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From bouquets to filet mignon: What Instacart orders reveal about the best Mother's Day gifts in California

By Stacker Stacker

Updated May 5, 2026 5:03 PM

Mother's Day topped every other holiday for gift orders in 2025. Flowers, gourmet dinners, sweet treats - here's what customers sent and cooked for the special moms in their lives.

Key Takeaways

Mother's Day was the #1 day for gift orders in 2025, with customers placing gift orders 18 times more often than average.
Over half of Mother's Day gift orders included a flower bouquet, and nearly 1 in 4 included fresh-cut roses.
It wasn't just flowers. Categories like lobster tails (+193%), filet mignon (+114%), and cheesecake (+131%) all spiked - a sign that plenty of families celebrated with a gourmet dinner at home.
Flower preferences varied dramatically by region.Roses ruled the South and West, while tulips dominated the Northeast. Montana stood out nationally, leading the entire country in tulip interest at +155% above the national rate. Meanwhile, Florida went all in on orchids at +231% above the national rate.
Hawai'i went above and beyond - not only did it lead the nation in rose purchases (+232%), it also ranked #1 in the country for the share of orders marked as gifts on Mother's Day.
Canada had its own spin on gifting. Bouquets and roses topped the list north of the border, too, but potato chips and yellow bananas also cracked the top 10 - proving that sometimes mom's favorite snack is the most thoughtful gift of all.

Moms do it all. The early mornings, packed lunches, endless logistics, and the "just checking in" texts that somehow arrive at exactly the right moment. Moms deserve to feel celebrated every day - and on Mother's Day, people make sure of it.

This Mother's Day, don't let her down - even if the clock is working against you.

Turns out, California residents are all in on surprising mom with last-minute deliveries. A look at Instacart's 2025 order data proves it.

The Biggest Gifting Day of the Year

Mother's Day was the single biggest gifting day on the Instacart platform in 2025. Customers placed gift orders 18 times more often than average - enough to edge out Valentine's Day and claim the top spot on the gifting calendar. The numbers don't lie: Moms are celebrated like no one else.

Bouquets, Chocolate, and a Few Surprises

As you'd expect, flowers led the way for Mother's Day gifts. Over half of all Mother's Day weekend gift orders contained a combination flower bouquet (53.2%), and nearly a quarter included fresh-cut roses (24.8%).

But beyond the blooms, the carts got creative - chocolate, cakes, and even strawberries made frequent appearances, because the best gifts often come with something sweet on the side.

Beyond Bouquets: Cooking Gourmet for Mom

Mother's Day isn't just about what you send - it's about what you serve. Several categories closely related to a special home-cooked meal saw dramatic spikes compared to their yearly averages, suggesting that plenty of families celebrated by treating mom to a gourmet night in.

Chocolate-covered fresh fruit led the charge at 1,610% above average, followed by lobster tails (+193%), tarts (+182%), shortcake (+171%), macarons (+141%), and cheesecake (+131%). Filet mignon (+114%) and frosted cakes (+98%) rounded out a spread with serious "forget the reservation" energy.

Every US State's Favorite Flower for Mom, Revealed

Turns out, where you live says a lot about how you shop for mom. Roses, tulips, and orchids each dominated different corners of the country - here's how it all shook out.

How California Compared on Rose Orders for Mother's Day

California showed strong preference for roses, coming in +34% compared to the national rate. Roses dominated across the South and West, with Hawai'i (+232% more often than the national average), Idaho (+126%), and Wyoming (+96%) leading the pack.

And it's no surprise Hawai'i showed up so strong on flowers - the Aloha State also ranked #1 in the country for the share of orders marked as gifts on Mother's Day. When Hawai'i celebrates mom, it goes all in.

How California Compared on Tulip Orders for Mother's Day

Tulips purchases in California ran slightly below the national average, at -9%. The Northeast, meanwhile, pledged allegiance to tulips - Connecticut (+78%), Rhode Island (+76%), and Massachusetts (+71%) all ordered them well above the national rate. But no state out-tulip'd Montana, which ordered them 155% more often than average. An outlier and a legend.

How California Compared on Orchid Orders for Mother's Day

California leaned slightly toward orchids, at +11% above the national average. Then there's Florida, where orchid purchases ran more than 231% above the national rate - which makes sense, given that Florida produces more orchids than any other state in the country. The Sunshine State knows what it's doing when it comes to long-lasting blooms.

Oh Canada, You Really Love Your Moms

Mother's Day gifting enthusiasm doesn't stop at the border. Canadian Instacart customers showed up for mom in a big way too, with a top 10 gifting list that looked familiar in some ways - and distinctly Canadian in others.

Combination flower bouquets (49.4%) and fresh-cut roses (17.9%) topped the list, just like in the U.S., with chocolate candies (17%) close behind. But scroll a little further down and things get interesting: Potato chips and yellow bananas both cracked the top 10, a fun reminder that sometimes the best gift is simply mom's favorite snack. Fresh-cut lilies and carnations also made the Canadian list - flowers that didn't crack the U.S. top 10 at all.

From fresh flowers to a perfectly seared filet to a long-overdue spa night, the options for making mom feel celebrated are endless.

This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 12:36 PM.