Poinsettia Trials

Breeder:

Paul Ecke Ranch

Summary:

Jingle Bell Rock has a dramatic appearance with a bright red background color and a blaze of white along the midvein. Consumer interest for this cultivar has been very strong, and it has the potential to be even more important than Red Glitter. Plants have very strong stems, excellent branching and a wide V shape. Vigor is medium to high and they can be used in a wide range of formats. There are two concerns for this cultivar, with the first being that it flowers relatively late, similar to Red Glitter. Secondly, the amount of sporting is relatively high with many white bracts and many other bracts showing only a “normal’ red glitter appearance without the white blaze. Also, there was sporting to an all-white plant. The breeder and cutting producers will have to work hard to keep sporting at a manageable level for the growers; but few consumers expressed concern about the variability. In the Florida student sale, except for the white plants, Jingle Bell Rock sold out before the Red Glitter plants started selling.