Nearly 700 poinsettias just made their debut as part of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s annual holiday flower show. After being relocated to Como’s Visitor Center last year to accommodate the construction of the Sunken Garden’s new ADA-accessible ramps, the beloved seasonal flower show has returned to its roots this season.
“I would say this year’s show is traditional, but with a twist,” says Como horticulturist Bo Akinkuotu, who designed the show, now on display through January 4.
Fans of TikTok’s viral “Ralph Lauren Christmas” vibe will definitely like the rich red bracts featured in more traditional varieties such as Ruby Red, Pure White, and Jubilee Red. Visitors will also discover outside-the-box accent plants such as Duranta, Kalanchoe, Alyssum, Dusty Miller, and Green Envy poinsettias, an arresting chartreuse varietal.
“There are some camps that really prefer the familiar, traditional reds, and others that want to see something new every time they come to the Sunken Garden,” he says. “With this show, we’re trying to strike a balance by featuring some familiar favorites along with some new elements.”
As many home gardeners know, cultivating these temperamental tropical plants in the cold of winter takes careful planning and attention to detail. “They can be a little bit fussy as a houseplant, and most people probably don’t have the patience for it,” he says.
As in years past, poinsettias will be available for purchase in the Como Friends Gift Shop throughout the holiday season, with every sale helping support the plants and animals we all love at Como.
In fact, Akinkuotu started preparing for the show several months ago, planting more than 1,500 poinsettias and accent plants to create adequate replacements for plants that may fade or lose their leaves during the course of the show. During the final eight weeks of the growing cycle, shades were drawn over the poinsettia growing area to help bring them into bloom. Plunging the plants into darkness for at least 13 hours a day is the key to creating the brightly colored bracts that make them a holiday favorite.
Como visitors can enjoy a profusion of poinsettias in the Sunken Garden, daily through January 4. Thanks to your contributions to Como Friends, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s five seasonal flower shows are always free to visitors.
Plant List
Alyssum (Carpet of Snow); Caladium (Gingerland); Chamaecyperus; Coastal rosemary Coleus; Dieffenbachia; Duranta (Lrg Gold Edge); Duranta (Med Gold Edge); Duranta (Sm Gold Edge); Dusty Miller; Silver Dust; Euphorbia (Starblast Pink) Jacoranda; Kalanchoe (Fuego); Lemon cypress; Pittosporum; Poinsettia Ruby Red (Lrg); Poinsettia Ruby Red ; Poinsettia Green Envy; Poinsettia Jubilee Red; Poinsettia Pure White; Rosemary topiaries