May 1st in France isn’t just a celebration of workers’ rights, it’s also tied to a floral tradition. But with climate change causing the ‘muguets’ to bloom earlier, the flowers may no longer be in bloom for May Day celebrations.
In Loire-Atlantique in western France, the annual harvest of lily-of-the-valley (muguet) has begun significantly earlier than usual, highlighting a growing trend linked to climate change.
This year, growers started picking as early as April 13th, around ten days ahead of the traditional schedule, after an unusually warm start to the month.
The département produces the vast majority of France’s muguet, a crop worth an estimated €20 million annually. Once harvested, the delicate white flowers are stored in large refrigerated units to preserve them until May 1st, when they are traditionally sold and gifted across France for Labour Day.
Gifting lily-of-the-valley on May 1st, thought to bring good luck for the year ahead, is a very old French tradition, going back to the days of the royal court.
These days they are widely sold on temporary stalls, often run by volunteers in aid of good causes.
Muguet: France’s lucky May flower
New strategies
Producers say adapting to earlier flowering seasons is becoming essential to ensure the long-term viability of the sector. Warmer springs are slowly shifting production timelines, raising concerns that traditional methods may no longer be sufficient.
This affects all flowers, but only the muguet is tied to a specific day in the calendar.
One strategy being explored is spreading sales over a longer period rather than concentrating them around May 1st.
“We sell earlier, for example, in pots, in supermarkets,” Régis Chevalier told French regional media Ouest-France.
Data from Valhor, the French organisation for horticulture, shows that purchases made on May 1st have declined sharply over the past decade, falling from 62 percent of annual sales to just 40 percent.
Despite these changes, professionals say prices are expected to remain stable this season.
Nantes as the capital of the ‘muguet’
The city of Nantes on the Loire River in the Upper Brittany region was once considered the capital of lily of the valley production. In the 1960s, local growers used the “Nantes frame technique”, small glass-covered wooden structures acting as mini-greenhouses, to bring crops to market earlier.
Traditionally, many market gardeners maintained small plots of lily of the valley to supplement their income and keep workers employed year-round.
Today, however, the sector has shrunk considerably. The wider Pays de la Loire region now counts just 12 producers, down from 120 in 1992. The crop covers around 150 hectares, a tiny fraction of the region’s agricultural land, making it a niche but culturally significant production.
As climate patterns continue to evolve, growers face increasing pressure to adapt while preserving one of France’s most enduring springtime traditions.
