Due to the effects of a warm winter, this year’s harvest of the poinsettia plant has been delayed by about a month compared with previous years, said Huang Yi-pin (黃毅斌), chief of Cijia Floral Park’s (七甲花卉園區) agriculture production and marketing group.
Warm temperatures are not ideal for harvesting of the plant, Huang said, adding that it is still being observed whether the overall sales of the plant will be affected.
The weather has also affected the cultivation of the plant and horticulturists at the park in Tainan’s Gueiren District (歸仁) have not stocked many poinsettias, affecting the selection available to the public, Huang said.
“It is already almost December, yet there are very few poinsettias on the market. This kind of situation is very rare,” Huang said.
Normally, poinsettias can be seen on the market starting in October, with demand for the plants extending until Christmas, he said.
Due to its auspicious red color and the long period of time that the plant stays in bloom, many people also use the poinsettia to decorate their homes during the Lunar New Year, he added.
Now that temperatures have begun to fall, the number of poinsettias on the market will gradually increase, Huang said.
The selection of plants available for purchase will also be more diverse, allowing people to experience the festive atmosphere of the Christmas season, he added.
Horticulturists have always put a lot of effort into the research and development of poinsettias, Huang said.
New types of plants that are similar to the poinsettia are constantly being made available, he added.
There used to be more than 20 types of poinsettias on the market, but because of market mechanisms, plants with weaker sales were rejected, Huang said.
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