Poinsettia Open House

Sponsored by NC State Floriculture and the JCRA

• Sunday, December 3, 2017 – 1:00 pm–5:00 pm

What 's red and green and the highest selling flowering potted plant? The poinsettia, of course! The cheery, brightly colored foliage of this seasonal plant has become a symbol of the holiday season.

A lot of preparation goes into stocking garden center shelves with this holiday favorite. NC State Floriculture is proud to participate in a national poinsettia program that tests poinsettia cultivars to determine which ones are best for consumers and for producers. We would like to invite you to be a part of that process!

At the Poinsettia Open House, see these cultivars for yourself and vote for your favorites. Over one hundred different cultivars of poinsettias will be on display, including numerous new, experimental cultivars. Another attraction is our famous 9' tall poinsettia tree made of more than 150 plants. Enjoy live music as you wander through the poinsettia gardens, take your picture in front of our poinsettia tree, and help us decide which poinsettias will be North Carolina's favorite cultivars by voting for your favorite poinsettias during this spectacular celebration.

Special Musical Guests

To add to the festiveness of this floral affair, we are pleased to announce that two musical groups will serenade our guests with sounds of the season.

Nathan and Faith Jahnke

Nathan and Faith Jahnke moved to North Carolina shortly after their wedding in August 2015 for Nathan to study horticulture as a graduate student at NC State University, but their mutual interest in music brought them together at North Dakota State University. As violinists, both were members of the University Symphony Orchestra during their undergraduate degrees. Faith works as a roadway designer at Summit Design and Engineering Services, while Nathan received his M.S. in horticulture under John Dole, Ph.D., and is now working toward his Ph.D. on postharvest handling of cut flowers. Both have been involved in multiple orchestral groups throughout their lives and enjoying making music together.

Joy Recorder Ensemble

Listen to Christmas carols from around the world played by the Joy Recorder Ensemble while viewing the poinsettias. They'll begin at 1:00 PM and play through 5:00 PM with three 15 minute breaks. Musical instruments include recorders plus a hand drum, tambourine, and a glockenspiel. Members include Carrie Joy Bylina (director), Jean Lin, Sandy Lin, Jean Luc Bernard, Chia-Fei Wang, and Marina Evans.

Cost

Free.

Registration

Advance registration is not available.

Location

Ruby C. McSwain Education Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Directions

Need directions? Click here.

Parking

Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Questions

Please call (919) 513-7005 for more information about this event.