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Poinsettia Research Brightening Christmas Homes, Nursery Outlook
MOBILE, Ala. - Poinsettias not only are popular among consumers this time of year, they also are a favorite product of many Alabama nursery and greenhouse operators, representing about a third of the industry's annual market. Research underway at the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station's (AAES) Ornamental Horticulture Substation in Mobile is helping improve the variety selections for producers and consumers alike.
The substation, an outlying unit of the AAES where a wide range of studies on ornamental plant production are conducted, has been home this fall to research on varieties of poinsettias -- 31 to be exact -- that may provide better choices for growers and longer-lasting, more colorful selections for consumers.
According to Chazz Hesselein, an extension horticulturist at the substation who is assisting in the poinsettia evaluations, the study began at the request of nursery and greenhouse operators. "We've grown poinsettias here for many years to study management and production strategies, but this is the first year we have evaluated varieties," said Hesselein.
All the varieties in the study were donated by plant companies (Eckes, Fischer, Michelsons and Hegg companies) and they include a wide range of colors, including traditional red and white poinsettias, pink, spotted "jingle bells" (poinsettias with spotted leaves) and marbled poinsettias.
According to Hesselein, some of the new varieties look as good or better than the varieties that have traditionally been grown by Alabama producers. Among the red poinsettias, which constitute about 90 percent of the poinsettia market, Eckes Freedom and Fischer Sonora reds both look good in the AAES study. Fischer Sonar Jingle Bell also has done well in the study, as has Fischer Sonora Pink.
Hesselein noted that poinsettias are native to Mexico where they grow wild in the semi-tropical climates. They were brought to the United States in the early 1800s by a man named Joel Poinsett, who was a U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and have become one of the most popular potted flower plants sold in the United States. In 1990, the wholesale value of the U.S. poinsettia industry was $183.5 million.
He noted that this study will not likely cause growers to replace standard varieties, but will help them identify additional varieties that can be used in Alabama.
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News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu
