About us

Johnsen's Wholesale Florist is the premier floral wholesale for all of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.  Since 1938, we have been providing the area with fresh flowers, live plants, and a complete line of floral supplies.

How it all began...

Mr. Peter Johnsen (nee, Johansen) emigrated to the United States in 1905 from Denmark.  He had been educated as a gardener, and quickly found work on an estate in New York.  He would marry, and soon after, relocated to Dallas, Texas, for a more favorable growing environment.  While there, a friend of his told him about an opportunity in Beaumont.  After working for a local flower grower, Mr. Johnsen was approached by several local businessmen to open a new floral shop.  After several years, Mr. Johnsen had purchased the other owners shares, and then purchased several greenhouses at the corner of Avenue A and Emma streets, and moved the business there.  

In the early days, there was no air or truck shipments of flowers.  Everything was transported in refrigerated rail cars, and was sourced from Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado.  Mr. Johnsen would double his incoming shipments of flowers, and when an area florist ran out, they know he would help them out, often borrowing or swapping them out.  As this business grew, it became a problem to keep up with, and in 1938, Johnsen's Wholesale Florist became a separate business. 

In those days, there weren't any florists in most of the small towns throughout East Texas and West Louisiana.  In some of the places, an agent (often the local druggist or pharmacist) would take orders for floral arrangements, mostly for funeral sprays, and Johnsen's would make them and ship them by rail.  After World War II, a shift to delivery by truck changed the way flowers were delivered, evolving into what we know today.

In 1972, Mr. Edwin Johnsen, Peter's youngest son, moved the wholesale business to our current location at 1170 Lindbergh Drive.  

Where we are now...

Johnsen's Wholesale Florist is now entering its 4th generation of Johnsen family management.  We have expanded our delivery area throughout the Southeast Texas and Southwestern Louisiana region.