Austin-area florists seeing impacts of tariffs [Video]

AUSTIN, Texas — It is already one of the busiest times of the year for players in the floral industry like Mistine Boren, who owns Studio Mistine Floral Design. 

But with proms, Mother’s Day and more weddings around the corner, tariffs are now top of mind.

“I’m actually sourcing more wild local flowers so I don’t have to deal with these tariffs,” Boren said. 

The USDA reports that countries like Colombia, Canada and Ecuador are leading suppliers of flowers to the U.S. With these countries now facing tariffs from the Trump administration, Boren is noticing flower prices from the wholesale side are going up anywhere from 8% to 10%, impacting her bottom line.

Now she’s trying to decide between cutting into the company’s profitability or increasing prices. 

“It’s tough because, you know, our margins are so thin already. And especially when …