The 2024 U.S. cut-flower benchmark recorded 18,337 thousand sunflower stems sold, with a total value of $14,171 thousand. Those sales came from 1,544 operations across all sales channels, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024. State results show a market led by California, New Jersey, Michigan, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, with production also reported across many smaller markets.
Contents
- National benchmark
- Leading state markets
- Additional all-sales production
- Wholesale sales
- Retail sales
- Smaller-state coverage
National benchmark
The national total combines wholesale and retail channels. U.S. operations sold 18,337 thousand sunflower stems in 2024, valued at $14,171 thousand. The count of operations selling sunflowers across all channels was 1,544. These figures describe stems sold and sales value for the 2024 measurement period, rather than an estimate of planted area or a forecast of a future season. All national figures come from USDA NASS Table 13. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024.
Wholesale was the larger channel by reported stem volume. Wholesale sales accounted for 13,417 thousand stems and $7,805 thousand in sales value. NASS recorded 433 operations reporting wholesale sunflower stem sales. Retail sales accounted for 4,921 thousand stems and $6,366 thousand in sales value, with 1,304 operations reporting retail sunflower stem sales.
The channel totals show two different features of the market. Wholesale involved fewer reporting operations than retail, while the wholesale stem count was higher. Retail involved more operations and a smaller reported stem total. The figures are channel totals for the United States in 2024; they should not be read as a direct comparison of farm size because the operation counts and sales channels can represent different business patterns.
| 2024 U.S. channel | Sunflower stems sold (thousand) | Sales value (thousand dollars) | Reporting operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| All sales | 18,337 | 14,171 | 1,544 |
| Wholesale | 13,417 | 7,805 | 433 |
| Retail | 4,921 | 6,366 | 1,304 |
Leading state markets
State-level results are reported in USDA NASS Table 12. Cut Flowers Sold: 2024 (State Data). California was the largest listed state market by all-sales sunflower stem output, with 5,102 thousand stems worth $3,617 thousand. It had 99 operations selling sunflower cut flowers across all sales channels.
New Jersey reported 2,722 thousand stems and $1,788 thousand in all-sales value, with 57 selling operations. Michigan reported 1,978 thousand stems worth $1,455 thousand, and it had 146 operations. Massachusetts recorded 1,321 thousand stems and $871 thousand in value. North Carolina reported 941 thousand stems worth $790 thousand. The supplied state results do not include an operation count for Massachusetts, North Carolina, or several other states in this comparison.
New York reported 475 thousand stems and $403 thousand in all-sales value. The leading state figures are summarized below; quantities are thousand stems and values are thousand dollars, exactly as reported for 2024.
| State | Stems sold | All-sales value | Operations, when reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5,102 | $3,617 | 99 |
| New Jersey | 2,722 | $1,788 | 57 |
| Michigan | 1,978 | $1,455 | 146 |
| Massachusetts | 1,321 | $871 | Not supplied |
| North Carolina | 941 | $790 | Not supplied |
| New York | 475 | $403 | Not supplied |
These results place California well ahead of the other listed state markets by reported stems. New Jersey and Michigan follow, while Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New York form a second group of substantial state-level production. The values are all-sales totals, so they combine the wholesale and retail activity reported for each state.
Additional all-sales production
The state table also shows meaningful sunflower activity outside the largest markets. Illinois operations sold 407 thousand stems worth $452 thousand in 2024 across all sales channels, with 57 operations. Ohio reported 211 thousand stems and $249 thousand in value from 69 operations. Wisconsin reported 226 thousand stems worth $211 thousand, with 69 operations.
Maryland recorded 256 thousand stems and $251 thousand in all-sales value from 32 operations. Washington reported 162 thousand stems worth $220 thousand. These figures demonstrate that stem volume and sales value vary by state and should be kept as separate measures when comparing markets.
Colorado reported 280 thousand stems and $314 thousand in all-sales value from 30 operations. Its position illustrates that a state with fewer reported operations can still have a notable all-sales stem total. The 2024 all-sales results supplied for Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Washington, and Colorado are shown here without adding unreported operation counts.
The all-sales data is useful for readers assessing where sunflower stems entered the market, but it does not identify the production method, cultivar, harvest timing, or destination of each stem. It is a sales benchmark by state and channel coverage, not a growing guide or a measure of acreage.
Wholesale sales
Wholesale reporting gives a closer view of stems moving through the wholesale channel. California reported 61 wholesale sunflower-selling operations, 4,628 thousand wholesale stems, and $2,703 thousand in wholesale sales in 2024. Illinois reported 9 operations, 109 thousand stems, and $108 thousand in wholesale sales.
New York reported 15 wholesale operations, 77 thousand stems, and $67 thousand in sales. Washington reported 16 operations, 45 thousand stems, and $39 thousand in sales. Ohio reported 16 operations, 57 thousand stems, and $63 thousand in sales.
Oklahoma reported 4 wholesale sunflower-selling operations, 15 thousand stems, and $31 thousand in wholesale sales. Vermont reported 11 operations, 38 thousand stems, and $41 thousand in sales. Michigan reported 21 wholesale operations and $617 thousand in wholesale sales, but its wholesale stem quantity was withheld by USDA disclosure rules.
North Carolina reported 14 wholesale sunflower-selling operations. Its wholesale stem quantity and sales value were withheld by USDA disclosure rules. A withheld quantity is not zero production; it is an unavailable value in the published state table. That distinction matters when reading state rankings or trying to reconcile the state-level detail with broader totals.
Retail sales
Retail results show broad participation among operations selling directly through the retail channel. California reported 60 retail sunflower-selling operations, 475 thousand retail stems, and $914 thousand in retail sales in 2024. Illinois reported 49 operations, 298 thousand stems, and $344 thousand in retail sales.
New York reported 67 retail operations, 398 thousand stems, and $336 thousand in sales. Ohio reported 63 operations, 153 thousand stems, and $186 thousand in sales. Washington reported 45 operations, 117 thousand stems, and $181 thousand in sales.
Michigan reported 132 retail sunflower-selling operations and $838 thousand in retail sales. Its retail stem quantity was withheld under USDA disclosure rules. New Jersey reported 43 retail operations and $825 thousand in retail sales, with its retail stem quantity also withheld.
Massachusetts reported 58 retail operations, while its retail stem quantity and sales value were withheld. North Carolina reported 58 retail operations, with both retail quantity and sales value withheld. These disclosure treatments mean the published operation count can remain visible even when the associated quantity or value is not.
The retail figures also show why operation counts should not be substituted for stems sold. For example, the published counts range from 45 retail operations in Washington to 132 in Michigan, while the corresponding stem quantities are not available for every state. Where NASS withheld a quantity or value, the correct description is that the measure was withheld, not that the state had no sales.
Smaller-state coverage
Sunflower cut-flower sales were reported across a wide geographic range in 2024. Minnesota reported 61 operations, 61 thousand stems, and $97 thousand in all-sales value. Maine reported 37 operations, 74 thousand stems, and $90 thousand. New Hampshire reported 37 operations, 66 thousand stems, and $131 thousand.
Kentucky reported 30 operations, 83 thousand stems, and $110 thousand in all-sales value. Tennessee reported 29 operations, 43 thousand stems, and $50 thousand. Vermont reported 18 operations, 57 thousand stems, and $63 thousand. South Carolina reported 18 operations, 64 thousand stems, and $83 thousand.
Arkansas reported 10 sunflower-selling operations, 37 thousand stems, and $65 thousand in all-sales value. Together, these smaller-state results show that sunflower sales were not limited to the highest-output states. They also provide a useful reminder that a market can have many reporting operations without having a large statewide stem total, or a modest number of operations with a comparatively visible sales value.
For floral designers and growers, the 2024 USDA state tables provide a clear market baseline: 18,337 thousand U.S. sunflower stems sold across all channels, $14,171 thousand in value, and activity reported from major markets through smaller-state operations. Wholesale and retail results should be read separately, and withheld measures should remain identified as withheld when interpreting state comparisons.