Written by
Yvonne Marquenie
Giving a gift used to be quite simple. You saw something, thought of someone, and bought it. Nowadays, it seems an extra layer has been added. Is this sustainable enough? Should I have chosen something better?
Recent research shows that this feeling also applies to flowers. The term “flower shame” is not yet widely known, but the underlying mechanism is. About a third of consumers recognize it: a slight hesitation when giving or receiving flowers, often driven by questions about environmental impact and origin.
What stands out is that this doubt is rarely decisive. Most people continue to give flowers. But the joy sometimes feels just a little less natural. As if a small correction takes place in the moment itself: is this still okay?
This feeling does not stand alone. More than half of consumers (58%) say they find it difficult to understand how flowers are actually grown. And 44% feel that existing labels do not provide enough clarity.
Many people want to do the right thing—for others and for the world—but are not always given clear guidance. And where clarity is lacking, doubt arises.
For florists, this may well be the greatest challenge. The conversation around sustainability is here and will remain. At the same time, a gift is not, at its core, a calculation, but a gesture—something that shows you are thinking of someone.
In practice, this does not call for simple answers, but for balance. Between explanation and experience. Between transparency and trust. Sometimes this lies in information, sometimes in origin, but often also in how something is presented and communicated.
Perhaps the question is not how to eliminate doubt entirely, but how to prevent it from taking over the moment—so that there is once again space for what truly matters: a gesture that feels right.
