Roses in Paris

Roses delivered in Paris: varieties, packaging, and freshness from the Aalsmeer auction

Roses remain the cornerstone of Parisian floristry. Behind the familiar cupped form and quiet scent sits a real supply chain: matching the variety to the occasion, controlling freshness from the Dutch auction to a recipient in the 6th arrondissement, packaging that survives Paris weather mood swings.

This category covers single-variety bouquets, mixed compositions, and individual stems for a no-occasion gift. It also includes hat boxes, baskets, and large bunches of 25, 51, and 101 stems — a format that often matters as much as the variety itself for a Paris recipient.

Which varieties we keep in stock

Three key groups sit on the shelves: large-headed Ecuadorian roses, classic Dutch roses, and English garden roses by David Austin. Each solves its own task — from a statement piece for Le Bristol to a quiet bouquet for a Haussmann apartment with 3.5-metre ceilings.

• Freedom, Explorer, Mondial — the Ecuadorian flagships. Long 70–90 cm stems, dense buds, vase life of 10–14 days with proper care.
• Avalanche+, Red Naomi, Vendela — Dutch classics. Medium 5–7 cm buds, rich palette, the reliable workhorse choice.
• Patience, Juliet, Constance — David Austin English roses. Cupped form, subtle fragrance, the first pick for weddings at George V.
• Spray roses — multiple blooms on a single stem, for airy compositions and smaller gifts.
• Pink Floyd, Quicksand, Cappuccino — nude and dusty tones, the favourites of Paris wedding designers since 2019.

Occasions and stem count

One stem is a soft note of attention. Three is a friendly merci. Seven and nine are a romantic gesture for a date at Trocadéro. Twenty-five reads as a serious declaration; 51 and 101 mark anniversaries, engagements, milestone birthdays.

Paris brings its own constraint — compact apartments in historic buildings. The catalogue marks bouquets by height: 40–50 cm for a table vase, 60–70 cm for a floor stand or mantelpiece. Managers will advise on a format that suits the actual interior.

Freshness and logistics through CDG

Dutch roses from the Aalsmeer auction reach Paris warehouses in 12–18 hours through the Charles de Gaulle cargo terminal. Ecuadorian batches fly 32–36 hours with a stop in Amsterdam or Liège. From cut to recipient the chain runs 4–6 days with reliable logistics — and the bouquet still lives 10–14 days in the vase.

Every batch is checked at the half-open bud stage: the "marshmallow" feel — soft to the touch but already coloured. This is the sweet spot between transport firmness and full opening at the recipient's place in Marais or on Île Saint-Louis.

"The Paris buyer values detail. They ask the batch date, the country of origin, the breeder's name. This is a market where the freshness argument works, not loud adjectives. A fresh Dutch rose from yesterday's batch will outperform a tired premium Ecuadorian from a week ago, every time."

— Élise Marchand, florist, 14 years in 6th-arrondissement boutiques

Delivery specifics in Paris

Paris has a temperate oceanic climate. Winters run +3…+8 °C with frequent rain and fog; summers sit at +18…+28 °C with short heat waves up to +35 °C. Humidity stays 60–80% year-round — good for cut flowers, less kind to kraft paper. Spring and summer bouquets get an extra water-resistant outer layer for this reason.

We deliver across all Paris arrondissements and inner suburbs: Marais (1–4 arrondissement), Saint-Germain (6e), Champs-Élysées (8e), Montmartre (18e), Bastille (11e), Trocadéro (16e), La Défense, Boulogne, Neuilly. Delivery windows are 2 hours, morning or evening to choice. For Saint-Valentin on 14 February and Fête des Mères (last Sunday of May), place orders 3–4 days in advance.

Catalogue prices are in euros (€). Payment by card online or in cash to the courier. For wedding projects at George V, Le Bristol, Ritz, and The Peninsula we run a separate timetable — a florist visits the venue for a brief 7–10 days ahead.

Care at home

After delivery, recut the stems at a 45° angle, strip leaves below the water line, place in a clean vase with cool water. Change the water every two days, add Chrysal or a pinch of sugar. Keep the bouquet away from radiators — in Paris apartments in winter, central heating is the main killer of cut flowers. Ethylene from ripe fruit shortens vase life by a third.

During the July–August heat waves move the bouquet to the coolest room overnight, or to the fridge. This metabolic pause adds 3–5 days of life without any additives — basic plant physics that the original keepers of the Marché aux fleurs on Île de la Cité already understood back in 1808.

Roses adapt to almost any task for a Paris recipient: a colleague's anniversaire, a wedding anniversary, a hospital welcome for a newborn, a romantic dinner. We match the variety, colour, and format to the moment — write to a manager and we will build a composition that fits the budget and the address.