It's easy to look back at a company's history to see the moment an innovation happens, whether it was a new idea, a good business venture, or, in our case, a new seedling.

The Paul Ecke Ranch is proud to claim many of these moments through four family generations. Here's a look back at our rich heritage as we grow our business into the 21st Century.

1906

Albert Ecke arrived in the Hollywood, California area in 1900, intending a brief stay on the way to Fiji. The Ecke family owned a health spa in Europe, and it was Albert's intent to open a similar business on the island. After a brief visit, and a return trip to Germany, Albert Ecke made his stay in California permanent in 1906 by settling in the Eagle Rock area.

Albert decided to venture into agriculture, establishing a fruit orchard and dairy farm. His real love was flowers, and he dabbled in growing several varieties.

1920

Of particular interest to Albert Ecke, and even more so to his son Paul, was the tall, leggy red plant that grew wild throughout the area. A native of Mexico, the plant had been introduced into the United States in the early 1800s by Joel Roberts Poinsett. The poinsettia's yearly cycle of blooming during the winter, near the holiday season, gave Paul the notion that this would make an ideal official holiday flower. But the question remained: how to promote and market a plant that most people had never heard of or even seen, let alone associate it with the holiday season?

Paul Ecke Sr. (center) harvesting poinsettias in the field.

Paul Ecke Sr. inspects poinsettia fields in the Hollywood area.

Production of field grown blooming plants was begun in earnest, and were sold at roadside stands in the Hollywood and Beverly Hills area.

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1923

Paul Sr. and Magdalena Ecke on the porch of their first "Ranch House," 1925.

As the Hollywood area became increasingly developed, it became necessary for the Eckes to find other land on which to grow. Their search ended in the little town of Encinitas, approximately two hours south of Los Angeles. There was little in the way of amenities in the area at that time, but it did offer several important lures to the poinsettia-growing family: a climate that was mild year-round, nearly identical to that in which the native Mexican plants grew wild. A good water supply, cooling ocean breezes, and the close proximity to rail transportation made the location as close to perfect as Paul could have hoped. In 1923, the Ranch moved to its present location.

From 1923 to the mid 1960s, the Ranch's main business was producing field-grown poinsettia mother plants. These plants were harvested in the spring, and shipped in railroad box cars to greenhouse growers across the country. When he was not directly involved in the day-to-day business of growing acres of poinsettias, Paul traveled the country, promoting the plant to greenhouse growers, teaching them what he had learned and encouraging them to market the plant as a holiday flower.

Loading poinsettia mother plants for shipment by rail, Encinitas, California

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1963

Field of poinsettias in Encinitas, California. Part of the Ecke's original plantings, this field still stands today, containing many of the original plants placed here in 1923. Its reblooming each December is a living reminder of the Ecke Ranch heritage.

Early poinsettia varieties were not particularly adaptable to a greenhouse growing environment. They were leggy, easily lost their colored bracts, and tended to fade quickly outside of the controlled environment of the greenhouse.

All that changed in 1963. Developments in poinsettia breeding yielded the first commercial-quality cultivars that grew best as potted plants. At the same time, Paul's son, Paul Ecke Jr.,joined his father in the business. With formal training in horticulture from The Ohio State University, Paul Jr. recognized the advantages of the changing nature of the business. He encouraged his father to move toward greenhouse culture. Though skeptical of such a radical change, Paul Sr. agreed, and the family began building greenhouses. By the mid-1960s, most of the Ranch's commercial growing operations had shifted from the field to the greenhouse. Rather than shipping large dormant mother plants via rail car, the Ranch could now ship much smaller poinsettia cuttings via air freight. This new transportation method also helped the Ranch business take on a more international scope.

Paul Ecke, Sr.
1895 - 1991

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1960s

By this time, Paul Sr. had turned over most of the day to day operations of running the visiting grower customers. Paul Jr. recognized that greenhouse production alone would not sustain the company. His vision of what the poinsettia plant could be propelled his efforts, and he worked tirelessly to keep the plant before the public. Through media placements, television and print promotions, he made certain that poinsettias became a necessary part of the holiday experience. No holiday scene could be considered complete without at least one poinsettia in it. On a larger scale, the Ranch worked with television, such as The Tonight Show and the Bob Hope Christmas Specials, to make certain that poinsettias were always a part of the holiday sets. This constant effort paid off: poinsettias today are as much a part of the holiday season as evergreens and carols.

Paul Ecke, Jr.

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Present Day

Paul Ecke, III

In 1991, representing the culmination of a plan he had set in motion in the early 1970s, Paul Jr. turned over the management of the company to his son, Paul Ecke III. With a lifetime of exposure in the family business and an MBA from Duke University, Paul III is positioning the company for the 21st century.

In addition to maintaining an active New Products Development department, Paul III sees the need to diversify the Ranch's product offering. While remaining committed to the traditions and philosophies established by his grandfather and refined by his father, Paul III brings a progressive business perspective to all Ranch operations.

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