HIXTON, Wis. – No flower is more closely associated with Christmas than the red-and-green poinsettia. And Gathje’s Greenhouse is awash in the colors of Christmas.
Poinsettias overflow Gathje's Greenhouse
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Jim Gathje of Gathje's Greenhouse in Hixton, Wisconsin, provides lush locally grown poinsettias to families, churches, businesses and florists throughout west-central Wisconsin and beyond.
Finding that one perfect poinsettia is near impossible at Gathje's Greenhouse in Jackson County, Wisconsin. Multiple greenhouses are jam-packed with poinsettias, one prettier than the next.
Poinsettia have been bred for bracts and leaves that come in different shapes. What most people call flowers are actually bracts or modified leaves.
Greenhouse owner Jim Gathje puts in long farmer hours, especially in the spring. The Saturday before Mother's Day is the busiest. But while harvest is finished for most growers, Gathje is double-cropping -- carefully tending poinsettias.
The yellow flowers, or cyathia, of poinsettias are in the center of the colorful bracts. The plant drops its bracts and leaves after those flowers shed their pollen.
Poinsettia breeders are making all sorts of variations, such as Jingles with flecked bracts.
In the spring Gathje's Greenhouse sells 3,500 hanging baskets of flowers. During the holiday season, poinsettias in hanging baskets are popular.
Poinsettias are short-day plants that turn color as days grow shorter. When poinsettias are purchased this time of year, they're actually finished growing. Thus plants won't benefit from fertilizer, but just require maintenance watering.
For customers who can't decide on just one color, Gathje's Greenhouse plants pots of white, pink and red poinsettias.
Gathje's Greenhouse, a ma-and-pa operation north of Hixton, Wisconsin, has a shop featuring gifts that gardeners will love, and multiple greenhouses of poinsettias.
Poinsettias come in unusual forms, including one with what resembles large rose-like blooms. The bracts persist after other poinsettias have perished, meaning people will still be enjoying the plant in February or even longer.
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