Poinsettias
Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant in the country, and their arrival on store shelves signals the beginning of the holiday season. Every year, more than 70 million poinsettias are sold within a six-week period at a nationwide value of more than 250 million dollars. The majority of the poinsettias sold are red, but growers are always looking for the next niche market for these holiday plants, so new varieties are constantly being developed. Since 1996, researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have grown these experimental plants as part of their annual Poinsettia Variety Trial. Led by horticultural scientist Dr. Jim Barrett, the six-month-long trial grows more than six thousand plants and a hundred different varieties each year. Researchers gather critical information on growth time, plant size, and consumer preferences and report the results to growers at the yearly Field Day. The goal is to help poinsettia growers and producers determine which varieties should go to store shelves.
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Poinsettia Field Day
To learn more about how the Poinsettia Variety Trial is conducted and what it takes to grow six thousand plants in six months, click the play button on the following video window.
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New Poinsettia Variety Trials
Each year researchers with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences evaluate many potentially new varieties to determine how they perform under Florida weather conditions to test their performance with consumers.
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Poinsettia Sale
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