Debunking the imported roses myth

Around 15% of the flowers Evolve Flowers sources are imported, with roses making up a significant portion of that. We examine the myth that imported roses aren’t as good, and why that’s wrong if your wholesaler sources with growing and working conditions in mind.

The majority of what we source at Evolve Flowers is British-grown. However, the UK rose season runs from approximately June to August with domestic supply limited to a handful of growers. Demand, on the other hand, is anything but limited with constant requests for weddings, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, and other life events. Imported roses, primarily from Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya, fill that gap. 

Limited natural growing season in the UK

The natural UK rose season runs from roughly June to August, with some varieties coming in a little earlier or later depending on the year. The problem is, 'depending on the year' has become increasingly difficult to plan around. Erratic weather, shifting growing conditions, and a shrinking pool of specialist UK rose growers mean that supply is now genuinely unpredictable.

There are also only a handful of UK growers producing roses at any meaningful scale. And that matters enormously when you're working in weddings and events. No bride wants to hear that her rose order depends on what June’s weather looks like. Demand for roses is constant, whatever the British weather decides to do, and goes well beyond the natural British rose season.

Sourcing from outside the UK

South American roses, primarily from Ecuador and Colombia, are grown at altitude on the equator. That means 12 hours of sunlight every single day of the year, good humidity, and naturally stable growing conditions. The result is slow-grown roses with genuinely sturdy stems, larger flower heads, and a structural integrity due to real sunlight rather than artificial substitutes. If you are looking to balance your seasonal stems, you can browse our curated selection of imported roses to see the quality available.

The carbon argument is more nuanced than it's often presented. The majority of South American flowers travel in the belly of passenger jets; planes that would be flying regardless. The growing conditions themselves are also low input compared to heated glasshouse production: no artificial light, no year-round heating, no forcing. When you factor that in alongside the transport, the environmental picture is considerably less clear-cut than 'air miles = bad' suggests.

There's also an economic dimension. The flower industry is a significant source of employment in both Ecuador and Colombia, providing livelihoods for farming communities in a region where employment is often hard to come by. Responsibly sourced South American roses aren't just a logistical solution; they're part of a global supply chain that supports real people.

Worker at Alexandra Farm in Columbia - Photo by @matinaflowers

The same could be said of Kenyan roses. They also benefit from altitude and sunshine in much the same way, with those growing conditions producing quality stems. 

In all cases, the farms we work with hold the accreditations to back it up. 

What about closer to home? Dutch roses do exist; however, we don't use them. Grown under glass — hydroponic or otherwise — they don't represent the quality or values we want to work with. Instead, we prefer our intentional mix of local stems and sustainably minded imported flowers & foliage.

Keeping fresh

The cold chain from a Colombian farm to a UK florist takes six days; for example, a Monday order leads to a Tuesday morning delivery. Packed Thursday, flighted Friday via the US, landing Saturday, through customs Sunday to Monday, delivered to Evolve Monday night, conditioned and despatched Tuesday morning. The refrigeration is maintained at every single stage.

As the stems are slow-grown and naturally robust, a properly conditioned imported rose will still give you a vase life of seven to eleven days. 

Our position: British-first, not British-only

We source as much as we possibly can from British growers, with around 85% of our flowers sourced within a 40-mile radius of our base in Lincolnshire. But for roses specifically — given the UK season, the demand peaks, the structural limits of domestic supply, and the quality of what responsibly sourced South American and Kenyan farms produce — importing around 15% of our blooms is a considered choice.

For event and wedding florists, this also opens up the ‘Best of Both’ approach: using as much UK-grown material as possible while still being able to offer roses when the brief calls for them. You don't have to choose between values and a full design palette.

When we do import, we know exactly where those flowers come from. We work closely with sourcing partners whose farms we know by name, whose accreditations we've verified, and whose arrival schedules we track. We are not into anonymous commodity buying, rather we build a supply relationship along the same lines as we have with our British growers. 

The myth of imported roses as an environmentally reckless purchase simply doesn't hold water when you look at the conditions, supply chains, and limits of what British growing can deliver. Good sourcing decisions start with seeing the full picture.

Commonly asked questions

Do imported roses last as long as British-grown ones?

Properly conditioned imported roses from Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya will give a vase life of seven to eleven days. Slow-grown at altitude with natural sunlight, the stems are structurally robust going into cold storage, and the unbroken cold chain from farm to UK delivery preserves that. Conditioning on arrival is the key variable.

Are roses flown in from South America bad for the environment?

The majority travel as belly freight on passenger jets that would be flying regardless. The growing conditions — equatorial sunlight, natural humidity, no heated glasshouses — are also low-input compared to, for example, Dutch glass-grown alternatives. The carbon calculation is more nuanced than air miles alone suggest.

Why can't UK florists just use British roses for weddings?

The natural UK rose season runs from June to August. Wedding season, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day don't. There are also only a handful of UK growers producing roses at commercial scale, and erratic weather has made even the summer season increasingly unpredictable. Domestic supply simply cannot meet consistent demand.

Where do imported roses come from?

Evolve sources from farms in Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya — all chosen for altitude, growing conditions, and verified farm accreditations. We know the specific farms, their certification status, and their arrival schedules. These are sourcing relationships, not simply commodity purchases.