Colombia, renowned for its rich culture and awe-inspiring sceneries, also boasts a thriving flower industry. This richly colorful industry often paints the country in a spectrum of colorful flowers; with roses, carnations, orchids, and many others widely grown. From the fertile valleys of the Andes to the coastal plains, Colombian flower growers cultivate a dazzling array of blooms, which enthrall the world with both their beauty and fragrance.
This South American country's flower industry saw a huge boom following the 1991 Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). Passed by George H. W. Bush, the ATPA removed import duties on goods like Colombian roses to help eradicate drug-crop growth in South America. The overwhelming majority of the rose farms in The country particularly come from the temperate highlands outside of Bogotá and Medellín.
Colombian Rose Farms Where Some of Your Favorite Roses Come From
Since the early 1990s, flowers have grown to become one of Colombia’s biggest exports – shipping more than $1.4 billion in cut flowers per year, just slightly less than gold and coffee. Nearly 80% of the flowers go to the US markets.
The tremendous growth of the Colombian floral industry is, particularly, thanks to a slew of US policy changes, an excellent local ecosystem, a location that is actually more convenient to export from than the former floral hub California, cheaper labor, and a transportation network that includes everything from airplanes to massive refrigerated warehouses to modest cart.
There are more than 400 companies that produce cut flowers for export, occupying at least 17,000 acres of land. 73% of these farms are in the Bogotá Savannah, 24% can be found in the province of Antioquia and 3% are in the central area region of the country. Here are some of this country's notable rose flower growers and producers.
Photo by @matinaflowers
1. Alexandra Farms
Alexandra Farms is, perhaps, the most famous rose farm in Colombia. This is a boutique grower specializing in nostalgic, romantic, fresh-cut garden roses. The flower farm is located in the incredibly fertile savanna of Bogotá, high up in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. Here, the warm days and cool nights are perfect for growing roses.
The flower grower's garden roses are particularly renowned and very popular across the world. They are hand-cut, hand-graded, and hand-packed by caring, rose-loving people. Alexandra Farms is, especially, famous for the top-quality David Austin wedding roses that it produces.
Photo by @alexandrafarms
Other roses from the grower include Rose White O'Hara, Rose Pink O'Hara, Rose White Cloud, Rose Lavender Bouquet, Rose Wanted, Rose Vitality, Rose Golden Mustard, Rose Free Spirit, Rose Caramel Antike, and Rose Princess Charlene of Monaco, among many others.
Just recently, Alexandra Farms unveiled Rose Princess Holly’s Hope®, a special garden rose that had been years in the making. The unique rose was named after one of the flower farm’s closest friends and collaborators, the renowned floral designer and educator Holly Heider Chapple.
Photo by @alexandrafarms
2. Fillco Flowers
Fillco Flowers is a company that has been present on the market for almost 15 years and, since then, has been successfully serving customers throughout the U.S., Europe, and Canada. The Fillco Flowers farm is located in the beautiful and fertile Bogotá Savanna, at an altitude of 2,600 meters, where weather conditions are suitable for growing flowers.
This perfect location for flower cultivation, combined with the great human potential, continuous training, development of new technologies, and environmental protection enables Fillco Flowers to offer first-quality cut flowers — roses — for the ever-demanding markets.
Photo by @fillcoflowers
The commitment of the company to quality and innovation allows it to continually introduce new products into the market. This, in turn, allows the company to offer the customer a perfect complement to any floral program through a broad selection of flowers for bouquets, consumer bunches, and floral arrangements.
The varieties grown at Fillco Flowers include Rose Ragazza, Rose Vendela, Rose Topaz, Rose Sweet Unique, Rose Tiffany, Rose Super Sun, Rose Stardust, Rose Sugar Doll, Rose Sophie, and Rose Queen Berry, among numerous others.
Photo by @fillcoflowers
3. Matina Flowers
Founded in 2004, Matina Flowers is another premier rose grower based in Colombia's Bogotá savanna (Sabana de Bogotá); nestled within one of the country’s lushest, and most verdant regions. This family-owned flower business has been dedicated to cultivating the finest, most exquisite roses for over two decades, making it one of the leaders in the global premium rose market.
Within its five farms namely; San Pedro Farm in Calera, Agua Clara Farm, Macuira Farm, Gallinero Farm in Nemocon, and also Mokana Farm in Suesca, the grower capitalizes on the region's ideal growing conditions to enhance the bountifulness of Colombian flowers. Situated at an elevation of approximately 2,600 meters above sea level, the farms benefit from a temperate climate, abundant sunshine, and nutrient-rich soil, all of which are vital ingredients for producing roses of unmatched quality. The cool nights and warm days allow the roses to develop robust, sturdy stems and vibrant, long-lasting blooms.
Matina Flowers' portfolio boasts an impressive array of more than 65 rose varieties, ranging from 40cm to 120cm in height. Their classic, garden-style roses are perennial favorites, popular for their beauty and exquisite fragrance. The grower also specializes in standard roses, spray roses, and tinted roses, offering solid colors, bi-colors, tri-colors, and even rainbow hues.
The varieties grown include Rose Freedom, Rose Hearts, Rose Moonstone, Rose Country Blues, Rose Pink Xpression, Rose Princess Crown, Rose Mondial, Rose Playa Blanca, Rose Vendela, Rose Sugar Doll, Rose Snow Bliss, Rose Deep Silver, Rose Kendal, Rose Cool Water, Spray Rose Snow Flake, Spray Rose Floreana, Spray Rose Creta, Spray Rose Sahara Sensation, Spray Rose Rubicon, Spray Rose Golden Sensation, Spray Rose White Majolika, and Spray Rose Bright Sensation, among numerous others.
4. Vuelven SAS Rose Farm
Founded in 1989, Vuelven SAS has remained an important component of the Colombian flower industry, cultivating roses that embody the very essence of beauty and elegance. Situated in the temperate highlands surrounding the bustling cities of Bogotá and Medellín, the farm benefits from the region's ideal growing conditions, including warm days, cool nights, and nutrient-rich soil, all of which contribute to the development of robust, long-lasting blooms.
The grower's fundamental objective is to produce high-quality fresh-cut roses to ensure clients a final product that meets their needs while maintaining corporate values, and social and environmental responsibility that has been Vuelven’s main characteristics.
Vuelven's mission: Being a leader in the production and export of fresh flowers, is based on the application of social and environmental principles, thereby ensuring the best quality for our customers, the continuity of the company in time, and generating economic benefits for shareholders and their collaborators. The company's vision is to be a leader in the production and export of fresh flowers creating a high-performance culture based on human resource development.
Vuelven SAS's diverse portfolio boasts an impressive array of more than 33 rose varieties, ranging from the classic Rose Freedom among several others, and coming in a range of bi-colors, to more exotic hues and specialty blooms. These exquisite flowers are carefully grown, harvested, and packaged to ensure that they reach their international destinations in pristine condition.
5. Agrícola El Redil
Agrícola El Redil is a flower company with more than 30 years of experience in the production of standard and spray roses. Redil Roses counts more than 450 workers which guarantees that the roughly 38 hectares of production of roses meets their standard of productivity, quality, and respect for the environment.
For starters, this esteemed rose farm is nestled within the rich Sabana de Bogotá region of Colombia, renowned for its exquisite cultivation and export of premium roses. The family-owned flower enterprise brings decades of experience and expertise, and a deep commitment to innovation and sustainability to the Colombian floriculture industry.
Photo by @redil.roses
The cornerstone of Agrícola El Redil's success is a capability to balance human talent development and a culture of improvement, thereby nurturing a sustainable and responsible approach to rose cultivation. This ethos is evident in the farm's attention to detail, spanning across its five farms that collectively cover 36 hectares of lush terrain.
The grower’s commitment to excellence is further exemplified by its specialized post-harvest facilities, equipped with cutting-edge cold storage technology, to ensure that each rose is carefully prepared for export, conforming to the highest international standards. The dedication to quality is also reflected in the organizational competencies, which include a strong emphasis on human capital development, customer satisfaction, and a results-oriented approach.
Photo by @redil.roses
Moreover, Agrícola El Redil's respect for the environment and its vow to social responsibility is evident in its operations. The farm integrates sustainable practices, guaranteeing its impact on the planet is minimal. Generally, the company's philosophy revolves around core values of respect, inclusion, and transparency, thus encouraging a positive and uplifting work environment and contributing positively to the community.
Feature and header images are by @matinaflowers
