Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mary Lewnes Albrecht Over the past several years, 'Freedom Red' and other new poinsettia cultivars have been introduced to commercial producers and consumers. These cultivars were selected for improvements in postharvest handling, appearance under artificial lighting, growth habit, earliness to flower, and floral display. Many of these improvements were brought about by changes in the way poinsettias are marketed and used. Growers must be able to supply mature plants before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Consumers demand plants that hold the colored bracts well throughout the holiday season.
Freedom Red, introduced in 1991 from the Paul Ecke Ranch in California, was developed with these considerations in mind. This text was extracted from the publication, SRL-113.