The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH is responsible for approving the world’s most exceptional horticultural expos creating long lasting green legacies in cities across the globe.
AIPH Blooming Economies & Cities to Inspire The World 2.0. Up-to-date statistics from recent Expos hosted in Asia and Europe.
Learn moreAIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
The AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards celebrate the best of the best in ornamental horticulture
Learn moreAIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
The AIPH’s Global Industry Intelligence Centre (GIIC) is an international hub for industry information and knowledge exchange.
The report contains insights on production and consumption of the floriculture industry in Thailand, imports and exports, and business opportunities
DownloadAIPH Green City activities promote the essential role of plants in creating vibrant urban areas in which people and businesses can thrive.
Poinsettia ‘Alaska White’.
Surprising consumer trends – and a surprising competition winner – revealed at this year’s BOA Poinsettia Conference, held on Thursday 23 November 2023 at Bridge Farm Group in Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK.
Poinsettia sales among men are rising more than they are among women, research conducted for the Stars for Europe marketing initiative has shown.
Stars for Europe’s communications and project manager Hannah Dunne revealed that this finding was discovered when consumers were asked whether they are buying more or less Poinsettias. In answer to this question, men replied that they were purchasing these festive plants “more often”. Similarly, younger age groups also reported that they are buying more Poinsettias year on year.
Industry-backed promotion campaign
Poinsettia Christmas tree.
Stars for Europe is an international marketing campaign that is active in 22 countries and aims to grow and secure long-term poinsettia sales.
It’s supported by European Poinsettia breeders – and in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden, the marketing initiative’s activities are expanded and supported by EU funding as part of the ‘Stars Unite Europe’ EU campaign.
The consumer survey – conducted in these EU countries – also revealed that, during the Advent and Christmas season, the Poinsettia remains in the number one market position. Happily, consumers revealed that it is the plant that they buy most often during this time of year. The only exception to this trend came from consumers in the Netherlands, who noted that plants such as orchids remain their festive favourite.
Care is a really critical topic
Dunne added that Stars of Europe survey also asked consumers how they perceived the Poinsettia plant. She said: “We found that 58 per cent of consumers thought Poinsettias are beautiful and part of the Christmas season.”
The consumers were also asked about the reasons why they might not want to buy Poinsettias. Dunne said: “The number one reason without fail in every country is always ‘because I don’t think I can care for them.’ So, that’s why care is a really critical topic for us.”
She added that other reasons [why people don’t buy Poinsettias] are linked to the plants’ disposability, longevity, and (to a lesser extent) because they simply don’t suit the consumer’s personal taste.
Hannah informed her audience at the Open Day that these findings are helping to shape Stars for Europe’s campaign’s strategies, which in future will be doing more to target men. Articles on how to care for poinsettias are also now being heavily featured in the press.
Bemisia tabaci (BT)
A red as yet unnamed by Dummen Orange.
The Open Day, attended by leading Poinsettia growers, saw delegates take an informal vote on the UK government’s review of future policy options for Bemisia tabaci (BT). Currently, the pest is under official control in the UK – with BT last November (2022) disruptively causing a delay in Poinsettias being imported from the Netherlands to the UK.
In its consultation (which closes on December 19, 2023), the government has presented growers with four different options for future policy:
Option 1 – Status quo
Options 2 and 2A – Strengthening of current requirements
Option 3 – Re-designate BT as a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest
Option 4 – Stop taking action against BT but maintain measures relating to the viruses it vectors
The Poinsettia Growers Group’ vote was taken to help inform the BPOA committee of Poinsettia growers’ views on the matter because it intends to submit a formal response to the consultation.
Prior to the vote, director of Pinetops Nursery Rory Paton emphasised that, if UK growers of ornamental plants get BT, they cannot send their plants out to their customers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Option Four – which offers a more common sense-led approach to managing the pest – therefore received the majority of votes from growers at the Open Day.
‘Alaska White’ scoops up Best Choice Poinsettia Award
It was revealed at the event that Florensis’ ‘Alaska White’ had been crowned the recipient of this year’s Best Choice Poinsettia Award.
Each year, the award goes to the variety that has received the highest collective score from growers who take part in the group’s Poinsettia trial. This trial sees growers raise a selection of Poinsettias that are kindly sent to them from different breeders. The growers then rank the plants according to their vigour, plant shape, colour, breaking, bract size, and uniformity.
‘Alaska White’ gained first place in the trials (which this year saw nine growers take part) because it scored highly in each of the categories.
Interestingly, last year’s winner (2022) was Dümmen Orange’s ‘J’Adore Pink’. Whilst the classic and much-loved red still remains the best-selling colour in the UK, growers are evidently feeling positive about other Poinsettia colours.
Stars for Europe’s Dunne also reported that “experts [have] predicted that a wider range of non-traditional varieties are going to continue to be available.”
