Poinsettia growers are looking forward to a bumper Christmas thanks to the warm summer and mild autumn. The festive plant is the diva of the horticultural world, needing special conditions and constant monitoring, but growers say the weather was very favourable to the plant this year.
Because poinsettia is so difficult to grow, there are only a handful of growers in Ireland. One of them, Uniplumo in Swords, Co Dublin, has grown 150,000 plants this year in more than five acres of heated glasshouses, according to manager Tom Summerville, a 30 per cent increase over the past four years.
Some 280,000 Irish-grown poinsettia plants will be bought this year, according to Bord Bia, which gives the quality mark to approved Irish growers.
“Demand is definitely up,” Mr Summerville said. “Retailers have latched onto the importance of Irish and home-grown products.”
The poinsettia doesn’t travel well, so Irish growers have an advantage over their foreign rivals.
“It depends on how you look after it, but the plant should last throughout the season and beyond,” he said.
Uniplumo is supplying supermarkets this year and began sending out plants on November 12th.
“In the past the Irish consumer would have looked at poinsettia and said ‘what’s that?’, but . . . it’s become one of those things you just have to have for Christmas,” he said. “It’s onwards and upwards for us. We are looking to expand our business next year so we can cater for larger volumes again.”
Kilmoon Cross Nurseries, near Ashbourne, Co Meath, has also greatly increased production since starting with a few hundred plants some 19 years ago. Co-owner Noelene McMahon said: "Other Christmas plants like cyclamen have died a death and it's all about the poinsettia now. Red is the colour."
Bord Bia's horticulture specialist Carol Marks said the crop was worth about €1.2 million to growers.
The poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico and Central America and was included in Christmas decorations by Mexican Franciscan friars from the 17th century. It was brought to the US by Dr Joel Poinsett, hence its name.
In keeping with its diva-like behaviour, its popularity began in Hollywood when German immigrant Paul Ecke began growing poinsettias and selling them on Sunset Boulevard.
Ms Marks highlighted the need for careful handling. “This is one reason why locally-sourced plants are a better buy. A shorter trip from the nursery to the shop shelf means this diva will look stunning and perform better than its jet-lagged counterpart,” she said.
