Along with a decorated tree and a jolly man in a bright red suit, the poinsettia stands as one of the most iconic symbols of the holiday season — and right now, Metro Atlanta Pike Nurseries locations are blanketed in red, thanks to the popular plant.
Pike Nurseries Farm General Manager Kelley Holmquist says they receive poinsettia cuttings from Central America in June, which are then hand-planted in specially-formulated soil at the farm. And here’s an interesting fact — to turn that vivid red color, the plants need about 14 hours of darkness per day. Holmquist adds that Pike Nurseries grows more than 20 different varieties of poinsettia (with colors including red, white, and pink) — and that they’ll grow more than 17,000 poinsettia plants total this season.
