OCC to hold 37th annual poinsettia sale Friday

A sea of red and white blooms will greet shoppers Friday when the Orange Coast College horticulture department holds its 37th annual holiday poinsettia sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

About 11,000 individual flowers and hanging baskets will go on sale this year, with prices beginning at $5. The festive selection includes red winter rose, ice punch, and red and white varieties — all grown by OCC students.

Last year, the department raised $37,000 through the sale, according to OCC spokesman Juan Gutierrez. The money goes toward student scholarships and supplies for the horticulture program, Gutierrez said.

The school is at Adams Avenue and Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. To find the sale, enter the campus at the Adams Avenue entrance and follow the signs.

Prospective shoppers can preview the selection online via the department’s poinsettia cam by going to https://www.occhorticulture.com and clicking “follow this link to web camera.”

—Nicole Knight Shine