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Wildfire Ash May Adversely Affect Poinsettia Production

Southern California produces most of the poinsettias grown in the country and that crop could be hurt because of fallout from the wildfires. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

Wildfire Ash May Adversely Affect Poinsettia Production

Southern California produces most of the poinsettias grown in the country and that crop could be hurt because of fallout from the wildfires. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant grown in the United States. Eric Larson is the executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. He says ash on the poinsettias may be a problem for county growers.

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Eric Larson: Ash is very acidic and can actually pockmark the blooms on flowers and plants so growers are having to consistently dust them.

Larson says the flowers reach full size by Thanksgiving and are sold during the holiday season. He says between now and then, growers will be checking for damage. The flowers are grown indoors but Larson says not all greenhouses were sealed completely, allowing ash to blow in. He says it's another concern as the farm bureau continues to track the effects of the wildfires on the county's agriculture industry.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.