The orchids were flowing on Friday in North County, where more than a thousand of the plants were donated to local seniors.
Friday's lucky recipients of the eye-popping plants are residents of the La Costa Glen senior community in Carlsbad.
"I live down in San Diego, know a few elderly people that live there, so I reached out to them," said Westerlay Orchid spokeswoman Jessi Kopach.
In all, 1,500 orchids found homes with the residents and employees of La Costa Glen. Westerlay has given away more than 60,000 of them in the run up to Mother's Day on Sunday.
"They've gone as far as San Francisco giving away donations -- this is the first really big senior living facility we were able to gift to and we wanted to do it for Mother's Day," Kopach said.
Westerlay Orchids' plants are normally available this time of year in grocery stores in the western United States, but the pandemic has prevented them from being able to get the plants to their normal customers.
Instead, they "have been donating these plants to hospitals, firehouses, places of worship and assisted living centers in our community, [those who] are either directly fighting this pandemic, physically distanced or quarantined from their friends and family," according to a statement on the grower's website.
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In fact, it wasn't just moms who got orchids; some men had their Friday brightened as well.
"Everybody there [got one]," Kopach said. "Some people live two per household, but there were some men living at this facility, too, so, yes, they did get orchids, too."
It's not too late to send one to Mom -- while they may not be available in stores, Westerlay can ship them in time to reach you for Sunday.
