New Gift Poinsettias

One of my cats checks out the “Winter Rose” Poinsettia gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

New Gift Poinsettias

A friend recently surprised me with one of the many new gift poinsettias on the market. Poinsettias (Euphiorbia pulcherrima) are the iconic Christmas flower, the traditional red of their leaves, or bracts, adding a bright Christmas vibe to any room.

And before I get started on some of the new varieties, poinsettias are not poisonous to cats or children. They do have a mildly irritating white sap that when ingested by pets can cause diarrhea. Some pets may also try to regurgitate the sap because of its bad taste. My advice is keep the plants away from both pets and children and you won’t have to worry.

Some New Gift Poinsettias

This ruffled leaf variety in the top photo was new to me so I did a little research. These beautiful poinsettias with the leaves turned under are called “Winter Rose” poinsettias. They certainly do look like roses in full bloom.

Winter Rose Poinsettias reportedly will last a couple of months longer than the traditional red poinsettias.

The popularity of poinsettias has encouraged breeders to come up with some other new poinsettia varieties.

This variegated poinsettia has white specks on red leaves called Red Glitter. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

German farmer Albert Ecke began breeding poinsettias in Los Angeles in 1909. Following in his father’s footsteps, Paul Ecke founded the world’s first poinsettia nursery in Encinitas, California in the early 1920s.

The Eckes are the source of these new poinsettia varieties in a wide array of salmon pink, peach, and a wild range of variegations.

Though Ecke Ranch was sold to a Dutch grower in 2012, the site is still home to the largest poinsettia growing and breeding operation in the world. 

If you like poinsettias, there are a number of new colors that would make this a plant for use year around. These pink and white poinsettias would work well for Valentine’s Day.

Pink and white poinsettias have been around for awhile. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Blue flowers are rare in nature and frankly non-existent even in hybrid flowers. This “blue” poinsettia is most likely a Pure Glow poinsettia sprayed with blue paint to get this blue mottled color.

The same approach is taken to get blue orchids, blue roses and even blue daffodils.

With Classic Blue being the color of 2020, this unusual blue poinsettia would definitely make any room the height of fashion all year.

These are painted blue, not bred to grow as a blue variety. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Here is the original Pure Glow poinsettia, often sold as a “white” poinsettia.

Compared to a whitish sofa in the background, you can see the poinsettia color has more of a yellow tint to it, which I’m sure inspired the “pure glow” name.

This is a good choice to have around after the loud Christmas holiday decorations are put away. It has a calming, almost winter vibe to the hue.

Pure Glow poinsettia is now common on the Christmas gift market. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

As much as I enjoy seeing, and caring for some of the new poinsettias on the market, there still is a very special place for the lovely original red poinsettias in my home. I can remember seeing them in their native Mexico growing to the size of small dogwood trees..

The original traditional red poinsettias, still very pretty on its own. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Legend has it two children approaching the manager carried a bouquet of weeds, or wildflowers. An angel transformed the weeds into a poinsettia as they approached the baby crib.

Poinsettias may be a favorite Christmas plant but i enjoy mine all year!

Charlotte