DURHAM, N.H. -- The Macfarlane Greenhouses, the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Thompson School horticultural facility at the University of New Hampshire host the popular Poinsettia Trials Open House Thursday, Dec. 5 through Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Visitors to the free event, now in its eighth year, will enjoy more than 100 poinsettia varieties and assist in ongoing research.

Poinsettias on display will go far beyond the traditional red to shades of pink, apricot, and deep burgundy; variations of red, white and pink shades; and those with names like Polar Bear, Red Glitter, Sparkling Punch, Candlelight, Tapestry and Visions of Grandeur. Visitors to the trials will assist in research by recording their favorites from among new and different varieties; completing this survey will enter visitors into a drawing to win a poinsettia.

New this year, the Thompson School Horticulture Club will host a wreath decorating activity. Fresh wreaths will be available for purchase, and visitors will be guided by horticulture club students to create their own personally designed holiday wreath. All proceeds will benefit the Horticulture Club. In addition, while on the UNH campus visitors may view the 12-foot poinsettia tree in the lobby of the Whittemore Center and stop by the Evergreen Fair at the UNH Memorial Union Building.

The Poinsettia Trials at UNH is a collaborative event to bring research to breeders, growers, and the public. Similar trials take place at universities and commercial greenhouses across the country, allowing breeders and growers to evaluate regional differences in the growth and performance of new cultivars. This valuable information provides a basis for choosing the best cultivars for a particular growing environment and market.

The open house also provides an opportunity to meet Thompson School ornamental horticulture students as they showcase their 2013 poinsettia crop. A broad selection of the many poinsettia varieties will be available for purchase on all three days and throughout the holiday season until Dec. 24.

The Poinsettia Trials Open House is at the Macfarlane Greenhouses at 296 Mast Road, on the West edge of campus, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On Thursday and Friday metered parking is available at the UNH Visitor Center across from the greenhouses; parking on Saturday is free. The greenhouses are also served by Wildcat Transit's free shuttle service: www.wildcattransit.com.

The Macfarlane Greenhouses, recently given the highest grade for sustainability by an independent certification company, are funded and managed by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at UNH. Learn more about the greenhouses at http://www.colsa.unh.edu/aes/macfarlane.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UNHMacfarlaneGreenhouses
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,300 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

Photographs available to download: /unhtoday/news/releases/2013/11/images/poinsettia12closeup-6620.jpg

/unhtoday/news/releases/2013/11/images/poinsettia12closeup-6620.jpg
Caption: The popular Poinsettia Trials Open House is at the University of New Hampshire Dec. 5 - 7, 2013.
Credit: Lisa Nugent, UNH Photographic Services

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