A poinsettia by any other name is Dixie Green
Hank Richardson and his family operate Dixie Green Inc. in Centre. While the company grows 250,000 poinsettias yearly, they also produce mums and other seasonal plants in high demand. (Donna Cope / Alabama NewsCenter)
The Makers: Hank Richardson, with sons John and Daniel, and daughter-in-law, Lauren; Jerry Richardson and his son, Clay; and Harlan Richardson’s daughter, Amanda, and her son, Blake. 
Dixie Green Inc., poinsettia growers extraordinaire
If you’re buying poinsettias, there’s a good chance that beautiful red plant – or white, pink and any number of other varieties – was grown by Dixie Green Inc.
The Centre, Ala. farm grows 250,000 vibrant Christmas poinsettias each year, hitting stores from Thanksgiving on. If your poinsettia came from a grocery, department store or big garden center, it was likely grown by Dixie Green. Plants are distributed by Young’s, a plant wholesaler in Auburn.
Richardson brothers’ pride and joy
It’s a record that makes the Richardson brothers proud. In the 1970s, the family never dreamed they’d have such success.
Alabama Maker Dixie Green brings poinsettia splendor to the season from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
“We started with one greenhouse in the mid-70s, with a 20-ft. by 96-ft. greenhouse and a camper shell on a pickup truck,” said Hank Richardson, who shares company ownership with brothers Jerry and Harlan’s families “Over the years we’ve sold to independent garden centers, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sears, Woolworth’s and almost all the major chains such as Lowe’s and Home Depot.”
Dixie Green poinsettias grace the homes of college presidents at Auburn and Jacksonville State universities, Richardson said, with a note of pride.
“At Disneyworld, we deliver 60,000 to 80,000 poinsettias, mostly used at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center,” he said. “They’re seen by people from all over the world. Red is traditional for Christmas, but some of the other colors are really pretty, too. We grow half a dozen colors.” The company ships poinsettias as far west as Kansas, into eastern Oklahoma and to Washington, D.C., and to North Carolina and “everything in between.”
With the ever-increasing demand, Dixie Green makes yearly, small expansions to its 14-acre site.
A customer captured the Richardsons in a pencil sketch in the ’70s. (Donna Cope / Alabama NewsCenter)
“By the mid-90s, we quit the big expansions,” Richardson said. “Now we have our kids and other family members working here. Basically, this is a family farm, but we grow flowers and plants. Lots of people here grow cotton, soybeans corn in this area. Some farmers plant wheat and gather it in the spring.”
He said that growing flowering plants is a lot like farming: “You plant a crop, take care of it, watch it grow and then harvest it.”
The brothers originally grew hogs and crop farmed. As their garden business enlarged, they gave up the other farming.
Growing beautiful, prized poinsettias for the holiday season
That lovely poinsettia with thick, full and healthy red leaves isn’t as easy to achieve as one might believe, said Richardson, a board member of the Alabama Farmers Federation.
Once the plants are rooted, Dixie Green employees begin the watering and fertilizing process. Like vegetable crops, poinsettias require lots of care, including fungicide and insecticide programs. Depending on the time of year, the staff treat the plants for aphids, fungus gnats, spider mites and white flies. There are often more than 50 employees on-site.
“We have to keep an eye on the plants, and keep them clean of disease and insects,” Richardson said.
Greenhouses are kept at 60 degrees to 62 degrees F. to keep the young plants warm and growing: “They can freeze easily if the temperature isn’t stable,” he said. Around Sept. 1, Dixie Green staff turn off the exterior lights to encourage plants to grow the red leaves synonymous with poinsettias. As daylight shortens during fall, the lessening light triggers the growth of the red leaves.
“You’ve got to have the right day length to have the red leaves,” Richardson said.
Perfect farm, perfect place
Growing up in Centre, Richardson had no desire to leave, like many young people who yearn for the fast pace of city life.
“Farming is a hard way to make a living,” Richardson said. “If you’re in it, it’s because you love it. Growing plants is therapeutic. You can see your accomplishments. I grew up on a farm and didn’t want to work inside, in a factory.
“I can watch the clouds, and see the day go by,” Richardson said. “We’re growing crops and this keeps us connected to nature and the farm. Before this crop is grown, we’re working on the next one. We try to grow the best quality plants we can grow and have all of our customers be satisfied. Almost all of our customers are repeat customers.”
The Products: Poinsettias in vibrant red and “specialty colors” such as jingle bells, a red leaf with white flakes, and Picasso, a white leaf with red dots.
Take Home: Customers find Dixie Green poinsettias in 4- to 16-in. pots.
Dixie Green Inc.
4215 County Rd 69, Centre AL 35960
www.dixiegreen.net
256-927-5185
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
