Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia)

The poinsettia was named after an American ambassador to Mexico. Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett was a keen botanist and gardener. In it's native central America, the Poinsettia is classed as a weed rather than a decorative Christmas house  as it can reach 3 to 4 metres high!

It's botanical name, Euphorbia Pulcherrima, means "very beautiful". It was assigned by the German botanist, Carl Ludwig Wilenow. There are many colours available including pink, white and variegated but the best known are the red ones. 



The Aztecs knew the plant well, and valued it greatly. They named it "Cuetlaxochitle" which means mortal flower.  To them it was a symbol of purity and a reminder of the blood sacrifice as well as being a valuable red dye and medicine against fever.  Franciscan priests took over it's symbolism when introducing Christianity into Mexico and changed it's meaning from purity and blood sacrifice to its representation of the blood of Christ in their celebration of Christmas. 

The red coloured 'flowers' on the plant are actually bracts rather than flowers as most people think. The actual flower is pretty insignificant in itself and located at the centre of each bract.


Buying a poinsettia

Choose a plant which has dark green foliage and no yellow, wilting or drooping leaves. The bracts should be fully coloured. Poinsettias hate living in draughts so be warned when looking at plants on outdoor market stalls coming up to Christmas. The cold will significantly reduce their life span, so even if they are cheaper, the chances are they wil die much earlier. Wrap the plant both around the leaves and over the end before heading out to your car. Even exposure to cold temperatures for just a few minutes will damage both bracts and leaves.



You can check how old a plant is by examining the actual flowers close up.  If the flowers are green or red-tipped and fresh looking the bloom will last longer than if yellow pollen is covering the flowers. A fresh poinsettia is one on which little or no yellow pollen is showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts.

 

Caring for your poinsettia

Once home, keep the plant away from radiators and draughts like opening doors. They like a warm temperature of about 20C and and a light spot (not in direct sunlight). The plant needs to be kept moist, but avoid water logging the plant as they require a very open well-aerated compost. They do not like to sit in water but will appreciate a liquid feed twice a month. The colour on the plant should last about 6 weeks or so.

Yellowing and falling leaves: (Move the plant away from draughts and/or don't over water).



After the plant has flowered

Normally poinsettia plants are disposed of once their colour has gone, but if you wish to grow the plants on for a further year, then it is possible if you take a little care. 

Once the colours have gone, reduce the amount of water you are giving it and place the plant in a cooler spot out of the sun and heat. By nature, the plants tend to grow leggy, so you should encourage the plant to become bushy by pinching out the tips of the shoots.


NOTE!

The poinsettia's white sap is caustic and can cause skin irritation so keep it away from your eyes.
 

Around 8 to 10 weeks after Christmas re-pot the plant using very open compost such as multipurpose compost bulked up by a third by adding Perlite or sharp sand. From about early May start to feed the plant with a weak liquid feed once a fortnight. Continue to pinch out any leggy shoots until August.

Poinsettias are strongly photoperiodic and will only initiate their flowers (and bracts) when the total amount of light they receive is less than twelve hours per day. It will take a further eight or nine weeks of these short days to bring the plant into full flower; so from about the second week in October cover the plant or place in a darkened room between say 5pm and 8am and you should successfully have your plants at their best for Christmas again.