The modern profession of floristry, defined by the cultivation, design, and sale of ornamental flowers, boasts a rich and geographically diverse heritage tracing back over 4,000 years, according to recent historical analysis. What began as specialized roles dedicated to religious and ceremonial purposes in ancient civilizations eventually coalesced into a multi-billion dollar global commercial industry driven by dramatic cultural shifts and technological innovation, particularly in Europe during the last four centuries.
Deep Roots in Antiquity
While the term “florist” derives from the Latin flora, referring to the goddess of flowers and spring, the occupation of specialized flower handler predates Roman culture by millennia. In Ancient Egypt, priests and dedicated servants cultivated sacred flowers, like the blue lotus, to create elaborate garlands, collars, and offerings for religious ceremonies and funerary rites, suggesting a class of specialized artisans.
Simultaneously, in Ancient Greece, professional garland makers, known as stephanopolai (crown sellers), provided wreaths for athletes, religious processions, and social gatherings. The Romans formalized this trade further; during the Republic, vendors called coronarii operated stalls, selling fresh flowers and prepared garlands. Roman demand was so intense that advanced commerce developed, including the importation of roses from Egypt during winter and the use of heated structures—early greenhouses—to force blooms.
Across the globe, similar specialization emerged. Ancient China employed educated imperial garden keepers who perfected ornamental horticulture and sophisticated flower arrangement, setting the stage for the highly aestheticized practice that later flourished in Japan. By the 15th century, Japan formalized flower arrangement into ikebana, a spiritual and artistic discipline led by masters like the Ikenobo school, who focused on line, form, and philosophy rather than purely commercial abundance.
The European Commercial Flowering
Between the Medieval preservation of botanical knowledge in monasteries and the Renaissance’s return to aesthetic gardening, the stage was set for modern floristry. The profession’s commercial character truly took root during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century.
Driven by the market for ornamental bulbs, particularly the famed Tulip Mania, the Dutch developed advanced hybridization, commercial cultivation infrastructure, and the world’s first systematic flower markets. This commercial model was refined in Victorian England in the 19th century, where a rapidly growing middle class utilized flowers as essential elements of social events and communication, fueled by the popular “language of flowers” (floriography).
The Victorian era solidified the role of the florist as a skilled artisan and retailer. Improved transportation, specifically railways, allowed for the rapid transport of fresh flowers from rural growing areas to burgeoning urban centers, cementing the economic viability of the cut-flower industry. Advances in glasshouse technology ensured year-round availability, elevating the status of commercial floristry as a specialized, technical trade.
Globalization and Modern Complexity
The 20th century transformed floristry through logistics and global sourcing. Beginning with the founding of organizations like Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD) in 1910, flower delivery services enabled long-distance transmission of sentiment. The advent of air freight and sophisticated cold chain management allowed flowers picked in South America or Africa to reach European and North American markets within days.
Today’s floristry landscape is fundamentally defined by global trade. Colombia and Ecuador emerged as major exporters of roses and carnations, utilizing their equatorial climates and high altitudes to supply a significant portion of the global market. Meanwhile, centers like the FloraHolland auction in the Netherlands act as the global hub, trading billions of plants and flowers annually through complex electronic auction systems.
The modern florist now navigates a complex system balancing art, commerce, and sustainable practices. While Japanese ikebana masters continue ancient aesthetic traditions, Western florists increasingly embrace event design, subscription models, and sourcing transparency. This evolution demonstrates that whether providing sacred offerings in ancient Egypt or delivering a rose bouquet across continents, the human impulse to use flowers for expression remains the enduring foundation of the profession.