I am looking at ordering next years cuttings.I was looking at the Parks poinsettia catalog and they show a few Ecke white options and a few Fischer white options. The Fischer whites look more true white and the Ecke varieties are sort of white but mostly tending to yellow and green. Is this trick photography or has Fischer gotten the upper hand on white?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vnoble,

Ah yes, the quest for the 'whitest white'! Let us start by saying we at Ecke do our best to achieve good color corrections for images so growers can make variety selections from the catalogs and not be surprised by the plants as they bloom. That said there are several factors that influence how white bracts will be at time of maturity. They include:
1. Foliage type. Lighter green leaf varieties usually have cleaner bract color for white, pink and marble due to less chlorophyll in the leaves. Dark leaf types are going to be 'creamier' in color due to the darker leaf characteristic. So, if truer whites are needed, look toward light leaf varieties such as Snowcap and Peterstar White. An exception to this is the Enduring colors, even though the series has darker green leaves than the others mentioned the colors are clear!
2. Cultural management. Where you are located geographically and how you manage the crop affects color! Light intensities and temperatures can shift color from white to either green or yellow (depending on too cool or too warm), so be sure to factor this into your decisions as well.

As to 'trick photography', we really don't think anyone is trying to mislead growers on the colors of varieties presented in the catalogs. A great way to really understand which varieties express the color you are looking for is to attend variety trials at local universities or grower trials so you can see them grown under uniform conditions appropriate to your region. From there it is easier to make decisions on which will work for your program.


As to 'trick photography', we really don't think anyone is trying to mislead growers on the colors of varieties presented in the catalogs. A great way to really understand which varieties express the color you are looking for is to attend variety trials at local universities or grower trials so you can see them grown under uniform conditions appropriate to your region. From there it is easier to make decisions on which will work for your program.

Thank you for your input. I raised Freedom white last year and they were not white. I will try the application of Fascination as has been suggested previously as well as try a new variety next year.