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

1963

Field of poinsettias in Encinitas, California. This field has been replanted with representatives of some of the earliest varieties, reblooming each December as a living reminder of the Ecke Ranch heritage.

Early poinsettia varieties were not particularly adaptable to a greenhouse growing environment. They were leggy, easily lost their colored bracts, and tended to fade quickly outside of the controlled environment of the greenhouse.

Paul Ecke, Sr. 1895 - 1991

All that changed in 1963. Developments in poinsettia breeding yielded the first commercial-quality cultivars that grew best as potted plants. At the same time, Paul's son, Paul Ecke Jr.,joined his father in the business. With formal training in horticulture from The Ohio State University, Paul Jr. recognized the advantages of the changing nature of the business. He encouraged his father to move toward greenhouse culture. Though skeptical of such a radical change, Paul Sr. agreed, and the family began building greenhouses. By the mid-1960s, most of the Ranch's commercial growing operations had shifted from the field to the greenhouse. Rather than shipping large dormant mother plants via rail car, the Ranch could now ship much smaller poinsettia cuttings via air freight. This new transportation method also helped the Ranch business take on a more international scope.