Christmas in Hawai'i will be somewhat less green and bright — and red — this year, as considerably fewer poinsettias are being grown by local farmers wary about demand amid the economic downturn.

This year's seasonal crop of the so-called Christmas flower has sunk to a 13-year low of 273,000 plants, according to a survey by the Hawai'i field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

It's the fourth straight year that local poinsettia inventory.

is down, and the decline is in spite of weather conditions here that have been favorable for growing the plants native to Mexico.

O'ahu farmer Bill Durston of Leilani Nursery, one of the state's largest poinsettia growers, said he's growing one-third fewer of the plants on his Waimänalo farm this year because he expects consumers to cut back on discretionary purchases amid the poor economy.

"I'm trying to play it safe," he said. "Last year I grew too much."

Durston estimates he's raising 85,000 plants this year, and added that he probably could sell more if he had planted more.

This year's statewide production is down 14 percent from last year, and is 38 percent below the recent record high four years ago.

The count by the Agricultural Statistics Service, a unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, doesn't factor in the number of plants that may be culled for disease or quality, or the number of plants that may be combined into hanging basket arrangements for sale.

Most poinsettia plants come in pots from 5 to 6.5 inches that retail roughly from $4 to $10 each, though larger and more unique varieties can cost up to $80 or so.

The plants are bred typically with smooth red flowers, though a variety of colors and textures are produced. Hawai'i farmers raise nearly the entire supply of poinsettias for the local market.

Elton Hara, general manager of Koolau Farmers, a retailer with three locations on O'ahu, said he hopes poinsettia sales won't be down too much.

"Generally speaking, during the holidays people will open up their pocketbooks and spend," he said.