Painted Poinsettias Add New Possibilities to Holiday Programs
(Clockwise from top left) Poinsettia Butter Rum, Blue Ice Collection of Painted Poinsettias, and Poinsettia Emerald Shimmer. | Plantpeddler
Painted poinsettias are giving some growers a way to refresh a classic holiday crop without walking away from proven genetics. Rather than replacing traditional red poinsettias, these value-added treatments create a more customized look for shoppers seeking something unexpected on the holiday bench.
At Plantpeddler, painted poinsettias are part of a broader strategy to help retailers stand out. The company uses painted finishes to create specialty products aimed at consumers who may not be drawn to a standard red poinsettia, including younger shoppers and buyers looking for colors that better fit their home décor.
“We paint everything,” says Mike Gooder, President and CEO of Plantpeddler. “So there’s a purpose for everything within our mix.”
Plantpeddler has found that painted poinsettias can help broaden the category’s appeal, especially when paired with novelty colors and distinctive presentations. Rather than treating poinsettias as a one-look crop, the company positions painted and specialty-finished plants as a way to create a more individualized holiday product.
Dümmen Orange also sees a connection between genetics and decorative treatments. Trial Manager QiuXia Chen says some varieties are simply better candidates for these applications than others.
“There are varieties, from a genetic standpoint, that seem to paint or glitter well,” Chen says. “Those would be characteristics that some growers would evaluate when they’re looking at different varieties to decide whether they want to paint them or glitter them.”
That point matters because painted poinsettias still rely on strong underlying genetics. The base plant must finish evenly, hold up through handling, and maintain bract quality long enough for the decorative treatment to add value rather than cover flaws.
As retailers look for ways to create more visual excitement during the holiday season, painted poinsettias offer one more option. They do not replace the traditional red crop, but they do give growers a way to layer novelty onto a plant consumers already know.
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