Poinsettias on Trial
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reporting on some of the country’s leading bedding plant trials at various universities, growing operations and other gardens. Now that winter is full swing, it is time to focus on poinsettias.
Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Millstadt, Illinois, where Millstadt Young Plants and N.G. Heimos Greenhouses hosted their 9th Annual Poinsettia Trial Open House. Participating breeders included: Beekenkamp, Dümmen Orange/Ecke, Selecta, Suntory and Syngenta.
More than 100 different varieties were on display, with about a quarter of those being experimental varieties not yet available on the market. Attendees were encouraged to vote for their Top 5 favorites of all the poinsettias … definitely not an easy task!
Votes were tallied, and the Top 5 were:
1. ‘Princettia Queen Pink’
Suntory
2. ‘Ferrara’
Dümmen Orange
3. ‘Luv U Pink Splash’
Dümmen Orange
4. ‘Ice Punch’
Dümmen Orange
5. ‘Majoris Red’
Syngenta
I spoke with Adam Heimos, trial manager, shortly after the trial, and aside from the attendee favorites, he was excited about some of the experimental varieties. In particular, a few poinsettias he sees future success with are:
64 PON Medium
Beekenkamp
This is a stable plant that has a good bract display and attractive foliage.
SK 136
Selecta
This is an early, medium-sized variety that would be ideal for Black Friday sales.
PO183
Syngenta
This V-shaped plant features smaller, deep-red bracts and dark green foliage.
Do you grow poinsettias? What are your top sellers? Have you trialed any experimental varieties this year; which ones are your favorites? Shoot me an email, and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
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