UGA students hold annual poinsettia sale

ATHENS — Having trouble jumpstarting the old holiday spirit? University of Georgia horticulture students have the answer — poinsettias. And lots of them.

Students in UGA’s Tau chapter of the national Pi Alpha Xi horticulture honor society have launched their annual poinsettia sale that runs through Dec. 8.

Each year, students grow a large crop of poinsettias as part of UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Professor Paul Thomas’ advanced greenhouse management course. They sell the poinsettias and use the funds to travel to horticulture conferences and purchase supplies like plant cuttings and soil.

This year’s crop features several traditional and nontraditional colors of poinsettias, including new varieties introduced by international breeders. The plants will be available in 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-inch containers with optional foil wrapping, with prices ranging from $4 to $15.

Photos of each variety can be found at pialphaxitau.wixsite.com/pialphaxitau/poinsettia-sale. Those interested in poinsettias are urged to preorder by emailing [email protected].