Columbia Road Flower Market, Sunday flower stalls in Bethnal Green

Photo: London x London

Columbia Road Flower Market

Sundays onlyFree entryFlowers & plantsBethnal Green

Columbia Road, Bethnal Green · E2 7RG · Su 08:00-15:00

Columbia Road Flower Market is London's best-known Sunday flower market, a single packed street in Bethnal Green that fills with cut flowers, bedding plants, bulbs, herbs and house plants from 8am until around 3pm every Sunday. It has run since 1869 and today draws growers and around sixty stalls into a narrow Victorian street off Hackney Road, with traders calling out falling prices as the morning wears on. Around the stalls sit independent shops, cafes, bakeries and a couple of pubs, so it works as a morning out rather than just a quick shop. Entry is free; you only pay for what you buy. Go early for the calm and the best pick, or late for the end-of-day bargains when traders clear stock by the armful.

When to go

The market runs every Sunday, roughly 8am to 3pm, and only on Sundays. Arrive before 9am for room to move and the widest choice, or come after 2pm when traders drop prices to shift the last stock and you can fill your arms for a few pounds. It is busiest late morning, when the street can be shoulder to shoulder, so an early start is the calmer visit. The market runs year round except for a short break around Christmas.

What's on the stalls

Around sixty stalls sell cut flowers, seasonal bedding plants, bulbs, herbs, ferns, cacti and large house plants, with prices that undercut most high-street florists. Stock changes with the season, from spring bulbs and bedding to summer blooms and winter foliage. Traders sell by the bunch, the tray and the bargain bundle, and most take cash and card. Bring a bag or a trolley if you plan to carry plants home.

Around the market

The Victorian shopfronts lining Columbia Road are part of the draw: independent garden and plant shops, cafes and bakeries, a cheese shop, vintage and art stores, plus pubs that spill out onto the street. Many only open on Sundays to catch the market crowd. It sits a short walk from Hoxton and Shoreditch, so it pairs easily with Brick Lane or Broadway Market for a full Sunday out in east London.

Visit website Get directions

Common questions

When is Columbia Road Flower Market open?
Every Sunday from about 8am to 3pm, and only on Sundays. It runs year round apart from a short break around Christmas.
Is Columbia Road Flower Market free?
Yes, entry is free. You only pay for the flowers, plants and goods you choose to buy from the stalls and shops.
What time is best to visit Columbia Road?
Go before 9am for the calmest visit and the best choice, or after 2pm for end-of-day bargains as traders clear their stock.
Where is Columbia Road Flower Market?
On Columbia Road in Bethnal Green, E2 7RG, just off Hackney Road in east London, a short walk from Hoxton and Shoreditch.

Other markets nearby