Poinsettias are a winter houseplant staple and come in a diverse array of beautiful colors and sizes, with many available here at Van Wilgen’s. With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are looking for gift ideas for family, friends, and coworkers. Poinsettias make the perfect gift for a business holiday party or as a festive decoration in the office and home! With our Poinsettia Wrapping Station, creating an amazingly festive gift is easy. Choose one of our diverse Poinsettia colors, and our team will help you choose a complementary wrap. For an extra twist, add one of our new holiday gift cards!

Keep your Poinsettia happy and healthy and ensure it lasts throughout the season with these easy tips!

Poinsettia Care Tips:

  • Don’t let poinsettias get cold on the ride home from the store. Keep trips and exposure to the cold as short as possible.
  • Let the soil dry before rewatering, and don’t drown your poinsettias! The pot itself will feel lighter and you may even notice the leaves of your plant starting to wilt when it’s time to water (similar to a peace lily). When you see this happening, give your poinsettia a thorough watering. It’ll do better with one long drink than multiple little ones.
  • Thrive in a warm 68 to 72 degrees – limit exposure to the cold as well as drafts. No placing next to doors or open windows.
  • Bright but not direct sunlight – 6 hours of indirect light per day. A sunny window is perfect!
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Poinsettia varieties:

Classic Red

A deep, rich, red. An instant Christmas classic!

Classic White (Cream)

A creamy, pale white. Pairs well with classic red.

PINK

Classic poinsettia in a delicate rosy pink color!

Painted Blue

Blue spray paint on classic white, adds a unique flair.

TAPESTRY

Bright red bracts with yellow and green variegated foliage.

Jingle Bells

Huge dark red bracts splashed with cream!

Marbled

Marbled varieties can be a mix of pink, white, and red.

Princettia

A variety with bountiful and more compact bracts! Available in bright pink, pure white, and red.

Winter Rose

An older style that is growing in popularity again! Features red, wavy petals.

Which style is your favorite? We hope to see you soon!

The holiday season is here, which means decorating your home with lots of fresh greens including decorated Christmas trees, perfectly placed mantelpieces, fragrant evergreen garlands, and welcoming swags and wreaths on our front doors.

With the colder weather comes drying winter winds and scalding, reflective sun. We protect ourselves with puffy jackets, woolly socks, fleecy gloves, cozy hats, and scarves… but how do we protect our plants? Luckily, there’s a simple and easy solution! Wilt-Pruf keeps your planted and cut evergreens from drying out so they stay healthy and full all season. This is a great way to protect live evergreens from winter weather and keep fresh-cut holiday greens looking beautiful. Even better, it is made locally in Essex, CT. Best yet, it never expires!

In the winter, evergreens suffer from drying winds, frozen ground, and hot sun. Plants that hold their leaves (needles) suffer the worst. The ground is frozen, so the roots cannot take up the water the plant needs to keep the needles plump with moisture. The drying winds suck all the water right out of the needles and to add insult to injury, the sun comes out and bakes the already drying needles.

Wilt-Pruf is best applied around Thanksgiving for outside plants and any time for cut greens. Coat your evergreen trees and shrubs, and spray down your wreaths, door swags, mantelpieces, and kissing balls. Do the first coat before temperatures are consistently below 32 degrees, and reapply when temperatures peak back to the ’40s. Be sure to spray this solution on an overcast day, avoiding application on bright and sunny days.

Get the most out of your holiday decorations from Van Wilgen’s and protect your precious evergreen investments. It’s simple… just Wilt-Pruf them.

Hint: To protect more than just your evergreens, try using Wilt-Pruf on Hydrangeas and Rose canes to get them through the harsh winter months.

One of our absolute favorite plants to decorate with during the holidays is the classic Winterberry variety Ilex verticillata commonly known as ‘Winter Red’. This native variety produces plump, bright red berries that look great either placed by themselves in a vase or paired with cut greens in any winter display. When the weather and landscape turn grey, Winterberry is a welcome pop of cheerful color this time of the year.

To take you back a few years, Bill Van Wilgen was having trouble finding a reliable vendor for winterberry and decided we should try growing it ourselves, so he planted it around the Christmas tree field, and ever since it has absolutely thrived! It did so well you can now find Winterberry all over the Van Wilgen’s property, and we use these plants to supply the Winterberry you buy in the store. Additionally, we sell this variety in the spring for you to plant, so you too can enjoy it year-round in your landscape!