| | Poinsettia at the LSU AgCenter's Burden Center. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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| | Jeff Kuehny, LSU AgCenter horticulturist, directs the poinsettia evaluation program. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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| | More poinsettias at the LSU AgCenter's Burden Center in Baton Rouge. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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Pointy and pretty, no flower quite has the petal power of poinsettias at the holidays. And the selection would be far fewer in Louisiana were it not for the LSU AgCenter.
Although AgCenter horticulturists do not develop new varieties of poinsettias, they evaluate the varieties that come on the market and test them for their suitability to grow here.
“There are approximately 40 poinsettia growers in the state, and the wholesale value for Louisiana is about $1.5 million,” said Jeff Kuehny, LSU AgCenter horticulturist in charge of the poinsettia evaluation program.
The 2008 crop was good, Kuehny said, so there should be lots to choose from this holiday season.
Some of the new varieties include an experimental orange, a pink, a white and some new shades of red.
“Red continues to be the most popular color,” Kuehny said.
Watch a short video on picking the perfect poinsettia.
Read “Poinsettia Selection and Care.”
For people who grow poinsettias to sell, the LSU AgCenter has a guidebook of how-to’s. Go to “Poinsettia Production Guidelines for the Gulf South.”
Read Get It Growing: Holiday Plant Care.
The poinsettia's beautiful leaves are not petals. They are called bracts.
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.
(This AgCenter Lead was updated on Dec. 2, 2008, by Linda Benedict.)