Valentine’s Day is nearly here. You may already have plans for celebrating with your loved ones or you may still be figuring out the best way to express your affection. Is it by treating them to a fancy meal? Cooking at home? Gifting them with chocolate or jewelry, power tools or poems? There are seemingly endless ways to commemorate the holiday of love.

One of the most popular expressions of love on Valentine’s Day is sending fresh flowers—it’s said to be the busiest day of the year for florists. There was even a Super Bowl commercial about sending flowers for Valentine’s Day. And while I won’t endorse one florist over another, the underlying message of that commercial is a good one: know where your flowers are coming from.

Why is it important to know where your flowers are from? One reason is to prevent the spread of invasive pests. We talk about invasive pests most often in the context of produce, but many pests also affect flowers and other parts of plants. The United States imports many cut flowers, especially on big flower-giving holidays, from Central and South American countries. Sometimes it is clear where your flowers are coming from (and whether the area is infested with a pest)…and sometimes it isn’t clear.

If you live near California’s borders, be careful when you buy fresh flowers. The vendor may have brought them across the border from an area under quarantine for a pest, putting your community at risk of becoming infested with that pest. If you cross the border to purchase flowers at a lower cost than you can get them in California, be sure your loved one is across the border as well…if you bring them back, an unwanted pest may come with you.

When you purchase flowers from a retail or commercial florist or grower, the plants have likely undergone inspection and should be safe. Be extra cautious when purchasing plant materials online, to ensure you are receiving “clean” plants. Check out a HungryPests blog entry from a few months back about purchasing agricultural products online for some safe shopping tips.

So enjoy the holiday and celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers—or any other gift that will make your loved one’s heart skip a beat.

Helene Wright
California State Plant Health Director
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture