In the heart of Los Angeles’ bustling Flower District, Wendy Aguilar and her husband have made it their annual tradition for seven years to provide the community with the vibrant and fragrant cempasúchils, the official flowers of Día de Muertos. As the month of October approaches, their flower shop at Bonnet Flower Distribution begins a meticulous preparation process to ensure these marigolds, also known as cempasúchils, adorn ofrendas for the beloved souls on November 1st and 2nd.
These unmistakable marigolds, with their vivid colors and alluring scent, illuminate the path for the visiting spirits during Día de Muertos, a tradition celebrated in many Latin American countries. Cempasúchils have deep-rooted significance, having been used for generations in Indigenous rituals and cultural ceremonies, symbolizing life and honoring the departed.
In anticipation of Día de Muertos, flower vendors throughout downtown Los Angeles devote weeks of hard work to meet the demand for these cherished blooms. Wendy Aguilar, sharing insights into their preparations, reveals that the cempasúchils must be cultivated several weeks in advance. After harvesting, there’s a meticulous process to ready the flowers for sale.
“They arrive to us in pallets or boxes, and we have to process them,” Aguilar explained. “Each bunch is carefully arranged in small bags to present them attractively. We trim the stems, place them in buckets, and create visually pleasing displays.”
Aguilar’s involvement in the flower industry is a family legacy. Her father-in-law began by cultivating flowers in Mexico, and it wasn’t long before Wendy and her husband joined the business at Bonnet Flower Distribution.
The journey of these cempasúchils often begins in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, where a majority of the flower processing takes place before they reach Aguilar’s shop.
“In Mexico, there is a bodega where all the packing and processing of the flowers occurs. They are bundled into large bunches,” Aguilar said, explaining the complex supply chain. “We receive one truckload per week from Mexico.”
The meticulous preparations made by Wendy Aguilar and her husband, along with the flower vendors throughout downtown Los Angeles, ensure that cempasúchils continue to play a crucial role in celebrating the rich traditions of Día de Muertos, honoring those who have passed away and illuminating the path for their return during this cherished holiday.
