Florists, big box stores, and grocery stores offer a huge array of poinsettias every year but most of the ones you see are red, cream, or pink. Go to a premier garden center or florist and you will find that there is a huge variety of poinsettias with many interesting and beautiful variations. And they are natural, not the painted ones I recently saw in …but I don’t need to mention names. There are over a hundred varieties of poinsettias grown yearly and new varieties are continually being produced. Not only does the flower color vary but also the flower shape, and the leaf color. I recently visited an upscale garden center and was delighted to find some old and new beauties.
The garden center had the usual reds, whites, and pinks, but the variations of these basic ones are what interested me. Here are deep mahogany ones. The “petals” (actually modified leaves) are almost leathery to the touch.
The color of this was intense and vivid and the shape was a little different than usual.
On the other end of the spectrum, here is a light pink one.
These white ones were tinged with a faint pink.
These red ones were streaked with white.
The narrow “petals” of this red one gave a whole different look to the “flower”.
Here’s a combination of deep pink and rose; the saleslady called it ‘Jingle Bells’.
These pale yellow bracts were splashed with red.
If you want a totally different look to the “flower’ try the rose series. They come in different colors; red
…a delicate light pink,
… deep rose,
…and a combination light cream and rose.
Having so many choices makes it hard to choose but ‘Jingle Bells’ won our hearts and we brought a couple home to stand on our hearth. Your florist or garden centers may not have these same pointsettias but they will probably have a nice selection of unusual ones that you won’t find elsewhere. Even if you don’t buy any, it’s a fun visit.
