1906 | 1920 | 1923 | 1960s | 1963 | Present Day

1923

Paul Sr. and Magdalena Ecke on the porch of their first "Ranch House," 1925.

As the Hollywood area became increasingly developed, it became necessary for the Eckes to find other land on which to grow. Their search ended in the little town of Encinitas, approximately two hours south of Los Angeles. There was little in the way of amenities in the area at that time, but it did offer several important lures to the poinsettia-growing family: a climate that was mild year-round, nearly identical to that in which the native Mexican plants grew wild. A good water supply, cooling ocean breezes, and the close proximity to rail transportation made the location as close to perfect as Paul could have hoped. In 1923, the Ranch moved to its present location.

Loading poinsettia mother plants for shipment by rail, Encinitas, California

From 1923 to the mid 1960s, the Ranch's main business was producing field-grown poinsettia mother plants. These plants were harvested in the spring, and shipped in railroad box cars to greenhouse growers across the country. When he was not directly involved in the day-to-day business of growing acres of poinsettias, Paul traveled the country, promoting the plant to greenhouse growers, teaching them what he had learned and encouraging them to market the plant as a holiday flower.

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