How Many Flowers Are Sent Each Mother's Day? The Floral Industry Rakes In Billions

Mother's Day is coming up on May 8 — and that means you should start hinting to your brood that you don't really want macaroni necklaces or to have to spend the day brunching with your extended family. Just break it to them kindly. Some sleep-in time and some flowers usually do the trick when it comes to the holiday, anyway. In fact, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day are the two biggest holidays when it comes to sappy cards and flowers. So just how many flowers are sent each Mother's Day?

Answer: A lot. Like, a lot, a lot. According to About Flowers, the official site of the Society of American Florists, Mother's Day ranks just under Christmas and Hanukkah as the second largest flower holiday. Yup, Mother's Day accounts for 24 percent of yearly flowers sent, with Valentine's Day coming in just at 20 percent.

According to the industry, 64 percent of Mother's Day gifts are flowers each year, with most consumers buying them for their own mother. Mother-in-laws, spouses, and other family members are the other most popular recipients of a bouquet. Basically, fresh blooms are a must if you want to show your mom you care. In all, the floral industry rakes in about $1.9 billion dollars on each year on your annual offering to Mom.

And flowers are not cheap either. The National Retail Federation projects that consumers spend about $141 each year on Mother's Day gifts, with $17 on average going towards flowers. That sounds like bargain, since some arrangements on retail sites like 1-800-Flowers can cost upwards of 50 big ones. A lot of the cost, though, is built into the delivery fee, which isn't cheap when it comes to online florists. According to USA Today, the standard delivery fee for flowers throughout the year is around $15, but that goes up to $22 if you want them delivered on Mother's Day proper. If you want Mom to stop and smell the roses before 1 p.m. on that Sunday, it'll cost you another $10. Insanity, right?

It's all about supply and demand. Which is why the best way to give your mom something to admire on a budget (if you live close enough), is to send flowers a day or two in advance of the holiday. Or, go to a local nursery, support small businesses, and put your own hanging basket of geraniums together or plant a big, leafy pot full of herbs she can use all summer together on your own. In fact, crafting a pot for grandma with your kids isn't a bad way to spend an afternoon, either.

Sure, it might not be as fancy as a dozen roses, but some bonding time and getting everyone's hands dirty could be fun — it just depends if washing grass stained jeans for a week is worth the money you might save on shipping. Your call, kids.