Poinsettia Ranch Ready for Peak Holiday Season

This is the hectic time of year for Paul Ecke Poinsettia Ranch, the Encinitas flower farm where about 65 types of poinsettias in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors are grown and shipped to florists and nurseries throughout Southern California and Arizona.

The ranch prides itself on developing new kinds of poinsettias and this year introduced a yellow variety called lemon drop. In past years, Ecke brought out jingle bells, a red-leafed plant with pink speckles, and pink peppermint. Exotic poinsettias can cost up to $500, but the average plant goes for about $20.

The Ecke ranch is a highly seasonal employer with payroll peaking at 300 this time of year. But payroll also shoots up in the summer when the ranch ships seedlings to growers in 65 countries. Ecke thinks of itself as a flower breeder as much as grower.

The Ecke family has been synonymous with poinsettias since 1906, when Albert Ecke, the father of patriarch Paul Ecke Sr., opened a flower ranch in Hollywood. The operation was moved to Encinitas in 1924 and now occupies hundreds of acres, including 35 acres covered with greenhouses. Paul Ecke, now 95, is “still in good health, comes to work everyday and checks the greenhouses,” a spokeswoman said.