Wednesday, December 12
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The holiday poinsettia show offers all the opportunity to celebrate National Poinsettia Day and learn about this gorgeous holiday plant.

This holiday will be honored at Lauritzen Gardens with docents onsite to answer questions about poinsettias and the poinsettia show itself. The first 100 families will receive a FREE poinsettia (limit one per family) to celebrate this special day. 

National Poinsettia Day (by decree of Congress) marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico who introduced the native Mexican plant to the United States in the 1800s. Poinsett would ship cuttings of the plant to his greenhouse in Greenville, S.C., where he would later propagate them and send them to friends and botanical centers around the United States. Poinsett became the namesake for this popular holiday plant.

Visitors to Lauritzen Gardens’ annual holiday poinsettia show can view approximately 2,000 poinsettia plants at any given time this holiday season. There are a tremendous number of poinsettia varieties and many unique plants are displayed in this year’s exhibit. Varieties include WINTER ROSE™ DARK RED, POLAR BEAR, RED FOX™ AVANTGARDE MARBLE, RED FOX™ PINK CADILLAC, ICE™ PUNCH, CHRISTMAS FEELINGS™ CINNAMON and SONORA™ WHITE GLITTER. There are also more than 700 poinsettias on grand display in a 20-foot-tall poinsettia tree.

Much like how Poinsetta first introduced poinsettias to the United States, staff at Lauritzen Gardens start all the poinsettias seen on display from mere cuttings. Greenhouse staff and volunteers begin caring for these cuttings in summer until they are ready for display in late November and throughout the holiday season.

Celebrate the poinsettia by visiting Lauritzen Gardens on National Poinsettia Day, or visit the indoor show any time through Sunday, January 6.