Thinking about sending flowers to mom? It's a beautiful gesture -- who doesn't love to come home to a fragrant bouquet on her doorstep? But please don't send her a vase full of toxic chemicals, too!
Florist foam can be doused with formaldehyde, considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA.
And flowers from South America can be tainted with as many as 30 different pesticides, 20 percent of which are banned in the United States.
Even U.S. flowers can be grown with chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides -- the same family as DDT -- that can affect your endocrine and reproductive systems.
Instead, look for USDA Certified Organic bouquets, which are grown without pesticides and don't include florists foam. These beautiful, non-toxic bouquets make a much better gift!