Blog
Poinsettias: Their Story and 5 Care Tips for Success.
Poinsettias: Their Story and 5 Care Tips for Success.
In this blog we are going to take a close look at a spectacular Christmas houseplant, the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). This festive flower is also known as the Christmas star, or Mexican flame leaf. Poinsettias are not difficult to keep happy if you avoid making a few common mistakes, so read on to learn more.
A Bit of History.
Did you know that poinsettias originate from a messy, 0.5 to 2metre-tall shrub that grows wild in Mexico and Central America?
The poinsettia was first cultivated by the Aztec people, who used it for dye making and as a medicine. Scientists have recently synthesised a group of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease based on chemicals found in the leaves and latex of the poinsettia.
How Did the Poinsettia Become A Christmas Flower?
The poinsettia’s association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico. According to popular legend, a poor Mexican girl called Pepita was on her way to church on Christmas eve. Pepita was sad because she had no gift to place on the altar, and she started to cry. An angel heard her sobs and told her to gather an armful of twigs from the roadside to take with her. Pepita did as she was instructed, and by the time she arrived at the church they were in full bloom – Pepita had an armful of beautiful poinsettias! The star-shaped bracts are said to symbolize the Star Of Bethlehem, and the red colour foreshadows the crucifixion.
Their common name honours Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who is reputed to have introduced the plant to the USA in the 1820s.
Looking at the adverts in a 1915 edition of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, a British horticultural periodical, I found that it was possible to purchase many varieties of poinsettias for Christmas, but they were all still around 2 metres tall.
Growers in California pioneered the development of smaller forms that were suitable for indoor growing. Many popular varieties were raised by the Californian grower Paul Ecke Sr. (1895 -1991). Paul Ecke Sr. promoted poinsettias as the Christmas plant to have by sending free plants to American television shows to display from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Modern poinsettias are around 30 – 40 cm tall, with fiddle-shaped dark green leaves. And, of course, large starry flowers in a variety of colours.
The Secret Behind The Poinsettia Flower.
Showy poinsettia flowers hide a botanical secret. They are not what they first appear to be. Those vibrant red flowers are not made up of petals – they are coloured leaves called bracts. If you want to see the true flowers of a poinsettia you need to look carefully into the centre of the “flowers”. The small yellow buds at the heart of these striking bracts open to reveal its true flowers!
This combination of inconspicuous simple flowers grouped together in clusters subtended by showy bracts is typical of euphorbias. And like all euphorbias, poinsettias exuded a milky sap when they are damaged. This white sap is mildly toxic, as it has evolved to deter herbivores. If you get the sap on your skin it can cause inflammation in some people. So, if you get the milk on your hands you should quickly wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. And keep your poinsettias out of the reach of pets and children.
To learn more about keeping your pets safe at Christmas, follow the link:
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/seasonal/christmas/petsafe
How To Care For Your Poinsettia.
Buying bright poinsettias is a great way to start introducing that Christmas vibe to your home. There are many stunning colours to choose from: red, white, cream, yellow, toffee, orange, light pink, raspberry, or a variety of bicolour flowers.
However, often people find that their poinsettias don’t last very long. This need not be so. These fabulous Christmas plants will thrive given just a little TLC.
Here we will tell you how to avoid the common mistakes people make with poinsettias. Follow these tips and your beautiful poinsettia should reward you with generous festive colour into the New Year.
5 Top Tips.
- Poinsettias hate chills. Poinsettias are raised in carefully controlled conditions in warm greenhouses to be in peak flowering condition for Christmas.
When our British grown poinsettias arrive, they are rushed into our stores to avoid them getting chilled. Never buy a poinsettia that is on display outside a shop, or that is by the doors or chillers in a supermarket – they will already be in chill-shock.
Make sure when you have paid for your poinsettia that it is placed in a protective sleeve or wrapped in paper and take it straight to your car to get it home. If you dawdle around in the carpark or take it for a long walk in the cold, then it will start to drop its leaves due to the sudden temperature change. In other words, Poinsettias are harmed by chilling. So, wrap them up and get them home quickly.
- Keep your poinsettia in a room with a stable temperature. Anything between 14⁰C and 22⁰C is ideal. However, make sure that it is placed out of way from draughts from doors and windows, and not too close to radiators and fires.
- They need day light. A location with bright, indirect light will keep them happy. They will not survive long in a room lacking natural light.
- Watch your watering! Overwatering causse root rot and death. The first sign of overwatering is leaves turning yellow and dropping. Overwatering is most likely if you keep them in a pot lacking drainage holes, or if you water them when they are still sitting in a cover pot.
Underwatering can be just as bad. So, lift your pot and see if it feels light, or push your finger into the top of the soil and see if you can feel any moisture. Don’t water to a schedule, water your plants when they need it.
- Don’t worry about keeping your poinsettia after Christmas. Poinsettias are difficult to keep growing and need a very strict light regime to stimulate them into flowering the following year. There is no shame in composting your plant after it has finished flowering and using the space for a different houseplant in the New Year.
For some New Year houseplant inspiration, visit our blog:
https://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/blog/top-ten-easy-care-houseplants/
It is possible to keep your poinsettia as a houseplant after Christmas. You do not need to feed your plant while it is flowering, wait until May before you start feeding it.
If you are up for the challenge and want to try and get your poinsettia to reflower then follow these instructions:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/onepassions/2008/12/how-do-you-keep-poinsettias-re.html
