You know it’s Christmas time when Poinsettias begin to appear everywhere you look, along with Christmas trees.
Poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, are traditional December flowering plants and have become the symbol of Christmas, evoking the holiday spirit.
The Poinsettia, which originated in Mexico, is also called Flower of the Holy Night and has a rich history dating back to the 14th century.
In Mexico, the Poinsettia was grown by the Aztecs as a shrub and was used by them as a red dye to dye fabrics and to control fever. This was many centuries before it was introduced to the United States by Joel Poinsett, an American Ambassador to Mexico and a remarkable amateur botanist. It was after it was exported to the US by Poinsett, that the plant was named for him. December 12, the day Poinsett died in 1851 is National Poinsettia Day.
The Poinsettia is now grown all over the world in large quantities for the Christmas market as a hybrid potted plant. The USA and Holland are the largest growers and exporters.
Poinsettias have velvety green leaves that are toothed. The actual flowers are inconspicuous, being small and berry like. They are clustered together like beads and are surrounded by leaf-like bracts. It is these bracts which become bright red as the flowers mature and which give the plant its fame.
The colour of the Poinsettia bracts will last for approximately three months, given normal room temperature and good light. Poinsettias are available in red, dark red, pink, white and marble, which is a variegated cream with red. The marble species is the most unusual and marvellous one.
To care for your Poinsettia, water the soil only and allow to dry out before watering again.
(To be continued)
Until next week, Happy Gardening.
