For many people, Valentine’s Day conjures images of hearts, romance, boxes of chocolates and, of course, flowers.
But is gifting flowers for Valentine’s Day stereotypical or is it a classic?
Evidence leans toward classic.
“Flowers are very popular for Valentine’s Day, and that part is not changing,” Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists, said. “In fact, we even just saw a study from the National Retail Federation … saying that flowers are still in the top three (Valentine’s Day gifts).”
And in terms of flower trends, another classic continues to dominate the market: roses.
“They’re still the most popular flower for Valentine’s Day,” Penn said. She added, “Roses have always symbolized love, and so that’s really the driving reason why they tend to dominate.”
But much like stockings and string lights during Christmastime, some people gravitate to the familiar Valentine’s flowers out of tradition and a sense of nostalgia.
“I think many people are driven by tradition,” Penn said.
And recipients still enjoy receiving flowers as much as people love giving them.
“There’s actually some real hard data on the impact that flowers have on people,” Penn said, pointing to research from Rutgers University that she said shows flowers “can create instant happiness.”
The benefits don’t stop there: Additional research has indicated flowers can help improve short-term memory in older adults and reduce stress.
But just because it’s a classic holiday gift doesn’t mean you can’t add a little flare or customize it for the recipient. You can even ask the florist for help putting together a flower arrangement that reflects the recipient’s personality.
Or you can try your hand with newer emerging flower trends.
“Consumers are enjoying different combinations of maybe roses with other flowers, even other combinations of colors, not just reds and pinks … but we’re hearing way more about a lot of interest in purples, and mixes of purples and blues with red and different combinations,” Penn said.
The trends even differ by location.
In the Midwest, Penn has heard from a florist that “the combination of sunflowers and red roses together has been really, really big for the last couple of years.” Another told her that lately anemones have been getting a lot of attention.
“It’s a gorgeous flower,” Penn said. “It’s got these rich jewel tone colors — it’s kind of dramatic looking.”
But when gifting flowers to that special someone, the types of blooms can be endless, and there’s no wrong choice.
“There are plenty of options to choose from,” Penn said. She added, “The list of flowers that can make a great Valentine’s Day gift are pretty endless.”
WTOP’s Nick Iannelli contributed to this report.
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