Delivering holiday cheer with poinsettia frenzy

Poinsettias take center stage as festive favourites Bradford Gallery Greenhouses blossoms as poinsettia sales soar during the holidays.

During the holidays, floral companies and greenhouses report rising demand for the holiday poinsettia plant.

"Poinsettia is an amazing gift because it reminds everyone of Christmas, and it's not a Christmas if you don't have one, so there is one for every taste and elegant, so there is something for everyone," said Gabrielle Pollman, assistant with Bradford Gallery Greenhouses.

The red floral plant is so popular this time of year that Polman said Bradford greenhouses will see thousands of poinsettias sold during December.

Polman added that while poinsettias are offered in various options these days, questions remain on how to best care for the plant.

"There are only a few things you need to remember: they need to dry out before watering, they can't sit in water, so if you buy them in a pot, you have to make sure you drain the excess water, and they don't like drafts of any kind so they are not great beside a door that gets open, or fireplaces or heating vents," explained Polman.

Throughout the region, local florists are also seeing the love for the seasonal plant, and at Pick Me Up Flowers in Barrie, staff are filling hundreds of orders for poinsettias and holiday arrangements, with the floral company also offering delivery for seniors.

"We love poinsettias. The public loved poinsettias, and we don't know why they are the biggest seller for Christmas, but they just are; everyone loves to give them as gifts, and they bring a smile to everybody's faces," said Rebecca Fabok, manager at Pick Me Up Flowers.

Poinsettias season officially ends in December, with most people discarding the plant by January. However, florists say with the proper care, the plant can last much longer if watered correctly.