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Los Angeles Flower District
Rating Details »
Category: Local Flavor [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown766 Wall Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 622-1966
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
19 reviews for Los Angeles Flower District
hey my 200th review alright self!
in preparation for a visit from my niece i decided to visit the floral market and pick up some flowers to help beautify my apartment.
there are tons of vendors to choose from and lots of flowers as well as potted plants everything to suit your fancy. there's even a vendor selling succulents.
i found some beautiful pink roses for dirt cheap and they've held up marvelously. my hydrangeas on the other hand wilted and died the same day i bought them BOOO! usually hydrangeas can last quite a while but not these. all in all it was a great trip i was able to beautify my apartment and stay within my $20 budget
If you're not familiar with how much certain flowers cost, be prepared to be ripped off. If you do your research and shop around, you will find amazing deals.
On Saturday, I bought:
-Beautiful rich blue hydrangeas for $5
-Yellow tiger lilies for $5
-Bouquet of a dozen red roses with 2 stargazer lilies and various greens for $10
My out-of-town parents were impressed. Yes, it costs $1 to get in. But considering that you should never pay for parking (there is always parking available along 7th st. between Wall & San Pedro), you're still saving a ton of money. Most importantly, the selection is something you will not be able to find anywhere else.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2009
I go to the Flower Mart fairly often when I am taking ikebana classes. On Saturday mornings, they… Read more »
I've been to the L.A. Flower Market a few times and always end up walking away with at least some sort of purchase, each time.
It's $1 admission on Saturdays and I advise that you get there as early as possible (opens at 6am on Saturdays). One time, I arrived at 11am and most vendors were already packed up.
If you get there early, there are so many varieties of flowers and plants in all shapes and forms. I love the tropical flowers and plants.
I was there this past Saturday and picked up a tropical bouquet for $5...consisting of two heliconias with tropical leaves. Heliconias are flowers that look like bird-of-paradise.
I've bought roses here as cheap as $10/dozen...so many colors! They also have fresh rose petals in varying colors.
It's a sight and smell overload every time I visit the flower market.
As for parking, metered parking is now $3.50 an hour (yes, using coins). I remember the days when it was $1.50 an hour...and I thought THAT was a ripoff.
Wake up and smell the roses (or callas, or stargazers, or tulips, or gerberas, or mums, or whatever)!
Why pay retail for anything when you can buy things for wholesale prices?! WHY???
Flowers wilt and die - it's a fact of life. So why spend $40+ on a simple arrangement of cheap mixed flowers when you can get them for pennies on the dollar? If you're ever in need of fresh cut, affordable flowers and you have the time to get to DTLA, head straight over to the LA Flower District and scavenge through the giant warehouses full of buds. You can find almost any flower here (so long as it's in season), and if you can wait a week or two, you can even special order those hard to find flowers from almost any of the vendors.
The Flower District pretty much consists of two giant buildings chock-full of wholesale florists. I personally don't know if they actually do arrangements there (as I usually buy there and arrange at home), but the prices here pretty much can't be beat! Stroll through the aisles and check out all of their offerings - and bargain bargain bargain! It's DTLA... anything can be haggled down!
If you don't have a wholesale permit, you do have to pay a small admission fee (I believe it's somewhere around $5 to get in). On a few occasions, I didn't pay (their "admissions" is sort of haphazardly organized. But trust me - it's not worth the hassle trying to sneak around and save a few bucks. Just pay it, get your sticker, and be done with it.
Parking is a breeze, as both structures have adjacent parking lots that lead directly into the actual warehouses. Unless you absolutely want to street park, the parking structure is a great place to station the car while you have a leisurely (or brisk) look-see.
I've been here on numerous occasions, and my best advice is.. get there at the butt crack of dawn, pretty much right when they open. That's when the freshest, prettiest blooms are up for grabs.
Just outside the actual Flower Marts, there are a few streets lined with supply stores. Before or after you pick up bundles of flowers, pop into these smaller stores to stock up on vases, pebbles, ribbon, pins, floral tape, foam, mache bases, baskets, decorations, pearls, butterflies, floral wire, whatever. These stores are technically wholesale, too, so you can get almost any size/shape/form of anything you want for MUCH cheaper than you would at Michael's or JoAnn.
Weddings? Birthdays? Graduations? Anniversaries? Like I said, if you have the time and don't mind lugging around newspaper wrapped bundles of flowers at 5am, definitely plan to make a stop at the LA Flower District.
The L.A. Flower Mart is awesome! I recently headed downtown on a Saturday for my first visit to the flower district.... with a little trepidation, since the journey would include two things I really dislike: waking up early and parking downtown. It was totally worth it, though. I arrived at the flower mart at around 7:30am. There were still tons of flowers available and it wasn't crowded at all. The next time I go, I'll probably try to get there around the same time. I also had great luck with parking and found a metered spot right in front of the flower mart's entrance. Be aware that most metered parking is 1 hour only and a quarter only buys you 10 minutes. I saw lots of traffic enforcement cars in the area, so watch your meter! There are also several lots available for parking at the cost of $5 or $6.
The flower mart is a large hangar space where many different flower vendors display their wares. Admission to this space is $1 on Saturdays. However, the blocks around the flower mart are also filled with stores selling flowers, so you really could just go to those and skip the mart entirely. I'd recommend walking around for a while before making any purchases, just to see what's in stock and what prices different vendors are asking for their flowers. When I was there, roses seemed to be going for around $12/dozen. However, some of the other blooms looked so much nicer and were less expensive, so I ended up skipping the roses all together. In general, sellers seemed happy to answer questions about their flowers, so ask up if you're not familiar with a particular variety and how to care for it.
Bring cash. It makes your transactions quick and easy.
Directly across from the flower mart is Moskatels, where you can purchase any floral supply gear that you need. Vases, styrofoam forms, floral tape, etc. They've got it all.
-If you happen to be a girl friend of mine you should consider yourself lucky...I dont' have many of those.
-If you happen to want me to be IN your wedding and I accept, you should consider yourself very fortunate and special....cuz I would only really do that if you were a Real Deal Holyfield Girlfriend of mine.
-If you should happen to ask me to help you PLAN the damn thing and try to dissuade you from spending $6K on a photgrapher and tell you that natural blue flowers are hard to fucking find and have to prove it to you by taking a trip to visit you in Smell-A and to the flower district, because they have a shit ton of flowers, 99% of which ARE NOT blue and the two that are you don't like SO PICK A DIFFERENT COLOR!!!!! If you're THAT person...you have really been a good friend to me and for that I will suffer all the girly shit you can shovel at me for your "special" day.
Ever wonder where your local florist gets their flowers from? Do you want the largest variety of fresh cut flowers available in all of SoCal? Then head over to LA's Flower District. My earliest memories of this place was from my mother - she took me here when I was younger because she loves plants (something that I inherited from her) and it was one of her fave places in LA to visit. As I grew older, my sister and pretty much all my female cousins that got married bought their wedding flowers in this place.
So flash forward to last December. I heard that Descanso Gardens was offering a tour guide to the Flower District. I couldn't pass it up, because the person leading the tour used to have a business within the Flower Market for many years. Descanso Gardens hosts these tours each quarter, for each season of the year. The tour guide cost $20, but normal admission is only $1. The main drawback was that the tour started at 7 AM on a Saturday, so I couldn't stay up late on a Friday night. And if you think that's early, the place opens to the public at 6 AM on Saturdays.
I followed the tour guide's instructions and parked at the 3rd floor of the Flower Market and met at our designated meeting spot. The tour guide provided us with a history lesson about how the Flower District formed. In the late 1800's, when much of LA was still primary agricultural, Japanese farmers formed a network coalition to sell their produce. By the early 1900's, they established the original flower market. A few years later, their European counterparts built a competing market next door. keep in mind these were back in the days when Asians and Europeans didn't mix in LA. Then during WWII, when Japanese Americans were interned in the camps, they lost their original building, so the ones that decided to return after the war started another Flower Market. Which is why you have the original Flower Market, which the Europeans took over during WWII, and the Flower Market, which is the largest structure in the Flower District.
San Diego, Carlsbad, San Francisco and NYC all have their own Flower Markets, but LA's is the only one open to the public.
The Flower District became even more international with the advent of flowers like roses being grown in Latin America and orchids from Asia and shipped to the USA. Now, if you compare the prices in the Flower Markets to those at groceries and Home Depot, you'll notice that the prices at the Flower Markets are not always cheaper. That's because places like Home Depot use fresh cut flowers as loss leaders to lure shoppers in. Whole Foods, and pretty much all the local florists in LA, get their flowers from the Flower District on a weekly basis. These price cutting measures have devastated the profitability of the fresh cut flower trade. This is why if a vendor rebuffs your haggling to lower a price, odds are, they are trying to avoid selling the flowers at a loss. I'd only recommend haggling if you are buying flowers in large quantities.
Most of the items for sale are fresh cut flowers, but you'll also find many orchid plants and tropical plants suited for indoors. This is the largest concentration of orchids for sale outside of an orchid show. There are a few plants for sale suited for outdoors, but they tend to be rare. So if you like floral arrangements or want to decorate your home and/or office with plants, this place is for you.
The best advice I can offer if you are a novice is this: 1) Arrive as early as possible. Its basically first come, first serve. So if you want the best selection possible, you have to be one of the first people to arrive. 2) Bring cash since its easier to haggle with cash 3) If the price seems too low, odds are the flowers won't have along shelf life. 4) Be careful on how you handle the flowers and place them back on the buckets after handling them. There's a whole etiquette procedure involved with that. Its better to let the vendor handle the flowers until you complete the transaction. If you want more detailed tips, especially on how to make your fresh cut flowers, then take the Descanso guided tour of the place. Recommended reading would be Amy Stewart's Flower Confidential. 5) Make sure you read up on when the place is open to the public. There are some days when its industry only. I took pics and posted them to point out the day and times its open to the public.
While there is street parking available, I would recommend parking inside the structure. The meter maids patrol the area on a regular basis and won't hesitate to give you a ticket. The price for parking inside the structure is very affordable. You could even walk to nearby Santee Alley afterward if you want to shop for clothes as well. Just remember that the parking closes around 2 PM or 3 PM (confirm with the attendant). If you lose track of time and forget about that, your car will be locked in the building until the next day when they reopen.
*pf!* That's the sound my head made when it exploded from all my excitement.
When you walk into the Flower District buildings you might have the need to dive into the massive stacks of yellow, pink, orange and more. But don't do this, not only do you crash into the hard buckets, but they kick you out too!
I just discovered that i love dahlias. They are my new favorite flower next to daisies and I have been unable to find them. Thank goodness I went here!
If you're planning an event that needs flowers - do it yourself! The prices are AMAZING. You can find everything from orchids, roses, daisies, dahlias, sunflowers, lilies, ferns, bromilads and more.
Check the schedule to make sure you're not going in during wholesale times only!
Agree with what's been said!! the place rocks and smells like heaven (well you know like fresh flowers)
The prices are great just make sure you BARGAIN!!!
This place is amazing. It's like entering a botanical garden. $1 on Saturdays (otherwise it's $2 and closed on Sundays). My fiancee and I drove up to LA in an effort to find flowers for our wedding. With over 75 different florists, there are definitely a lot to choose from. One of the advantages, should you be good at the art of negotiation, is finding a deal that works for your budget.
I (heart) the LA flower district. Like another yelper said, this is one of the very few places that will have me waking up at ridiculous hours on a Saturday morning and will be well worth it. I just learned today that the admission fee is only $1 on Saturdays, all other days it's $2, but who's complaining?? =D Once you pay, you get access to their two flower marts on both sides of Wall St. They give you a pink sticker and stamp your hand.
Advice #1: come early. Some stores start packing up as early as 10am, by 11am most stores are getting ready to go.
Advice #2: walk around first. Most of the times, the stores right next to the multiple entrances are the more expensive ones (even if their prices are cheap, prices do vary a bit and are somewhat negotiable). Also, some stores take better care of their flowers and/or carry a better selection and better quality.
Advice #3: bring cash. I haven't tried paying with credit card in this place yet as most stuff I buy in one store is less than $10. Most flowers are only $3-5 per bunch. Some of the more expensive ones were (prices from today's visit): hydrangeas ~$8/bunch (about 5 heads/bunch), dutch tulips ~$7/bunch (small ones, about 10 tulips), mini calla lilies ~$15/bunch (about 10 callas), calla lilies ~$6.50/bunch (tall ones, semi-closed, about 10 callas). Most flowers in season you'll find in almost every store, and some flowers are only carried by a few.
There are a few stores that specialize in vases, baskets, branches or dry items, stones, or other decorative items. There are also two stores on the second floor in one of the marts, but I've only been inside one that sells floral supply (the other one sells vases). Very nice selection of stuff. The only catch is that the price marked on the price tag is for wholesalers. If you don't have a permit, they add some percentage on top (can't recall how much, but it was something like 10-15%) and charge you tax.
Advice #4: park in a parking lot (if you plan to stay long). Many places are $5/flat rate on weekends, some would say $2-$3 and in tiny print say every 20 mins or something like it. The meter parking gives you 10 mins for every quarter, and you're restricted to 1-hr in most streets. The parking enforcement ppl go around very often in downtown LA, so it's not really worth the hassle.
Other than the flower marts, there are tons of shops on the streets so it's fun to walk around once in a while. Some shops have nice designs so it's nice to go "brainstorm"... =P
Wholesale florists. And lots and lots of them. What else could you ask for? Seriously though, this place is great if you like fresh flowers and plants/trees, etc. and don't want to pay retail prices.
It's a big warehouse with vendors set up selling everything from flowers to trees to plant accessories to random little plant associated and holiday gifts. It's a $1 admission (unless your a member) and you get a huge selection for reasonable prices - recent examples, a large mixed bouquet for $5, huge daisy bouquet for $4, and a 3-foot cane tree for $27.
It's open all days, though we've only made it on the weekends. You have to get up early though because it closes at 12 PM and people start breaking down at 11:30ish. Always give yourself more time than you think you'll need because it's so easy to get lost and distracted amongst it all.
Hands down THE best place in L.A. to get beautiful flowers for pennies.....well not pennies but way cheaper than retail places.
A word of advice: Get there early for the best selection. They open at some ungodly hour like at 4am. If you get there by 8am you still have a good enough selection to make awesome arrangements. If you get there late, they start taking in flowers and closing shop around noon. Pay $1 to get in and you can walk across the street to other market as well.
Bargain, bargain, bargain. Shop around because you just might find the same flowers cheaper at the other end of the market. The sellers tend to be more lenient towards closing time but you take a risk since the flowers are the last ones left.
Parking in downtown can get pricey. If you park at the Moskatels next door its free with validation. They sell stuff for floral arrangements.
I hate waking up early. I'd rather sleep in and spend a good 30 minutes in bed before starting my day. There are only two reasons I will voluntarily wake up early on the weekend: AM flight or LA Flower District. In fact, I will happily wake up on a Saturday afternoon to drive to LA for a little shopping.
I get up at 6 am, get a large Hazelnut coffee, listen to Sufjan Stevens "Illinoise" and go to the LA Flower District. Some of my favorite sellers to visit are Kobata Growers and Rios Wholesale Flowers. There are many other vendors I've had a great experience, but I need to make a point to get their cards next time.
The easiest and cheapest parking is if you are on 8th and you turn on Maple. The entrances are on Wall, but you can take the elevator from the structure into one side of the district. There are two sides to the wholesale shopping areas and I recommend you take the time to walk around; sometimes you can find a better deal at another grower if you are shopping on a budget.
Great prices on vases, bowls, baskets, and flower foam. They also have vendors on the outside if you just need an inexpensive, pre-arranged bouquet. Wonderful variety of plants and small trees.
Who likes tips? I like tips!
1. Parking: As I said earlier, park in the attached structure off Maple. It's much cheaper than the surrounding lots and there won't be any bums to hassle you when you're trying to load your car.
2. BRING CASH: Parking requires cash. $1 to get into the mart. And (BIG TIP) 90% of the growers usually don't charge you tax if you pay with cash instead of credit card.
3. Be nice. The nicer you are (asking people's names, etc.), the more "Flexible" they will be with you.
4. Go early. Like I said, I leave at around 6:15.. in all my early morning sweatpants glory... but there is hardly anyone there versus showing up at 9 am.
5. Make arrangements for friends. Whether or not it's in a vase, they will appreciate it.
Making arrangements, having a mimosa, and taking a nap. That's a great start to a Saturday!
the flower district is more than just the mall at 766 wall st. there are several "malls" that don't charge admission (though $1-2 is already paltry) and plenty of individual retail shops around the block.
so walk around, haggle (politely) and get a great bargain on flowers. your
moms will appreciate it.
Love this area of downtown... love all the flowers at such cheap prices... but I also love that you can make your own arangement... just go to the shop with the foam and baskets and stuff and then run around to other places and bargain for good flowers. SOooo much fun.
Great selections of flowers for a lot less. You have to go there really early in the morning to avoid the rush crowd. If you try to save money when it comes to making your own flower arrangements, this is the place. I'm so glad I found out about this place.
I love the selection. But the prices is ok. It's a little cheaper than retail but not as much as I thought it would be. For example, for common flowers like roses & tulips, you can probably get the same deal at trader joe's. If you add the cost of gas of getting there, you end up paying the same.
But like I said before, they have a HUGE selection; flowers that are hard to find anywhere else. I think it's a great place to go to when you are planning on purchasing large amount of flowers (like for a party, etc.) because of the selection. Otherwise, stick to your mom & pop's florists.
you want sheap flowers, go here. other then that.... uhm... have a nice day?
