Like any other products on the shelves, grocery stores work with multiple suppliers to stock their floral departments. In the case of flowers, they may come from various states in the U.S. or as far as Holland or South America.
Ingles Markets, Publix Super Markets, and Whole Foods Market representatives provided an overview of how and where the companies get their freshest floral assortments year-round, even in the colder seasons.
Ingles, founded in Black Mountain, receives most of their retail fresh-cut flowers from several different farms in South America, Holland, and across the U.S. The potted plants are sourced from several farms in Canada, Michigan, New Mexico, Florida, and Holland.
“Some retail chains use several suppliers year-round. Ingles Markets only uses growers that own the farms, which cuts out the third party,” an Ingles spokesperson said in an email. “Occasionally, we use other sources if necessary. Most farms, regardless of region, have access to greenhouse growing, allowing fresh flowers to be available year-round.”
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