Dec. 8, 2006: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences news release
		Media contacts: Dr. John Dole, floriculturist, john_dole@ncsu.edu or 919.515.3537, or Dr. Brian Whipker, North Carolina Cooperative Extension floriculturist, brian_whipker@ncsu.edu or 919.515.5374, both of the Department of Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University EDITORS: Dec. 12, National Poinsettia Day, marks the death of Joel Poinsett (1779-1851), who introduced the plant to the United States while he was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1825. Poinsettias Come in Many Colors While bright red and green are the holiday hues most often associated with poinsettias, consumers don't have to settle for these traditional colors. Visitors to the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University voted these three poinsettia varieties their favorites. From left, Dr. John Dole, floriculturist at N.C. State University, holds Ice Punch; Ingram McCall, an agricultural research technician, holds Premium Picasso; and Dr. Brian Whipker, North Carolina Cooperative Extension floriculturist, holds Metro Red. (photo by Art Latham) Please click here to download a high resolution version of this image. The plants are high-value items: $18 million in wholesale sales by North Carolina producers, who moved more than 6 million potted poinsettias in 2005, second only to California. Many breeding companies produce new cultivars each year and producers can find the task of choosing which cultivars to grow daunting, says Dr. John Dole, floriculturist in North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This year, as they have for the past several, producers from around the country got a little help from N.C. State University and the local voting public. On Dec. 3, about 200 visitors to the JC Raulston Arboretum at the free N.C. State-coordinated annual Poinsettia Open House evaluated more than 100 new cultivars and compared them with those already on the market. They voted on their favorites, providing both breeders and growers with the consumers' perspective and helping to direct breeding programs. This year, their top three cultivar choices included: Ice Punch , a striking new plant with red bracts with a blaze of white in the middle of each bract, presenting a great combination of red, green and white. A bracht is a modified leaf that grows at the base of a flower or on its stalk, usually differing from other leaves in shape or color. (Paul Ecke Ranch Poinsettias, breeder.) Metro Red , with large dark red bracts, making it a classic poinsettia. (Dummen Co., breeder) Premium Picasso , with interesting peach pink bracts spotted with dark pink that forms a beautiful pink margin. (Dummen) The voting is a part of the National Poinsettia Trial program, which includes Purdue University and the University of Florida. This program includes the independent Homewood Nursery and Garden Center of Raleigh, which provides a retailer's perspective, says Dr. Brian Whipker, North Carolina Cooperative Extension floriculturist in N.C. State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. - Art Latham, art_latham@ncsu.edu , or 919.513.3117 - OTHER NEWS RESOURCES Current news releases | Earlier news releases | Media guide to experts | Extension On-Line News | Economic Focus and Economic Perspective | Media guide to disaster recovery experts | Perspectives On Line | Teletip To receive our releases before they are posted here or sent out in hard copy, subscribe to our e-mail news service.