Gardening to distraction

Poinsettia Trivia

So you can easily change the subject at your family dinner table over this Christmas holiday, here are some interesting facts about the Christmas “flower,” the Poinsettia:

1. The Poinsettia is not really a flower, it is a small tropical tree Euphorbia pulcherima, part of the spurge family. In their native habitat of Mexico, poinsettias grow up to 12 feet tall. Honestly. I lived in Mexico City and can remember my backyard with these huge red trees, I still marvel when I see little poinsettias – to me – in pots at grocery stores this time of year.

2. The red on the plants we think of as flowers are actually bracts, or modified leaves, that turn color when they have been deprived of light.

3. Poinsettias do have flowers, they are teeny tiny yellow “cyathia” in the center. When buying a Poinsettia, choose one with the tiny flowers in the center still closed.

4. Contrary to common belief, poinsettias are not poisonous. They do ooze a milky sap that can cause a reaction with people with latex allergies. Pets also shouldn’t munch on the leaves, the sap can prompt vomiting.

5. Poinsettias originally were dismissed by botanists as a weed.

6. In Mexico, the Poinsettia is called the “Flower of the Holy Night” referring to Christmas Eve. There’s a wonderful story about two little children who didn’t have any money to bring flowers to Jesus so they picked weeds by the road side. By the time they arrived at the manger, the weeds had turned into the lovely Poinsettias and represented a gift of love. I still think picked wildflowers represent a gift of love but then I question calling anything a weed.

7. Poinsettias are named after Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who discovered a shrub growing by the side of the road in Taxco, Mexico December 1828.

8. Women buy the majority of Poinsettias.

9. Red is the most popular color, accounting for roughly three-quarters of all sales nationwide, followed by white and pink.

10. There are more than 100 varieties of Poinsettias ranging in colors from red, salmon, and apricot to yellow, cream, and white. Blue is a designer color created with dyes. There are also unusual speckled or marbled varieties with several colors blended together, not counting the varieties my cat creates when she wrestles one. New colors are introduced every year.

11. You must never let your poinsettia sit in water. The soil should never be soggy or dry, just moist. Wait a half hour after watering and drain off any excess water.

12. Although every state in the US grows poinsettias commercially, California is the top producer with over 6 million pots grown, followed by North Carolina with 4.4 million pots sold, and Texas with about 3.7 million. Florida and Ohio round out the top 5, each with over 3 million poinsettias sold.

13. Poinsettias remain the highest selling potted flowering plant. Of the traditional crops, Easter lilies are a distant second with $22 million in sales. Potted orchids are higher value plants, so rated second in value with $186 million in sales, but a mere 23 million were sold.

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a certified gardener, beekeeper and sometimes cook. Copyright 2016 used with permission, all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Contact Charlotte at chargardens@gmail.com.

FIND THE REAL FLOWERS – The tiny little center knobs on Poinsettias are the actual flowers. When buying a Poinsettia, select ones with the flowers still closed, those will last longer.

COLD WILL KILL – The color in Poinsettias are actually leaves that have been deprived of light so they turn. They are tropical plants and will not tolerate exposure to cold. When taking a plant home, wrap it in paper and pull the car up to the store door so you can quickly move the plant to the warm car. Even exposure for only a couple of minutes will kill a Poinsettia. (Photos by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins).