The profession of floristry, currently a globally integrated business reliant on complex logistics, traces its lineage across nearly four millennia, evolving from specialized roles in ancient religious ceremonies to a sophisticated commercial art form, according to historians specializing in botanical commerce. The field’s very name, florist, derives through French from the Latin Flora, the Roman goddess overseeing flowers and spring, underscoring its deep historical link to decorative flora. While the term initially referred solely to expert flower cultivators in 17th-century Europe, its modern definition solidified in the 19th century, encompassing sellers and arrangers who blend botanical expertise with design aesthetics.
Early Prototypes of the Florist
Long before the emergence of professional guilds in Europe, various ancient civilizations established specialized occupations centered on specific floral functions. In Ancient Egypt, dedicated temple servants and garland-makers cultivated the sacred blue lotus and other symbolic blooms for funerary offerings and elaborate religious collars, suggesting a distinct, non-commercial flower profession supported by the state. This specialization required technical expertise in weaving delicate materials into complex forms.
Similarly, in Ancient Greece, artisans known as stephanopolai (crown sellers) operated in marketplaces, creating ceremonial garlands and wreaths—such as the olive crowns awarded at the Olympic Games—for religious, social, and athletic events.
The Roman Empire saw the first truly commercialized flower trade. Driven by demand from wealthy citizens who used flowers lavishly for banquets and sensory indulgence, professionals known as coronarii sold cut flowers and ready-made arrangements. Pliny the Elder documented this commerce, noting that Romans went so far as to import roses from Egypt and utilized early forced cultivation techniques, highlighting a surprisingly advanced supply chain.
In Asia, traditions emphasized philosophical and artistic arrangements. China’s imperial gardens employed specialists who understood botanical symbols, and by the Tang Dynasty, professional flower arrangers served the elite. Japan developed Ikebana, a formalized art of flower arrangement focused on line and form. Ikebana masters, who often trained for decades, elevated flower arrangement into a disciplined spiritual and aesthetic profession, distinct from the commercial Western model.
European Development Fuels Modern Commerce
The foundation of modern floristry was laid in early modern Europe. The Dutch Golden Age played a pivotal role, with the 17th-century Tulip Mania fostering specialized growers, mass-market infrastructure, and sophisticated hybridization techniques, creating the first true commercial flower industry model.
This foundation was cemented during the Victorian Era in Britain (19th century). The rising urban middle class, combined with the fascination with the cultural “language of flowers” (floriography), created unprecedented demand. Improved infrastructure, like railway systems, facilitated the rapid transport of fresh flowers from growers to urban markets, accelerating the establishment of dedicated high-street floral shops. New greenhouse technology also enabled year-round production, shifting floristry into a constant, accessible trade.
A Globalized, Technological Future
The 20th and 21st centuries transformed floristry into a highly technological, globalized market. The advent of air freight and sophisticated cold chain logistics allows flowers to be harvested in regions like Colombia or Kenya and sold across continents within days. Today, the Netherlands remains the global hub, with vast auction houses like FloraHolland setting prices and distributing flowers worldwide electronically.
Modern florists must now integrate artistic design with complex supply management and business acumen. The field continues to diversify, spanning high-end event installations, sustainable farming practices, and mass-market online sales. This evolution demonstrates that while the impulse to use flowers for adornment and symbolism is ancient, the profession of floristry remains dynamic, continuously adapting to technology, trade, and consumer ethics.