March 2005
Recommended Cultivars By Allen Hammer, John Dole and Jim Barrett

Not all poinsettias were created equal. Find out which ones are best under your production conditions.

This year, we changed the way the recommended cultivars are presented. In recognition that poinsettia production is becoming increasingly specialized, we have placed more emphasis on the various container sizes used and how different cultivars perform in those containers. The best cultivar for an individual grower depends on their location, production practices, market and personal preference.

There are a large number of poinsettia cultivars that can be produced successfully; too many for any one grower to be familiar with or even test all of them. This list of recommended cultivars is meant to aid growers in selecting cultivars to try, especially in light of the many new varieties introduced each year. These recommendations are based on university trials and observations of commercial crops. Primarily, this list includes varieties that have been in our trials for at least two years.

See PDFs for all relevant photos/charts.

Allen Hammer, John Dole and Jim Barrett

Allen Hammer is professor of floriculture at Purdue University. John Dole is professor of floriculture at North Carolina State University. Jim Barrett is professor of floriculture at University of Florida. They can be reached by E-mail at pah@hort.purdue.edu, john_dole@ncsu.edu and jbarrett@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, respectively.