A tropical storm and a hurricane won’t stop one Bay area holiday tradition -- the annual Poinsettia Open House at Orban’s Nursery will go on as scheduled Nov. 25.
- Orban's Nursery providing poinsettias since 1940s
- Damage from 2017 storms put annual crop in jeopardy
- Despite setbacks, 200,000 poinsettias ready for Open House
Since the 1940's, Orban's has been the place to turn to in the Bay area for holiday poinsettias. But damage caused by weather in 2017 posed difficult challenges for the nursery in terms of keeping the tradition going.
“First it was a tornado from Tropical Storm Emily, then Hurricane Irma came through and finished the job” said Tyler Orban, as he pointed to what was left of greenhouses and a barn.
Orban, a fourth-generation Poinsettia farmer, told us 2017 was a year like no other. The one-two punch from Mother Nature damaged 30 greenhouses and flattened eight more.
“We had to put the clean-up and replacement of buildings on hold to focus on the cash crop,” said Orban.
That focus on the cash crop paid off. The nursery is now a sea of holiday red, with 200,000 poinsettias ready for the season.
“The crop looks really good," Orban said. "For what that they have been through, it’s great."
The annual Poinsettia Open House has been held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the past 26 years. It's a huge event, with thousands of people coming out for it each year.
This year will be no different, except for the fact it will be held in a huge tent, as the barn that was its home previously was blown away.
The open house runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the nursery, located at 9601 9th Avenue NW.