Cal Grown at OLAFM

Why California-Grown Flowers Belong in Your Next Arrangement

Discover the local growers, seasonal stems, and sustainable story behind the California-grown flowers at the Original LA Flower Market.

A Field-to-Floor Story You Can Actually See

Here's something most shoppers don't realize when they walk through the Original LA Flower Market: a huge percentage of the flowers on our floor are California-grown. That means they were standing in a field somewhere in the Golden State just hours before they made it to our vendors' buckets.

No long-haul flights. No days in cold storage. Just stems cut, packed, and trucked straight from California farms into the heart of the LA Flower District.

It's one of the things that makes shopping at OLAFM genuinely different, and it's a story we want every shopper, florist, and designer to know.

What "Cal Grown" Actually Means

"Cal Grown" (short for California Grown) is a certification that identifies flowers, foliage, and plants grown right here in California. When you see the Cal Grown label, you're looking at stems that were:

Grown on a California farm

• Harvested locally, often within the past 24–72 hours

• Tracked from field to floor with verified sourcing

It's the floral equivalent of shopping at a farmers market, only the "farmers market" happens to be the largest flower market on the West Coast.

Why Local Sourcing Is Worth Asking About

When you choose Cal Grown stems, a few really good things happen at once:

1. Freshness you can feel. Locally grown flowers spend less time in transit, which means longer vase life and stems that open beautifully for your customer or your event.

2. A smaller carbon footprint. Cal Grown blooms travel hundreds of miles instead of thousands. That's a meaningful difference for florists and brands building more sustainable practices into their work.

3. Direct support for California farms. Every Cal Grown stem you buy keeps family-run farms, growers, and floral communities here in our state thriving.

4. Seasonal beauty that reflects where you actually are. California's growing regions produce some of the most stunning seasonal varieties in the country. Buying local means your arrangements feel rooted in place.

What's in Season at OLAFM Right Now

California's growing calendar gives florists and designers an incredible range to work with year-round. Some of the Cal Grown stems you'll commonly find on our floor include:

Spring & early summer: ranunculus, anemones, sweet peas, stock, snapdragons, garden roses, peonies

Summer: dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, lisianthus, foxglove, scabiosa

Fall: chrysanthemums, celosia, amaranthus, marigolds, ornamental kale

Year-round staples: California-grown roses, lilies, hydrangeas, eucalyptus, and assorted greenery

Availability shifts week to week based on the season and the growers, so the best way to know what's freshest is simple: ask your vendor.

Vendors carrying CA Grown products

Almost all of our vendors carry California-grown products, but here are a few vendors especially known for carrying a wide selection of California-grown flowers and foliage:

Eliseo’s Wholesale - Stall 15

Sources from California-grown farmers only

Mellano & Co - Stall 27, 28, & 29

They have their own farm located in Oceanside, California.

Wall Street Florals - Stall 2

Operating as growers and wholesalers of fresh flowers since the 1920s.

SOS Flower Market - Stall 33

Carrying fresh cut flowers from the U.S

Imported and Local, All Under One Roof

One of the things that makes OLAFM special is that you don't have to choose. The LA Flower Market is home to stunning imported varieties from around the world AND hyperlocal Cal Grown stems, side by side, all under one roof.

That means florists can build arrangements that combine the rare and exotic with the fresh and local, depending on the project, the season, and the story they want to tell.

How to Shop Cal Grown at the Market

Next time you're walking the floor, here's a quick checklist to find Cal

1. Look for the Cal Grown or Certified American Grown labels on buckets and signage.

2. Ask your vendor. Many of our vendors carry Cal Grown selections and can point you to exactly what's in season that week.

3. Mix and match. Build arrangements that pair Cal Grown focal flowers with imported textures and accents.

4. Plan ahead for events. If you're sourcing for a wedding or large installation, ask vendors what Cal Grown varieties they expect in for your date.

Supporting California Farms, One Stem at a Time

Every time a florist, designer, or shopper chooses Cal Grown, they're investing in California's flower farms, the families who run them, and the future of locally grown floriculture. That's a story we're proud to be part of at the LA Flower Market, and one we love sharing with our community.

So next time you're at OLAFM, ask your vendor about their Cal Grown selection. They'll tell you what's fresh, what's just arrived, and what's worth grabbing before it's gone.

That's the OLAFM difference: world-class variety, California roots, and a market floor that connects you directly to the people who grow what you love.

Visit us at the Original LA Flower Market in the heart of the LA Flower District. Follow @cagrownofficial and @americangrownflowers to learn more about California-grown floriculture.