With the approach of Christmas, the poinsettias are coming into their own once more. This years weather should produce plants of the best quality, and many varieties are available. Prices still havent begun to climb, so people can get their hands on inexpensive yet beautiful examples. Moreover, the Taipei Flower Market in Neihu has 5,000 poinsettias set out to beautify the nearby roadsides, and at night a tall, brightly lit Christmas tree is also on display, so that people coming to the market can enjoy a little Christmas atmosphere.

With the favorable weather this year, without typhoons or flooding, the quality of poinsettia plants is high and prices stable. The most popular three-inch potted plants are selling for between NT$40 and NT$60 each, and three-for-one-hundred deals can still be found on the market.

The Taipei Flower Market says that this years production has come primarily from Taoyuan and Miaoli, with Puli, Yilan and Hsinchu close behind. Altogether, supplies are up 7 percent to 9 percent over last year, but due to the excellent quality of the plants on offer, the market as a whole benefits, with inferior specimens being weeded out.

The flower market says that the next two weeks are the hot season for poinsettias, leading up to Christmas Eve. Many new varieties have hit the market early, including one called "Strawberries and Cream," and many are a departure from the traditional red blooms. The "Strawberries and Cream" variety shades goes gradually from pink in the center to milk-white at the edges. When the colored petals （actually leaves） mature, the pink color becomes more vibrant, and the green leaves develop random sawtooth patterns, looking as though a milky green and pink are interlaced on the same leaf. This variety has met with much interest from the younger set, as well as from plant vendors.

Order data from the flower market shows that this years champion is still the "Swans Down," followed by the "Peters Star" variety. Size wise, the three-inch pots are selling best, followed by five-inchers. Other popular varieties this year include the "Perry," "Lemon Snow," and "Christmas Rose." Although "Swans Down" has already been on the market three years, because of the beauty of its blooms and the plentiful leaves, it is still selling strongly.