Poinsettias

Did you know poinsettias come in many other colors besides red and white? In this week’s Southern Gardening segment, Dr. Eddie Smith looks at some untraditional varieties of poinsettias. Traditional Red and white poinsettias are very popular holiday season plants. Did you know there are many more colored poinsettias available? Let’s take a look of some of these beautifully colored plants. Autumn Leaves is a beautiful poinsettia with its bright bracts displaying a rich golden yellow with small pink flakes. The yellow and pink colors intensify as the bracts begin to mature. Gold Rush is a similar colored poinsettia, and you can see why. The bracts have a bold, bright, golden yellow coloration. Premium Ice Crystal has large rosy, red bracts with pale pink to apricot centers spotted in red. The pattern appears to be quite uniform producing a beautiful ball of color. These plants have excellent branching and dark green foliage. Viking Cinnamon poinsettia has large creamy-yellow, pink bracts with rosy, pink spots. The short broad bracts are held flat above the dark green leaves. Marble poinsettias offer a change to the standard solid colors. Ice Punch is my favorite! I love the reverse red bracts and white centers of Ice Punch, but now there's a pink version called Sparkling Punch. It has pretty pastel pink bracts with a creamy white streak down the center that stands out against the dark green foliage. If you like variegated plants, then you'll love Tapestry. This selection has grayish green leaves with pale yellow margins and bright cherry red bracts. Look for these and other gorgeous poinsettias at your local garden center this holiday season. I am Eddie Smith, and I will see you next time on Southern Gardening.