When holiday crops come to mind, poinsettias typically take center stage. While they remain a staple choice, breeders are now exploring innovative combinations to introduce a wider range of genera into holiday decorations.
There is a diverse selection of crops suitable for indoor holiday settings, spanning from foliage plants to succulents. The options are plentiful, whether you wish to mix various varieties in a container with poinsettias or showcase standalone plants to enhance your living space. If you are seeking alternatives to poinsettias for the holiday season, you are in the right place.
Beekenkamp
Sirekit Mol, the Head of Marketing and Retail at Beekenkamp, emphasizes that holiday crops extend beyond poinsettias. Floral arrangements featuring a mix of crops are gaining popularity among consumers, moving away from the exclusive focus on poinsettias. Poinsettias in pink, red, and white hues can be combined with kalanchoe in white, red, and yellow variations.
Begonias are another excellent choice for holiday crops, including the Spacestar series or the BK collection from Beekenkamp, along with other Begonia hiemalis (Reiger) varieties, as highlighted by Mol.
Jelitto
Jelitto offers seeds for Gaultheria procumbens and Gaultheria procumbens ‘Redwood’. This perennial plant, predominantly evergreen, showcases light-pink flowers during summer and red berries in the fall and winter. Mary Vaananen, the North American Manager at Jelitto, mentions that perennials can be cultivated for holiday sales and later transplanted in gardens during spring, catering to consumers seeking plants that endure beyond the season.
Dümmen Orange
Marta Maria Garcia, the Head of Product Management, Marketing, and Retail for Dümmen Orange North America, notes a trend towards non-traditional crops and colors for holiday décor. Combining poinsettias with foliage offers a fresh green element to holiday embellishments. Growers and consumers are increasingly drawn to innovative yet easy-to-care-for crops. This year, retail displays are showcasing a rising trend of incorporating foliage and succulents alongside poinsettias.
PanAmerican Seed
Steven Engel, the Regional Account Manager for PanAmerican Seed, identifies “Cyclamen ‘Dreamscape’, Hypoestes ‘Splash Select’, and Euphorbia ‘Glamour’ or ‘Glitz’” as popular choices from their seed assortment. These crops, particularly Euphorbia, are often paired with poinsettias to create striking red and white combinations. The indoor suitability of Hypoestes and Cyclamen makes them prevalent in holiday containers, especially in the floral sections of regions like the south/southwest.
Darwin Perennials
Chris Fifo, the Product Representative for Darwin Perennials, underscores the necessity of offering unique holiday plants to resonate with younger generations. The white and silver foliage of Centaurea complements various plants, lasting up to four weeks in office settings. Utilizing ‘Silver Swirl’ as a standalone plant, perhaps with a red sleeve, can make an appealing holiday gift. Darwin Perennials is exploring the potential of ‘Silver Swirl’ as a Valentine’s Day crop by collaborating with growers.
Green Fuse Botanicals
Jim Devereux, the President of Green Fuse Botanicals, highlights the advantage of quicker crop cycles. While poinsettias demand five to six months of space, other potted crops only require two to three months, offering a higher price point per square foot. Consumers seek textures and free-flowering plants that maintain an orderly appearance post-holiday season, emphasizing the importance of maximizing returns on their investment.
Terra Nova Nurseries
Chuck Pavlich, the Director of New Product Development at Terra Nova Nurseries, introduces the Holiday Series, a line of winter-themed plants. These begonias, known for their winter blooms indoors, flourish under various greenhouse conditions, similar to poinsettias, orchids, and kalanchoe, among other winter crops.
HilverdaFlorist
Cheryl Zethof, the Marketing Coordinator for HilverdaFlorist, notes the rising trend of incorporating a multisensory approach into holiday décor. Dianthus ‘Sunflor’ seamlessly aligns with the fragrance trend due to its scented flowers, offering warm spice, sweet vanilla, or clove aromas. ‘Sunflor’ is a versatile series suitable for gardens, patio planters, and indoor displays during the holiday season, boasting exceptional cold tolerance and a brief cultivation period for convenient planning and production.
Proven Winners
Kate Spirgen, the B2B Marketing Specialist for Proven Winners, acknowledges the iconic status of poinsettias during the holidays but recognizes the challenges in their maintenance. Caladiums present a durable and low-maintenance alternative that appeals to customers, especially younger ones seeking décor that lasts beyond Christmas into the following months. Caladiums are favored by growers for their de-eyed nature, resulting in fuller, more compact plants, and painted for easier orientation during planting.
Costa Farms
Justin Hancock, the Senior Brand Marketing Manager for Costa Farms, highlights the popularity of Norfolk Island Pine and Anthuriums as traditional houseplants. Variegated plants like White Knight Philodendron and Begonia maculata are also in demand, with landscapers incorporating red-and-white bedding plants during this season. Norfolk Island Pine stands out as a classic choice, serving as a subtropical year-round houseplant that can be adorned and utilized as a living Christmas tree throughout the holiday period.