Flower and plant market holds its ground despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty

In the second quarter of 2026, Royal FloraHolland traded fewer flowers and plants than in the same period last year. The number of items sold fell by 4.8 percent, while revenue decreased by 2.7 percent. The relatively modest decline in revenue, compared with the drop in volume, shows that pricing remained stable across many product groups. Average prices for flowers rose by 2.9 percent and for plants by 3.2 percent over the quarter, with auction and direct sales each accounting for roughly half of all units sold, at 49 and 51 percent respectively.

Thomas Bugel, Chief Grower Value Management, said: “At a time when consumers, the trade and the retail sector are facing economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and fluctuating consumer confidence, the floriculture market is proving resilient. Flowers and plants remain as popular as ever, and greening our living environments is very much on the agenda as a way of combating heat stress, now that we are experiencing more and more very hot days.”

While the first quarter was characterized by volume growth combined with price pressure, the second quarter presents a different market outlook. Supply declined across several product groups, while supply and demand became better balanced. This resulted in more stable pricing for both flowers and plants.

The slightly lower volumes did not lead to less work for Royal FloraHolland’s logistics team. Due to the rising level of detail buyers demand, a grower’s delivered trolley is increasingly split into several smaller transactions. As a result, there is more work per delivered trolley than before. In 2026, RFH’s logistics staff therefore handled more transactions than ever before. During the most recent peak period, the highest number of flower transactions in Aalsmeer in a single day was 102,000, compared with 93,000 in 2025 — a 10 percent increase.

© Royal FloraHolland

Cut flowers: lower volumes, but a more stable market
Within the cut-flower market, the number of stems traded fell by 4.5 percent in the second quarter, while average prices rose by just over 2.9 percent. Whereas the first quarter was still characterized by volume growth combined with price pressure, a more limited supply across several product groups is now supporting price trends.

Partly due to geopolitical tensions, the Rose and Seasonal Flowers product groups had a challenging quarter, with lower volumes than last year, albeit at slightly higher prices. Roses, the leading cut-flower product group, saw product revenues fall by 10.1 percent and units sold drop by 10.5 percent, though the average price of €0.23 per stem edged up 0.5 percent. In contrast, product groups such as Chrysanthemums and eustomas grew in both volume and revenue. Chrysanthemum (Ind Grp T) revenue rose 3.7 percent on a 1.8 percent increase in units sold, while eustoma russellianum posted a 5.8 percent revenue gain alongside 2.7 percent higher volumes and an average price of €0.80. Revenue for Peonies also remained virtually the same as last year, down just 0.1 percent, despite an 8.9 percent drop in supply, thanks to significantly better pricing — average prices climbed 9.7 percent to €0.64.

Elsewhere in the top ten, Tulipa revenue fell 8.0 percent as volumes dipped 1.2 percent and average prices dropped 6.9 percent to €0.20. Lilium revenue declined 2.9 percent on a 5.3 percent volume fall, while average prices rose 2.5 percent to €0.74. Gerbera and Hydrangea both grew: Gerbera revenue rose 1.9 percent on 2.7 percent higher volumes, while Hydrangea revenue climbed 7.3 percent on a 9.5 percent volume increase, even as its average price of €1.85 slipped 2.0 percent. Chrysanthemum (Ind Grp G) revenue edged up 1.3 percent, and Limonium revenue was almost flat at -0.3 percent despite a 5.4 percent drop in units sold, offset by a 5.4 percent rise in average price to €0.26.

Houseplants: differences between product groups continue to widen
Within the houseplant market, the differences between product groups remain significant. Potted moth orchids, by far the largest product group, performed largely as anticipated. Volume growth remained limited, but pricing came under clear pressure throughout the quarter. As a result, Phalaenopsis revenue fell by 6.4 percent even though the number of units sold remained virtually unchanged, down just 0.2 percent, as the average price dropped 6.2 percent to €4.49.

The picture was more positive for potted roses, where both volume and revenue grew compared with last year — revenue rose 4.2 percent on a 6.5 percent increase in units sold, at an average price of €1.50. The flamingo flower, Anthurium, also showed stable performance, with revenue and volumes remaining virtually unchanged and an average price of €3.61. Within the green houseplant sector, a trend that has been evident for several years is continuing: the volume produced and traded is declining further, with the sharpest fall continuing to be seen in the smaller pot sizes. At the same time, a cautious recovery in pricing is evident in 2026, suggesting that supply and demand are slowly returning to a more balanced state.

Elsewhere, Kalanchoe had a difficult quarter, with revenue down 17.0 percent and units sold down 12.6 percent. Hydrangea revenue fell 5.4 percent on a 3.9 percent volume decline, and arrangements saw the steepest fall, with revenue down 20.5 percent and units sold down 30.3 percent, despite a 14.0 percent rise in average price to €4.64. Zantedeschia revenue dropped 16.0 percent on a 10.5 percent volume decline. On the positive side, the “other houseplants” category grew strongly, with revenue up 24.4 percent and volumes up 17.6 percent, while Ficus revenue rose 3.4 percent despite a 4.3 percent fall in units sold, supported by an 8.0 percent rise in average price to €4.75. Spathiphyllum revenue was nearly flat, down 0.8 percent.

Garden plants: consumers continue to invest in their gardens
For garden plants, the figures paint a slightly more positive picture than for cut flowers and houseplants. Although sales volumes here were also lower than last year, pricing held up relatively well. Over the second quarter, volume fell by 6.0 percent, while the average selling price rose by almost 6 percent, making garden plants one of the product groups with the strongest price performance of the quarter.

One possible explanation is that consumers continue to invest in their homes and gardens even during economic uncertainty. As a result, demand for garden plants remains relatively stable, despite potentially more cautious spending patterns in other parts of the consumer market.

Within the garden plants category, Lavandula and Hydrangea stood out. Lavandula revenue grew 14.5 percent on a 6.5 percent rise in units sold, supported by a 7.5 percent higher average selling price of €1.86. Hydrangea also maintained its product revenues, up 1.3 percent despite a 1.7 percent dip in volume, thanks to improved pricing, with the average price rising 3.1 percent to €5.51.

Elsewhere in the category, several product groups saw declines: “other bedding plants” revenue fell 10.0 percent on a 13.5 percent volume drop, Dianthus revenue was down 5.9 percent, Mandevilla down 3.2 percent, and Osteospermum down 3.0 percent. Pelargonium revenue fell 6.1 percent despite a strong 10.4 percent rise in average price, as volumes dropped 15.0 percent. Vegetable plants (Groenteplanten) revenue declined 7.4 percent, and “other perennials” fell 16.6 percent. A bright spot was the “other trees/shrubs” category, which climbed three positions in the rankings with revenue up 2.6 percent on a 6.9 percent volume increase, even as its average price slipped 4.1 percent.

International supply remains under pressure
A more cautious market outlook was also evident internationally. Supplies from key countries of origin, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, were lower than a year ago. In particular, both volume and product revenues from Kenya declined significantly, with revenue down 11.1 percent and units sold down 14.2 percent. Ethiopia saw a smaller decline, with revenue down 1.9 percent and units sold down 3.6 percent, while Italy’s revenue fell 2.9 percent on a steeper 9.1 percent drop in units sold. This was offset by growth from countries such as Spain and Israel: Israel’s revenue rose 7.1 percent with units sold flat, while Spain posted the strongest growth by far, with revenue up 35.2 percent and units sold up 25.3 percent.

Domestically, national revenue fell 2.5 percent on a 3.3 percent drop in units sold, while international sales saw a steeper decline, with revenue down 3.8 percent and units sold down 7.3 percent.

Mother’s Day remains the quarter’s key occasion
Mother’s Day is the most important floral occasion of the second quarter. A bouquet of flowers is traditionally a popular gift on Mother’s Day, both in the Netherlands and abroad. This is also evident this year from Royal FloraHolland’s sales figures for the week leading up to Mother’s Day.

In the run-up to Mother’s Day 2026, from Monday 4 May to Wednesday 6 May, 154 million flowers were traded, close to the 155 million traded in the same period in 2025, alongside approximately 26 million houseplants and garden plants, up from 24 million in 2025.

First-half 2026 overview
For the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, Royal FloraHolland’s revenue was down 1.2 percent and units sold down 0.8 percent. Flower prices fell 0.9 percent, while plant prices rose 0.6 percent. Auction and direct sales channels each accounted for around half of total volume over the first half of the year, at 49 and 51 percent respectively.