Three Poinsettia Facts
It’s that time of the year again – when we share our annual “Ag Year in Review” and dive into the USDA data to find holiday-themed insights. In previous years we’ve previously written about Christmas trees facts and production trends. This year, our curiosity led us to everyone’s favorite vibrantly red, potted holiday flower: the poinsettia.
Before diving into the three facts, some trivia: In 2019, the U.S. harvested 11.7 million Christmas trees. How many poinsettias did U.S. farms sell that year? Keep reading for the answer!
1. Big Poinsettias for the Win
The USDA’s Census of Horticulture splits poinsettia sales data into two categories – pots less than 5 inches and 5 inches or larger. In 2019, large potted poinsettias accounted for 73% of plants sold.
Figure 1. U.S. Farm Sales of Poinsettia, by Pot Size, 2019. Data Source: USDA Census of Horticulture.
2) Mostly Wholesale
U.S. poinsettia growers sold 95% of the 2019 crop via wholesale, which is a large share compared to the 82% of live Christmas trees that were sold wholesale.
The average value of wholesale poinsettias was $4.33 each in 2019. For the few sold as retail, the average value was $9.93.
Figure 2. U.S. Farm Sales of Poinsettia, Retail vs Wholesale, 2019. Data Source: USDA Census of Horticulture.
3) More Poinsettia Than Christmas Trees
The answer to the earlier trivia question: U.S. producers sold nearly 47 million potted poinsettias in 2019, four times the number of live Christmas trees sold (Figure 3).
There are two other trends worth noting. First, the number of poinsettias sold by U.S. farms has decreased in recent years. In the 2009 and 2014 Censuses, sales exceeded 50 million units before slumping in 2019.
Second, while more units of poinsettias were sold, farm Christmas tree sales generated far more revenue. With an average farm price of $30 per tree (read more about retail prices here), farm sales of Christmas trees were $357 million in 2019, compared to just $216 million in poinsettia sales.
Figure 3. Poinsettia Sold on U.S. farms 2009-2019. Data Source: USDA Census of Horticulture.
Figure 4. Value of Poinsettia (potted) and Christmas Trees (live) sold on U.S. farms in 2019. Data Source: USDA Census of Horticulture.
Wrapping It Up
And that’s a wrap on our writings for 2022. Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons!
As we move forward, we think it’s important for all of us to continue to remain curious to improve our decision-making skills. If you agree, you should try AEI Premium in 2023.