Click here to view a photo slideshow
of the poinsettia polar bears under
construction and in their finishing stage.

The highly anticipated poinsettia polar bears have been unveiled at The Palazzo in Las Vegas. The flower topiaries are made up of 8,000 'Polar Bear' poinsettias, and the tallest stands 16 feet high.

Audra Danzak, horticulture director for The Palazzo and Venetian, developed the concept and enlisted world-renowned designer Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions in Texas for the actual design and construction.

Armstrong Growers and The Ecke Ranch worked together with Danzak and Stefanou to devise a way to keep the poinsettias in place and looking fresh.

The structure incorporates a drip irrigation system that is supplemented with hand watering to keep the poinsettia polar bears looking fresh. The 'Polar Bear' poinsettias were planted one at a time by a crew of 12 people during the night for nearly a week.

For each 'Polar Bear' poinsettia sold, the Ecke Ranch will make a donation to Polar Bears International (PBI). PBI is a non-profit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of the polar bear and its habitat through research and education. The Palazzo will have a limited number of 'Polar Bear' poinsettias available for purchase.

Armstrong Growers, the official poinsettia grower for The Ecke Ranch, grows hundreds of thousands of poinsettias each holiday season.

To check out a photo slideshow of the polar bear poinsettias, click here.