The 2024 U.S. cut-flower census recorded commercial rose sales by rose type, sales channel, and state. The figures cover stems or bunches sold by reporting operations, rather than every rose plant or all field production. Values are reported in thousands of U.S. dollars.
Contents
- What the 2024 rose figures measure
- U.S. totals by rose type
- Wholesale and retail garden roses
- Wholesale and retail hybrid tea roses
- Spray and sweetheart rose channels
- California rose production
- Other state-level reporting
What the 2024 rose figures measure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports these results in Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 and Table 12. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 (continued). The tables describe commercial cut-flower sales during 2024. They separate garden roses, hybrid-tea roses, spray-type roses, and sweetheart roses, and they distinguish wholesale from retail activity where reported.
The unit matters. Garden roses are counted in thousand bunches, while hybrid tea, spray-type, and sweetheart roses are counted in thousand stems. Sales value is measured in thousand dollars. A figure of 8,552 thousand hybrid-tea stems therefore means 8,552,000 reported stems, while 153 thousand garden-rose bunches means 153,000 bunches. The source does not make those units interchangeable.
The operation counts also describe reporting operations for the relevant category. They are not a count of all U.S. rose farms, all businesses selling roses, or all facilities growing ornamental plants. The 2024 table covered 101 garden-rose operations, 50 hybrid-tea operations, 30 spray-type operations, and 7 sweetheart-rose operations. These category counts should be read alongside the sales figures because one operation can appear in more than one category or channel.
Source: USDA NASS, Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024; USDA NASS, Table 12. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 (continued).
U.S. totals by rose type
Hybrid tea and spray-type roses accounted for the largest reported stem volumes in the national table. U.S. operations sold 8,552 thousand hybrid-tea stems in 2024, with sales valued at $5,764 thousand. Spray-type roses reached 6,342 thousand stems and $6,634 thousand in sales. The sweetheart category was much smaller by volume: 299 thousand stems valued at $153 thousand.
Garden roses use a different quantity unit. U.S. operations sold 153 thousand garden-rose bunches, with sales valued at $1,934 thousand. That total should not be ranked directly against stem totals without acknowledging the packaging difference.
| Rose type | Quantity sold in 2024 | Sales value | Reporting operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden rose | 153 thousand bunches | $1,934 thousand | 101 |
| Hybrid tea | 8,552 thousand stems | $5,764 thousand | 50 |
| Spray type | 6,342 thousand stems | $6,634 thousand | 30 |
| Sweetheart | 299 thousand stems | $153 thousand | 7 |
Source: USDA NASS, Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024.
For floral designers, the table offers two useful distinctions. First, hybrid tea had the largest reported stem count among the stem-counted categories. Second, spray-type roses had a lower stem count than hybrid tea but a higher reported sales value: $6,634 thousand compared with $5,764 thousand. The figures describe reported sales and values; they do not explain the causes of the difference or establish a price comparison across rose forms.
Wholesale and retail garden roses
Wholesale activity dominated the reported garden-rose quantity and value. Wholesale growers sold 147 thousand garden-rose bunches in 2024, and wholesale garden-rose sales were valued at $1,840 thousand. Thirty-nine operations reported wholesale garden-rose sales.
Retail growers sold 6 thousand garden-rose bunches, valued at $93 thousand. Seventy-four operations reported retail garden-rose sales. The operation count is higher for retail than wholesale even though the reported retail quantity and value are lower. That pattern is a reminder that the number of reporting operations does not by itself indicate total production volume.
The two channel entries describe the garden-rose figures as follows:
- Wholesale: 147 thousand bunches, $1,840 thousand in sales, and 39 reporting operations.
- Retail: 6 thousand bunches, $93 thousand in sales, and 74 reporting operations.
The national garden-rose total was 153 thousand bunches and $1,934 thousand, while the channel-specific entries identify where the reported sales were made. The USDA source labels these as 2024 cut-flower sales, so the figures are not estimates of planted acreage, harvest capacity, or consumer demand in a later year.
Source: USDA NASS, Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024.
Wholesale and retail hybrid tea roses
Hybrid tea roses were reported primarily through wholesale sales. Wholesale growers sold 8,413 thousand hybrid-tea stems in 2024, valued at $5,489 thousand. Twenty-two operations reported wholesale hybrid-tea rose sales.
Retail growers sold 139 thousand hybrid-tea stems, valued at $275 thousand. Thirty-four operations reported retail hybrid-tea rose sales. Together, the national table reports 8,552 thousand hybrid-tea stems and $5,764 thousand in sales across the category.
| Hybrid tea channel | Stems sold | Sales value | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale | 8,413 thousand | $5,489 thousand | 22 |
| Retail | 139 thousand | $275 thousand | 34 |
| All reported channels | 8,552 thousand | $5,764 thousand | 50 |
Source: USDA NASS, Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024.
The channel split is useful when interpreting the scale of hybrid tea production. Wholesale growers accounted for the much larger reported stem quantity, while retail had more reporting operations in this category. The source gives the sales quantities, values, and operation counts, but it does not provide a reason for the different channel patterns.
Spray and sweetheart rose channels
Spray-type roses were also concentrated in wholesale sales. Wholesale growers sold 6,295 thousand spray-type stems in 2024, and 17 operations reported wholesale spray-type rose sales. Retail growers sold 47 thousand spray-type stems, with 17 operations reporting retail spray-type sales. Across all reported channels, the category reached 6,342 thousand stems and $6,634 thousand in sales.
Sweetheart roses had the smallest national stem total in the table. Four operations reported wholesale sweetheart-rose sales, and three operations reported retail sweetheart-rose sales. Across all reported channels, the 2024 dataset recorded 299 thousand sweetheart stems and $153 thousand in sales. The national table lists 7 sweetheart-rose operations in total.
These channel figures are best used as category-specific production context. Spray roses and sweetheart roses are counted in stems, while garden roses are counted in bunches. The operation counts are also category reports, not unique business totals across every rose type.
Source: USDA NASS, Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024.
California rose production
California was the principal state-level reporter in the supplied 2024 state table for both hybrid-tea and spray-type roses. California operations sold 8,457 thousand hybrid-tea stems, valued at $5,495 thousand. Fourteen California operations reported hybrid-tea rose sales.
The California hybrid-tea total included 8,365 thousand wholesale stems valued at $5,340 thousand, reported by 5 operations. Retail growers sold 92 thousand hybrid-tea stems valued at $155 thousand, with 9 operations reporting retail sales.
California spray-type rose sales totaled 5,810 thousand stems and $5,669 thousand, with 7 operations reporting the category. The state-level table identifies 6 California operations with wholesale spray-type sales and 2 with retail spray-type sales. The channel operation counts are presented as reported category entries and should not be treated as a unique statewide business census.
| California category | Total stems | Total value | Wholesale stems | Retail stems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid tea | 8,457 thousand | $5,495 thousand | 8,365 thousand | 92 thousand |
| Spray type | 5,810 thousand | $5,669 thousand | Not quantified in the supplied state entry | Not quantified in the supplied state entry |
Source: USDA NASS, Table 12. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 (continued).
The California hybrid-tea figures sit close to the national hybrid-tea totals because California’s reported 8,457 thousand stems compare with the U.S. total of 8,552 thousand. This is a direct comparison of the two USDA table entries for 2024; it is not a broader estimate of California’s share of every U.S. rose sale.
Other state-level reporting
Connecticut and Ohio also appear in the 2024 state-level rose entries, but their reported quantities are much smaller than California’s in the listed categories.
Connecticut operations sold 3 thousand hybrid-tea stems, valued at $6 thousand. Five Connecticut operations reported hybrid-tea rose sales; 4 reported wholesale sales and 1 reported retail sales. The supplied state entry does not quantify a separate wholesale-versus-retail stem total for Connecticut, so the 3-thousand-stem figure is the reported state total.
Ohio operations sold 15 thousand spray-type stems, valued at $60 thousand. Six Ohio operations reported spray-type rose sales. The state entry reports the same 15 thousand stems and $60 thousand for Ohio retail growers, with 6 operations reporting retail spray-type sales.
For comparison, the reported state figures are:
| State and rose type | Quantity sold | Sales value | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| California hybrid tea | 8,457 thousand stems | $5,495 thousand | 14 |
| Connecticut hybrid tea | 3 thousand stems | $6 thousand | 5 |
| California spray type | 5,810 thousand stems | $5,669 thousand | 7 |
| Ohio spray type | 15 thousand stems | $60 thousand | 6 |
Source: USDA NASS, Table 12. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 (continued).
These state entries should be read as reported 2024 commercial cut-flower sales. They do not represent global rose production, all rose plants grown in the United States, or a forecast for future seasons. For floral design planning, their clearest use is to show how strongly the reported U.S. stem totals were concentrated in specific rose types, channels, and reporting states.