U.S. flower growers and wholesalers are racing to keep up with consumer demand in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.

According to Elizabeth Daly, spokeswoman for the Society of American Florists, the association recently polled 761 floral industry members, mostly retailers, about sales projections. About half of the respondents said they expect Valentine’s Day sales in 2022 to top those of 2021.

If retailers are predicting correctly, it would mean a continued growth trend, as 27% of Americans bought fresh flowers or plants as Valentine’s gifts in 2021, up from 25% in 2020.

Like other farmers, flower growers are facing significant challenges, including supply chain disruptions and higher input costs. But because demand for flowers is high, optimism is widespread.

Steve Dionne, executive director of the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers, or CalFlowers, said the spike in demand started in 2020 and hasn’t receded. The pandemic, he said, changed the American consumer’s relationship with flowers. People don’t just give flowers to others now; they also treat themselves.

“There is significant increased consumer demand,” said Dionne.

The industry, however, has faced difficulties.

Dionne said that bulb growers especially have struggled with global supply chain problems because most bulbs are imported.

Tyler Meskers, vice president of Oregon Flowers Inc., a cut flower business specializing in bulbs in Aurora, Ore., said shipping delays have made it hard to plant on time.

“The containers are just so delayed,” said Meskers. “That’s really interfering with our planting schedule.”

Meskers ordered bulb stock from Holland last year. The stock was harvested in November, the shipping container was ready by the first week of December and the bulbs were supposed to arrive in early January. But Feb. 7, Meskers said the container still had not arrived, extending even past the 2-to-3 week “buffer time” the company had built in for delays.

Domestic trucking disruptions have been a problem too, said Meskers.

Costs have also increased. Meskers this year is spending 10% to 15% more on bulbs, and freight containers which used to cost him $6,000 to $7,000 each now cost $15,000.

Other growers say they’re worried about the rising costs of fertilizer, packaging and other supplies.

Because of intense consumer demand, the flower industry has fortunately been able to pass on its costs. Domestic flower prices have risen 10% to 15% during the pandemic, said Dionne of CalFlowers, but “profit margins (for growers) are staying roughly the same.”

Demand for imported flowers is also on the rise.

The majority of roses that Americans give one another for Valentine’s Day are grown in South America. Each year, they are shipped in cargo jets to the U.S., where agricultural experts X-ray the flowers for contraband and examine them for pests or diseases.

Abel Serrano, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol assistant director of agriculture at the Miami Airport, a flower importation hub, said he has noticed an uptick in consumer demand.

In 2021, his site processed 850 million stems in the four-week period leading up to Valentine’s Day, up from 720 million stems pre-COVID. This February, he said, the volume appears 5% to 10% higher than last year.

Despite foreign competition, Dionne of CalFlowers said he sees room for domestic industry growth.

“There’s consolidation at the top of the industry, but at the same time, we see this robust and healthy new wave of entry into domestic floral production,” he said.