The state of the orchid industry in the USA

Marcel Boonekamp is the Director of Growing at Ohio-based Green Circle Growers, a market-leading producer of Phalaenopsis orchids, tropical plants, foliage, and succulents in North America. Born in The Netherlands, he grew up at his parent’s greenhouse. After college, he joined the family company growing tomatoes and, later, roses. In 2015, he and his family moved to the USA to join Green Circle Growers, where he overlooks the production of Phalaenopsis.

Marcel Boonekamp is the Director of Growing at Ohio-based Green Circle Growers.

“At this year’s TIOS orchid show in Taiwan, I had the honour to present on the current state of the U.S. orchid industry. I discussed how it has changed over the last three years and navigated a wave of supply chain disruptions amid a challenging retail environment and evolving consumer preferences.

Over the past 25 years, orchids have shown steady year-over-year growth. Among indoor houseplants, orchids make up one-third of the total wholesale value of all potted flowering crops in the U.S., with market potential only rivalled by potted foliage plants. Reliable market data is not easy to find, but based on conversations with a range of orchid professionals, we think that the USA annually produces around 36 million units, representing a wholesale value of $300mn.

While orchids are a year-round crop, there are floral holidays that spike demand, like Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day. These occasions warrant the support of Taiwanese imports to support consumer demand in the U.S.

Since Green Circle Growers launched ‘Just Add Ice® Orchids’, it has actively been promoting easy care to the end consumer to make orchids accessible to everyone in the U.S. and Canada. Through our brand, we interact daily with the end consumer on our website, social media channels and orchid care blog to educate on plant care, fun facts, and giveaways. All in line with our mission; ‘To make every day better with plants’.

Within our market research, we look closely at the U.S. consumer in terms of gender, age, income, education, household composition, and housing. Based on the typical U.S. orchid consumer demographics, we believe that the orchid is resilient to higher inflation. While the orchid production and demand may level out in the future, we foresee a steady consumer demand through continued innovation and matching our product to the ever-evolving consumer preferences.”