More than 150 attendees gathered for Poinsettia Variety Day on Dec. 5, an annual event showcasing over 200 commercial poinsettia varieties. Breeders, brokers, growers and retailers from 18 states and two European countries reviewed and evaluated poinsettia genetics in a commercial trial hosted by Plantpeddler.
Breeders represented included Beekenkamp, Dummen Orange, Graff, InBlume, Lazzeri, Rinehart Poinsettias, Selecta One and Suntory Flowers. Plantpeddler, licensed by all participating breeders, conducts the trials to help growers and retailers evaluate variety performance under northern U.S. growing conditions.
“As a leader in poinsettia young plants, this investment is for our retailers, growers, brokers and breeding partners,” said Mike Gooder, president of Plantpeddler. “The trial allows the industry to improve their selections and educate growers on best practices.”
This year introduced the “2024 Best of Class Red – 5 Year Challenge,” featuring top varieties from previous years. Noel, a variety from Selecta, won the challenge after placing second in 2020 and 2022.
Attendees also voted on “Best Red Variety” and “Best Non-Red Variety” using a point-based system, ensuring growers had a voice in selecting standout plants for the upcoming season.
Check out the full list of winners here.
View a video recap of the event here.
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