Poinsettia facts and selection

Thanksgiving is history and now every American turns his thoughts to Christmas. This means, for one thing, that it is less than one month before we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It also means that it is time for poinsettias and my annual article on poinsettia history, selection and care.

One of the most delightful Christmas decorations is the poinsettia. Few plants are as showy as a bright, well-grown poinsettia. While red is the most popular color (80% of poinsettias sold are red), there is a wide range of other colors, including white, pink, marble, burgundy, and speckled. Hundreds of varieties are available to the grower, but only a few dominate sales.

Here are some interesting facts from the University of Illinois Extension Service about poinsettias you may find interesting.

–Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia pulcherrima.

–Joel Roberts Poinsett introduced the poinsettia plant to the United States from Mexico. Poinsett was a botanist, physician, and the first United States ambassador to Mexico.

–Poinsettias are not poisonous. A study at The Ohio State University showed that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 leaves to have any harmful effect. However, you might want to keep your pets from snacking on poinsettia leaves. Eating the leaves can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

–The showy colored parts of poinsettias that most people think of as the flowers are colored “bracts,” otherwise known as modified or specialized leaves.

–Because of their red color, poinsettias have been called the lobster flower and the flame-leaf flower.

–In Mexico, the poinsettia is a perennial shrub that will grow 10 to 15 feet tall.

–December 12th is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851.

If you haven’t bought your poinsettia(s) yet, following these guidelines will help you be more satisfied with your purchase.

First, choose plants with fully colored bracts. Flowers are actually the yellow centers. Avoid plants on which the flowers are completely open and shedding pollen unless it is well into the month of December. They are past their prime and will not hold up very long.

Look for plants with dense, plentiful foliage all the way to the soil line. This is a sign of a healthy plant. Also, beware of swarming whiteflies (the major pest of the poinsettia) as you move the leaves of the plant. Avoid these plants.

Proper proportion of plant height and shape relative to container size is important to an aesthetically pleasing poinsettia. Plants should appear balanced, full, and attractive from all sides. Generally, the height of the poinsettia plant and pot together should be no more than about two and one-half times the diameter of the pot (e.g., about 23-25 inches for a 10-inch pot).

Select plants with strong, stiff stems, and erect bracts that show no signs of wilting, breaking, or drooping. Be wary of plants still in plastic or paper sleeves or jammed up tight against other plants in a sales display. Crowding can cause bract breakage and other problems. Poinsettias need space for air circulation. If the plant looks wilted and the soil is moist, that is a tell-tale sign of root rot (unless it has just recently been watered). Don’t buy that one! When transporting the plant, protect it from chilling winds and temperatures below 50 degrees. Poinsettias are very susceptible to drafts-hot or cold-and will not tolerate them.

I hope these pointers have been helpful. Enjoy your poinsettias this Christmas!

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478)954-1507, timlewis1@windstream.net or at LewisFarmsNursery.com.