Paul Ecke’s Poinsettias Had Their Roots in Hollywood

Older Angelenos may recall the days when, at this time of year, the fields around Hollywood were ablaze with poinsettias growing in the open. The sight of the red flowers drew busloads of tourists.

Paul Ecke, who began cultivating the plants in Hollywood in 1906, sold his crop as cut flowers in stands along Sunset Boulevard. But by 1924 the land had become too valuable to support further farming, and Ecke moved the operation to San Diego County.

Today, the Paul Ecke Poinsettia Ranch in Encinitas covers hundreds of acres near Interstate 5 and Encinitas Boulevard. The payroll climbs to seasonal highs of about 300--not just at the holiday season but also at midyear, when the emphasis is on producing seedlings for other commercial growers in the West and in 65 countries around the world.

There still are fields of flowers. But a lot of the production today takes place within the greenhouses that cover 35 acres, said spokeswoman Carolyn Mack.

Now, the main business, besides supplying cuttings from “mother plants” to other growers, is to develop new poinsettia cultivars, she said.

“Every year we produce about 10,000 new and different seedlings. These are evaluated, and several dozen are selected for further trials and cross-breeding. It can take a dozen years to produce one new commercial variety, like this year’s bright yellow poinsettia, which we call ‘lemon drop,’ ” she said.

Paul Ecke Sr., now 95, is in good health and maintains an active interest in the ranch. “He comes to work every day and checks the greenhouses,” Mack said.