Evaluation of New Poinsettia Varieties In Central Missouri

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are traditional plants for Christmas decorations. The objective of this trial was to evaluate and introduce some new poinsettia varieties or selections for Poinsettia growers and consumers. Twenty-four poinsettia varieties/selections, including classic red/pink or novel colored, were tested at the Lincoln University Research Greenhouse located at Jefferson City, Mo.  Rooted cuttings were planted in 6½ " standard pots on August 20, using Premier Pro-mix with biofungicide. The trial was conducted as a Completely Randomized Design with four replications. There were four individual plants per replication for each variety.  Approximately 400ppm N of Peter's Peat Lite Special 15-16-17 was applied weekly for the first two weeks after planting and then the rate was reduced to 200ppm and continuously applied weekly until November 25. Magnesium Sulfate and Sodium Molybdate were incorporated into the fertilizer solution once in mid-October and once in mid-November. Plant heights were measured twice on October 26 and November 29. Response time (date of color changing) for all plants was recorded. On December 3, a team of 36 faculty and staff, students, master gardeners and others evaluated all varieties on bract color, foliage shape and proportion, overall appearance, and personal preferences. The finishing height was about 33-40cm for all varieties. Varieties Freedom Early Red, Early Joy Red, Freedom Early Pink, Autumn Red, Gala Red, Freedom Early White, and Eggnog changed colors much earlier than varieties Peppermint Twist, Winter Rose Early Red, and Winter Rose Early Pink. The top three winners for the pink group were Freedom Early Pink, Freedom Peppermint, and Classic Pink; for the red group were Gala Red, Prestige Early Red, and Advent Red; for the white group were Classic White Freedom, Early White, and PX14001; and for the novel group were Eggnog, Peppermint Twist, and Winter Rose Early Red. The three most favorite varieties chosen by the 36 judges were 54-06, Snowcap and Ice Punch, which include two varieties in the novel group and indicate people’s preference to innovative types.