John William Fantom, a commercial plant grower who discovered and popularized the red-and-white novelty poinsettia variety "Jingle Bells," died of congestive heart failure Nov. 13 at Stella Maris Hospice. The former Glen Arm resident was 98. In 1971, a red poinsettia growing in one of Mr. Fantom's greenhouses sprouted an irregular leaf cluster.
"Most people would have simply discarded it, but my father saw its potential and soon had developed the 'Jingle Bells' variety, which became one of America's most popular poinsettias," said his daughter, Kathleen Fantom Shemer.
The poinsettia he developed featured blooms mixed with cream, pink, and red, becoming a bestseller in a field long dominated by the traditional crimson blossoms of other poinsettias.
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