Poinsettia Cultivar Evaluation, 1997
Richard
L. Harkess
Associate Horticulturist MSU Plant and Soil
Sciences
Contents
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results and Discussion
- Conclusions
- References
- Table 1
- Table 2
- Table 3
- Table 4
Introduction
The poinsettia is the number-one selling potted flowering plant in the United States, and it is quickly becoming a popular plant for production in many other countries. With the increasing popularity of the poinsettia, plant breeders have developed many n ew cultivars. Poinsettia cultivar selection was accelerated in the 1960s, when breeders began selecting cultivars based on color, plant form, post-harvest life, and performance in different climates. Previously, cultivars were all selected from a limited pool of seedlings. Several of the cultivars developed in the 1960s are still in production today. A recent trend in cultivar selection has been for earlier blooming (Williams 1997). While most cultivars require 8.5 to 9.5 weeks of short days to initiate a nd develop flowers, newer cultivars being released may require as little as 6.5 weeks.
Most customers may not recognize Annette Hegg Red or Gutbier V-14 Glory by sight, but until recently, these cultivars and their color variations were the most commonly grown (Larson 1992). In the 1990s, the number of cultivars released has escalated tr emendously, and organized trials have been conducted in Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida (Larson and Hammer 1997). Today, there are more than 60 cultivars available for growers to choose from in planning next season's crop. With the late summer heat a nd high humidity, poinsettia cultivars do not respond the same in the Midsouth region as in surrounding regions.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-nine cultivars of poinsettia were grown at the main campus of Mississippi State University to examine the performance of the cultivars in the Midsouth. Two cultivars were obtained from Ball FloraPlant, 25 from The Paul Ecke Ranch, four from Oglevee , and nine from Fischer USA.
As the rooted cuttings arrived from different vendors, they were potted into 6-inch diameter azalea pots in Sunshine Mix 1 (Sun Gro Horticulture, Bellevue, WA). Ball FloraPlant cultivars arrived on Aug. 13, 1997; Oglevee cultivars on Aug. 21, 1997; Pau l Ecke cultivars on Aug. 27, 1997; and Fischer USA cultivars on Sept. 3, 1997 (Table 1). All cuttings were drenched with the fungicide Banrot (The Scotts Co., Marysville, OH) at the rate of 8 ounces per 100 gallons after potting. On Sept. 4, 1997, photoperiod lighting was set up to provide 4 hours of light from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for long-day conditions. The lights were turned off, and short days started on Oct. 6, 1997. Natural short days were used to bring plants to flower. All plan ts were pinched on Sept. 15, 1997, to remove all but five to six leaves. Marathon (Olympic Horticultural Products, Mainland, PA) was applied on Sept. 16, 1997, to control whiteflies. Most cultivars were treated with 4 fluid ounces of Bonzi (Uniroyal Chemi cal, Middlebury, CT) soil drench at 4 milligrams per liter 1 to 2 weeks after pinching (Table 1).
Data collected included plant height (measured from the rim of the container), average number of bracts per plant, bract diameter (average of two bracts per plant), and number of weeks from the start of short days to first pollen shed. Cultivars were a lso evaluated by 22 open house attendees who were asked to list their first, second, and third favorite. In addition, open house participants also rated the likelihood of their purchasing each plant (scale of 1-10: 1 = would never purchase; 10 = would def initely purchase) and provided overall ratings for plant form and color with (10 = best overall).
Results and Discussion
Most of the cultivars in the trials required 7.5 to 8.5 weeks from the start of short days to reach anthesis (Table 2). The Freedom series, Angelika series, Snowcap, Festival Red, Nutcracker Pink, Nutcracker White, Marblestar, Maren, Noblestar, Sonora Red, and Whitestar all reached anthesis in less than 8 weeks. This reflects the trend toward earlier-blooming new cultivars (Williams 1997). Only two cultivars in the trials required more than 10 weeks to reach anthesis -- Peace Jolly R ed and Dark Puebla.
The growth regulator application (Bonzi) early in crop production resulted in plants that were only 5 to 8 inches above the rim of a 6-inch azalea pot or 9 to 12 inches including the container height. While this was shorter than the industry standard o f a 14- to 16-inch-tall plant, there was considerable interest in these smaller plants when shown to the public at garden clubs and during the open house. Homeowners said they liked the smaller plants since they fit in with the seasonal decorations of the ir home on table tops and mantles more easily than larger plants. A shorter, more compact plant is also what many large-volume retailers are demanding (Anonymous 1997). A smaller, more compact plant is less likely to have breakage during shipping.
Since it is related to branching, average inflorescence number indicates how readily the cultivar branches after pinching. Inflorescence number ranged from four to seven, with most cultivars having about five (Table 2). The inflor escence number is usually related to the number of leaves remaining after pinching. In this trial, five to six leaves were left on the plant after pinching. Those cultivars averaging seven inflorescences had branches that developed from axillary buds with out attached leaves.
The cultivar with the largest inflorescence diameter (bract spread) was Festival Red (Table 2). The inflorescence diameter was about 2 inches larger than the next largest cultivars. Winter Rose, a novelty with in-curved bracts, ha d the smallest inflorescence diameter at 3.75 inches. Of the other cultivars, Red Splendor had small, 6.5-inch inflorescences that allowed the dark-green foliage of this variety to show beneath the bracts.
In the evaluation, Freedom Bright Red, Red Splendor, Freedom Red, and Jingle Bells 3 were the top-rated first-favorite cultivars (Table 3). Freedom Red and Freedom Bright Red were most frequently listed as the second favorite. Nut cracker White and Pepride were most frequently listed as the third-favorite cultivars. Neither of these third-favorite cultivars was ever listed as a first favorite, which indicates that the traditional red poinsettia is still the holiday favorite.
Freedom Red and Freedom Bright Red were the most popular red cultivars based on the evaluators' votes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd favorites. Except for Monet, none of the pink cultivars were ranked as first favorite. Only three of the white cultivars grown - - Nutcracker White, Freedom White, and Pearl -- were listed as favorites. Three marbled cultivars were listed as favorites, with Dark Puebla listed as the first favorite of two evaluators. Of the Jingle Bells cultivars, which have red bracts splashed with white speckles, Jingle Bells 3 was the most favored. The new, novelty cultivar, Winter Rose, was twice listed as second favorite.
When evaluators were asked to rate their likelihood of buying each cultivar for their home or office, they rated several plants at 8 or higher (Table 4). Cultivars thus rated were also among those listed as favorites. The exceptio n was Red Splendor; although it was listed as a first favorite, it only received a purchase rating of 6.7. Alternatively, Nutcracker Red earned a purchase rating of 8, but it received only one listing as a favorite. Only two cultivars, Freedom Red and Fre edom Bright Red, received an overall rating higher than 8 (Table 4).
Conclusions
Red cultivars received the highest quality ratings and are still the most popular and most likely to be purchased. White cultivars were the next most popular solid color, while pinks were among the least favorites. Of the novelty types, Jingle Bells culti vars were very popular. Jingle Bells 3, with its greater contrast between the white spots and dark red bracts, was the easy favorite of the novelty cultivars.
References
Anonymous. 1997. Particular about poinsettias. Greenhouse Grower. 15(10):83-84,86.
Larson, R.A. 1992. Introduction to Floriculture. 2nd edition. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego, CA.
Larson, R.A. and P.A. Hammer. 1997. Trialing cuts through the cultivar clutter. GrowerTalks. 60(12):26,28,30,32,34.
Williams, J.E. 1997. Meeting the early poinsettia market. Greenhouse Grower. 15(8):119-120,122.
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