Valentine’s Day forecast: The five flowers retailers can expect to trend
A new data analysis has revealed the flowers retailers are likely to see trending this Valentine’s Day. Despite shifting trends, roses aren’t going anywhere, however, there are some surprising contenders in the top spots.
The research, conducted by Blooming Artificial, analyses four years of February search data to forecast which flowers will be trending in 2025:
- Roses with a predicted 178.5k UK searches
- Daffodils with a predicted 151.6k UK searches
- Tulips with a predicted 126.5k UK searches
- Peonies with a predicted 90.3k UK searches
- Hydrangeas with a predicted 69.5k UK searches
Hydrangeas have claimed a spot in the top five for the first time in four years, overtaking sunflowers. This shift reflects a steady rise in hydrangeas’ popularity alongside a declining interest in sunflowers. Meanwhile, roses look set to retain the prime position, with interest rates growing 23.7% between 2023 and 2024.
The analysis considers total search volumes for the flower names alongside keywords such as “arrangement”, “bouquet”, and their plurals. While many Brits will also be shopping for their Valentine in person, online floral sales have increased 68.8% in recent years.
Discussing the findings, Blooming Artificial’s Managing Director Alick Burnett shares, “Roses have always been a Valentine’s Day favourite, and it’s clear they’re not going out of style anytime soon. Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible growth in interest for our rose products – rose stem sales are up 58%, cabbage rose stems have grown by an impressive 452.6%, and rosebud stems have doubled in popularity.
“Our data predicts roses will continue to top the charts this Valentine’s Day with 178.5k UK searches. They’re a timeless classic that stands strong, even as other trends come and go. There’s something about roses, whether it’s their elegance, symbolism, or versatility, that makes them the ultimate choice for a meaningful and romantic gift.”
Last Valentine’s Day, one in five Brits surprised their loved ones with flowers, proving it’s still one of the most popular romantic gestures. Most people opted for thoughtful yet affordable bouquets, spending between £10 and £29.99, but men were more likely to go the extra mile and splash out a little more for their special someone.
Reflecting this, there were 33.1k searches for the term “flower bouquets” and 27.1k for the term “bouquets” last February. However, with searches like “cheap flower delivery” and “low-cost flower delivery” also trending, it’s clear that many shoppers are keeping budgets in mind, likely due to the rising cost of living.
Freesias, pansies, and gerberas sit at the bottom of the predicted trends for 2025. While they aren’t top search terms, they may still make an appearance as part of mixed floral arrangements.
The flowers that people are searching for luckily tend to correlate to those people would most like to receive with roses, daffodils, and tulips ranking among ‘Britain’s favourite flowers’. Surprisingly, lilies, a long-time favourite, didn’t make the top ten searches last year, and 2025 looks no different. This may be due to the high number of pet-owning households, as lilies are toxic to animals like cats and dogs. Artificial arrangements can offer a thoughtful, safe alternative for lily fans with pets.
Data collection: Search volumes of each of Britain’s favourite flowers were analysed using Google Ads data for the month of February between the years 2021-2024. The analysis included terms for each flower paired with keywords such as “arrangement”, “bouquet”, and their plurals. This data was then used to forecast search trends for 2025. Certain flowers, like Lupin, were omitted from the research due to potential confusion with unrelated terms, such as the popular television show of the same name.
