a price bump for its products, but with the Trump administration’s constant policy shifts, it’s unclear how much it will be.

Other wholesalers have already hiked prices, said Nicole Alston, florist and owner of Bloom By The Hour, but they’re also charging a “container surcharge along with the tariff amount” for a total spike of 10% to 25%.

“I’ve been looking around trying to figure out how to do the pricing, but for the most part we’ll just ease into it,” Alston said. She’ll honor current contracts, but new clients will likely pay more.

Two Boots Farm, a flower farm in Carroll County, hasn’t changed wholesale prices but is charging more at farmers markets. Owner Elisa Lane raised prices by 10% early in the season so customers wouldn’t be shocked by a price change later.

“I was like, I think I need to raise prices, but I’m so scared that people aren’t going to buy our stuff,” Lane said. She was shocked that people still purchased the flowers.

Locally produced flowers are only a small fraction of the flower and plant industry in the U.S. Around 10,800 commercial farms nationwide sold nearly $763 million worth of cut flowers and florist greens in 2022, according to the USDA.

But local flower farmers aren’t exempt from levies.

Maya Kosok, the flower farmer behind Hillen Homestead in Baltimore, usually plants around 12,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands each year. She places the order in April with plans to plant them in the fall. Her urban flower farm grows around 80 types of fresh-cut flowers and foliage in formerly vacant lots in the city.

The tulip bulbs have become more expensive and harder to source in recent years because of climate change. Now, with a 10% tariff on European Union imports and uncertainty about the future of the economy and global trade, Kosok must quickly decide if her business can afford them.

“It’s a lot of unknowns,” she said. “I think, right now, I’m planning on probably cutting back to a third or maybe a half of my tulip production.”

The decisions Kosok makes now could affect about 10% of her revenue next year.

Florists and growers are uncertain how much of these headwinds they can bear.

But, with Mother’s Day and the start of wedding and graduation season approaching, they expect the demand for flowers and bouquets to continue.

“You may never need a brain surgeon, but we [florists] will catch you somewhere between cradle and grave,” Lee said. “That’s a fact.”