The Mother's Day season has been both challenging and rewarding for Ecuadorian rose grower Hoja Verde. Persistent wet, humid, and low-light conditions impacted flower quality, forcing the farm to discard a portion of its production as it did not meet their quality standards. Despite this, stem volume remained consistent with last year, and improved demand, longer stem lengths, and stronger pricing helped drive an approximate 8% increase in sales. This is according to Hernan Davila, Corporate Sales Manager. And the season isn't over yet, as Mother's Day celebrations in countries like France, Sweden, and Poland are still ahead, keeping the shipping window and market activity open through the end of May.
Hernan Davila
A wetter season
This year's winter brought significantly more humidity and reduced sunlight compared to 2024. As a result, the rose production cycle was not only extended by approximately 4 to 6 days, the quality was affected too as humidity-related issues like botrytis and downy mildew impacted some rose varieties. "Because of our commitment to high standards, we had to compost affected stems, even if that meant missing standing orders. Maintaining optimal nitrogen, moisture, and ventilation levels became critical during this period. Despite the weather challenges, we have had roses with longer lengths."
And many farms in Ecuador were dealing with these weather challenges, as this year, Ecuador's total floral exports for Mother's Day saw a drop of around 10% in tonnage compared to 2024.
Mother's Day: Hoja Verde's second-most important floral holiday
Mother's Day remains Hoja Verde's second-most important floral holiday, just after Valentine's Day. Unlike fixed-date celebrations, Mother's Day is observed on different dates worldwide, giving growers the advantage of serving multiple markets over an extended period. The season began early with the UK's Mother's Day, celebrated this year on March 15. The peak followed on the second Sunday of May, when most countries celebrate the day, but shipments are still underway for markets like France, Poland, and Sweden, where celebrations continue into late May.
Export markets
So, where do Hoja Verde's flowers go for Mother's Day? "Most flowers went to Europe," says Hernan. "Currently, 43% of our flowers were shipped to Europe for Mother's Day, a number that will increase as the holiday is still approaching in several countries." Europe is followed by the U.S. (37%), Russia (16%), Asia (2%), Eastern Europe (1.5%), and South America (0.5%).
Trade tariffs and elections Ecuadorian president
In addition to the challenging weather, Hoja Verde has also been navigating other external factors, including U.S. tariffs and Ecuador's national elections. "Although tariffs remain a concern, we haven't yet seen a drop in demand, likely due to a global scarcity of flowers. However, we will probably experience pricing pressures after Mother's Day."
Domestically, Ecuador's presidential elections resulted in further uncertainty in the run-up to the peak floral season. "We had elections in mid-April, which was a great challenge for us. The good thing is that we elected the right president, and that gives us more hope for the future."
A challenging season
"All in all, the 2025 season wasn't necessarily worse than past years, but it was certainly more complex. Although flower volume was slightly lower than in 2024, strong pricing helped the company increase prior-year revenue. "We wouldn't say it was worse, but it was more challenging to meet all our clients' needs."
Looking ahead: Optimism prevails
So, what does the future hold? "We've already mapped out the entire year. Based on the production trends and the strategic decisions we made early in the year, we foresee stable summer output and a steady supply. "This will allow us to increase our standing orders percentage and explore new markets that we're not currently serving."
And regarding the upcoming seasons, wedding season will be a major one, but they also ship flowers for Qixi in China and the first day of school in Russia, where many of their flowers will be used for celebrations as well.
For more information:
Hernan Davila
Hoja Verde
Email: [email protected]
www.hojaverde.com.ec