This is the time of year when church chancels and supermarket shelves are covered in poinsettias. It really is a spectacular sight. Poinsettias make stunning displays — either massed all in one color or alternating red and white; they are quite eye-catching. It really puts me in the Christmas spirit when I see my first poinsettia. I know the season has officially begun. I have never planted any, but I have used big pots of them in the garden strip outside my sunroom to decorate for my annual Christmas open house — which I have not had for the last two years. Ah well, maybe next year. I am not sure how poinsettias became the official Christmas flower or how to pronounce poinsettia or how to grow them. Let’s find out.
According to Wikipedia, the poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing the plant to the U.S. in the 1820s. Poinsettias are shrubs or small trees, with heights of 2.0–13.1 feet. Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous to pets or children. Exposure to the plant — even consumption — most often results in no effect, though it can cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
Wild poinsettias occur from Mexico to southern Guatemala, growing on mid-elevation, Pacific-facing slopes. One population in the Mexican state of Guerrero is much further inland, however, and is thought to be the ancestor of most cultivated populations. Wild poinsettia populations are highly fragmented, as their habitat is experiencing largely unregulated deforestation. They were cultivated by the Aztecs for use in traditional medicine. They became associated with the Christmas holiday and are popular seasonal decorations. Every year in the U.S., approximately 70 million poinsettias of many cultivated varieties are sold in a six-week period. Many of these poinsettias are grown by Paul Ecke Ranch — an American florist located in Encinitas, California with production facilities in Guatemala — which serves half the worldwide market and 70% of the U.S. market.
Taxonomy
The poinsettia was described as a new species in 1834 by German scientist Johann Friedrich Klotzsch. He credited Carl Ludwig Willdenow with the species name "pulcherrima" and the authority is given as Willd. ex Klotzsch. The holotype had been collected in Mexico during an 1803–1804 expedition by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland.
It was known by the common name "poinsettia" as early as 1836, derived from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. Possibly as early as 1826, Poinsett began sending poinsettias from Mexico back to his greenhouses in South Carolina. Prior to poinsettia, it was known as "Mexican flame flower" or "painted leaf."
Description
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 2–13 feet. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 2.8–6.3 inches in length. The colored bracts — which are normally flaming red, with cultivars being orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled — are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness at least 14 hours at a time for 6–8 weeks in a row to change color. The plants also require abundant light during the day for the brightest color.
The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming. They are grouped within the cyathia — small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, or false flowers. Nothing is known about pollination in wild poinsettias, though wasps are noted to occasionally visit the cyathia. All flowers in the Euphorbiaceae are unisexual — either male or female only — and they are often very small in size. In Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced even more and then aggregated into an inflorescence or cluster of flowers.
Chemical composition
Pulcherrol and pulcherryl acetate are among the components of latex. Triterpenes are found in the aerial part of this plant including latex and leaves. One of the triterpenoid skeletons is investigated as a foundation to drugs for Alzheimer's disease.
Toxicity
Poinsettias are popularly — though incorrectly — said to be toxic to humans and other animals. This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf. In 1944, the plant was included in H. R. Arnold's book “Poisonous Plants of Hawaii” on this premise. Though Arnold later admitted that the story was hearsay and that poinsettias were not proven to be poisonous, the plant was thus thought deadly. In 1970 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a newsletter stating erroneously that "one poinsettia leaf can kill a child," and in 1980 they were prohibited from nursing homes in a county in North Carolina due to this supposed toxicity.
An attempt to determine a poisonous dose of poinsettia to rats failed, even after reaching experimental doses equivalent to consuming 500 leaves, or nearly 2.2 lbs of sap. Contact with any part of the plant by children or pets often has no effect, though it may cause nausea, diarrhea or vomiting if swallowed. External exposure to the plant may result in a skin rash for some. A survey of more than 20,000 calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers from 1985–1992 related to poinsettia exposure showed no fatalities. In 92.4% of calls, there was no effect from exposure, and in 3.4% of calls there were minor effects, defined as "minimally bothersome." Similarly, a cat or dog's exposure to poinsettias rarely necessitates medical treatment. If ingested, mild drooling or vomiting can occur, or rarely, diarrhea. In rare cases, exposure to the eye may result in eye irritation. Skin exposure to the sap may cause itchiness, redness or swelling. It can induce asthma and allergic rhinitis in certain groups of people.
Range and habitat
The poinsettia occurs in Central America, from Mexico to southern Guatemala. Its range is about 1,200 miles long, encompassing mid-elevation tropical dry forests. Most wild populations are on Pacific-facing slopes in steep canyons. Populations were once found in rolling hill areas, though many have gone extinct. It has been hypothesized that the inaccessibility of the canyons may protect the wild populations from human disturbance. There is a somewhat anomalous population of wild poinsettias in the northern part of the Mexican state of Guerrero and Oaxaca, which is much further inland in the hot and seasonally dry forests than the rest of the species' range. Genetic analyses showed that the wild populations in northern Guerrero are the likely ancestors of most cultivated poinsettias.
Conservation
The tropical dry forests where wild poinsettias grow experience largely unregulated deforestation, resulting in habitat loss. Its natural habitat is thus highly fragmented, particularly near metropolitan areas such as Taxco. Population sizes are frequently very small, with as few as a dozen individuals. Populations can be up to several hundred individuals, but this is not typical. A conservation risk typical for species with wild and cultivated populations is the contamination of the wild gene pool by hybridization with cultivated individuals. This has not been documented in wild poinsettias though, as cultivars seldom flower and do not produce fruits. As of 2012, wild poinsettias are not protected by Mexican law.
In culture
Aztec people use the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. In Nahuatl — the language of the Aztecs — the plant is called Cuetlaxochitl, meaning "flower that grows in residues or soil." Today, it is known in Mexico and Guatemala as flor de Nochebuena or simply nochebuena, meaning “Christmas Eve flower.” In Spain it is known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Easter flower. In Chile and Peru, the plant became known as the crown of the Andes.
The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl — commonly called Pepita or María — who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus's crucifixion.
Poinsettias are popular Christmas decorations in homes, churches, offices and elsewhere across North America, as a result of an extensive marketing campaign by the American florist Ecke family that began by shipping free poinsettias to television stations for use on-air. In the U.S., December 12 is National Poinsettia Day, marking the anniversary of Joel Roberts Poinsett's death.
Cultivation
The Aztecs were the first to cultivate poinsettias. Cultivation in the U.S. began when diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett sent some of the plants back to his greenhouses in South Carolina in the 1820s. Specific details about its spread from there are largely unverifiable, but it was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1829 by Colonel Robert Carr.
The poinsettia is the world's most economically important potted plant. Each year in the U.S., approximately 70 million poinsettias are sold in a period of six weeks, at a value of $250 million. In Puerto Rico, where poinsettias are grown extensively in greenhouses, the industry is valued at $5 million annually. There are over 100 cultivated varieties of poinsettia that have been patented in the U.S.
To produce extra axillary buds that are necessary for plants containing multiple flowers, a phytoplasma infection — whose symptoms include the proliferation of axillary buds — is used. The discovery of the role phytoplasmas play in the growth of axillary buds is credited to Ing-Ming Lee of the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
American industry
Albert Ecke emigrated from Germany to Los Angeles in 1900, opening a dairy and orchard in the Eagle Rock area. He became intrigued by poinsettias and sold them from street stands. His son, Paul Ecke, developed the grafting technique, but it was the third generation of Eckes, Paul Ecke Jr., who was responsible for advancing the association between the plant and Christmas.
Besides changing the market from mature plants shipped by rail to cuttings sent by air, he sent free plants to television stations for them to display on air from Thanksgiving to Christmas. He also appeared on television programs like “The Tonight Show” and Bob Hope's Christmas specials to promote the plants.
Until the 1990s, the Ecke family, who had moved their operation to Encinitas, California, in 1923, had a virtual monopoly on poinsettias owing to a technique that made their plants much more attractive. They produced a fuller, more compact plant by grafting two varieties of poinsettia together. A poinsettia left to grow on its own will naturally take an open, somewhat weedy look. The Eckes' technique made it possible to get every seedling to branch, resulting in a bushier plant.
In the late 1980s, university researcher John Dole discovered the method previously known only to the Eckes and published it, allowing competitors to flourish, particularly those using low-cost labor in Latin America. The Ecke family's business, now led by Paul Ecke III, decided to stop producing plants in the U.S., but as of 2008, they still served about 70% of the domestic market and 50% of the worldwide market.
Diseases
Poinsettias are susceptible to several diseases, mostly fungal, but also bacterial and parasitic. Conditions that promote poinsettia propagation also favor certain diseases. Fungal diseases affecting greenhouse poinsettia operations include Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia root and stem rot, black root rot, scab, powdery mildew and Botrytis blight. Bacterial diseases include bacterial soft rot and bacterial canker, while a viral disease is Poinsettia mosaic virus. Infection by poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma is actually desirable, as it keeps the plants shorter with more flowers. It is the first known phytoplasma that has economically advantageous effects.
Poinsettia care
According to Olivia Heath’s Nov. 1, 2021 article “Poinsettia: 15 golden rules to expand the lifespan of poinsettias during Christmas” in House Beautiful, poinsettias often have a reputation for being a little tricky to care for, but here are some tips and best practices on how to keep your poinsettia in top condition over the Christmas period and beyond.
1. Many supermarkets scoop poinsettias in with flowers, placing them by the store's front door in the hope customers will be tempted on the way in or out. But you should never buy a poinsettia that is next to a set of automatic doors which open every 30 seconds because it will have been damaged by winds it never had to experience in Mexico. Exposure to draught or temperatures below 12°C will cause damage. Although it's not visible at first, it may cause the poinsettia to drop its leaves soon after being brought home.
2. A healthy poinsettia plant will have intact bracts. If the little yellow buds between the colored bracts — the actual flowers — still look tight, then you'll know that the quality of the poinsettia plant is good.
3. If possible, check the soil before buying. It should be neither dripping wet nor totally dry, and if it is, it's probably not been given proper tender loving care, so might not last in your care.
4. Poinsettias need soil within an optimum ph range of 5.8 to 6.2, using three parts soil to one part grit, so that plenty of oxygen can reach the roots. Most poinsettias don't need repotting over winter, so you can keep it in the pot you bought it in.
5. Finally, when you've chosen and bought your poinsettia, make sure to wrap it up in paper for the journey home to protect it from drafts and temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius. Poinsettia is a sensitive plant, so taking this extra precaution will protect it from damage that is initially invisible, but can lead to premature loss of leaves after a few days.
6. Poinsettias don't like a lot of water. Always remember that the plant's root bale should neither dry out nor be drenched. Overwatering can quickly lead to waterlogging, which in turn causes root rot and leaves you with a dead houseplant.
7. You should get into habit of inspecting its leaves. If they're turning yellow or falling off, you're probably not watering it right. Much like the case with orchids, many flower enthusiasts mean well but they often overwater poinsettias when they only really need a little.
8. You should water your poinsettia plant when the soil is noticeably dry. This could be every day in the case of a plant near a radiator in a dry room or only every second or third day in other spots. How to check? Carefully lift up the plant; if it feels light, it's time to water. Mini poinsettias should be checked every day. You can also water these plants by soaking them from below, which saturates the soil more than normal watering — one dip per week should do.
9. Poinsettias prefer room-temperature water, and smaller pots need watering more often than big ones because they dry out faster. For a standard pot with a diameter of 13 cm, give it no more than a small glass of water, i.e. around 0.2 liters; this prevents large pores in the soil from clogging up and waterlogging. Mini poinsettias should not be given more than one shot glass of water. Remove any excess water that is still in the planter after 10 minutes.
10. If in doubt, it's better to keep poinsettias a little drier — rather than too moist — and to water them little and often, rather than rarely but in great quantity. “Poinsettias are particularly long-lasting when they are fertilized once a week from about four weeks after purchase, using a commercial liquid fertilizer for flowering houseplants in the dosage indicated on the packaging,” advise poinsettia experts Stars for Europe.
11. Remember, poinsettias like humid conditions, so keep them misted if they are in a room where the central heating is on full blast.
12. Poinsettias need warmth and light. They can be kept close to a radiator but must be kept away from drafts — that means NO fireplaces, open doorways, open windows or breezy hallways. If it’s too drafty, they may start to lose their leaves. Try to place poinsettias in a sheltered spot.
13. A temperature of between 59 and 71.6 degrees is ideal, making these poinsettias well suited to bedrooms and living rooms. Sufficient light is important for them to grow and thrive; poinsettias prefer a light spot rather than full shade. The usual advice is to keep plants out of direct sunlight to protect their leaves from burning, but the winter months shouldn't be a problem, so it's fine to place them by a south-facing window.
14. To ensure poinsettias survive until next year, you will need to prune them in April to about 4 inches and keep them at a temperature of 55.4°F. Repot in May and grow them in a cool and light place over summer, ideally at a temperature of 59-64.4°F.
15. When November comes around, it is time to start forcing the plant. “It will require 12 hours of bright daylight followed by 12 hours of complete darkness to alert it to the shorter days of winter, which will encourage the red flowers to flourish,” say the experts at Lechuza.
Poinsettias as cut flowers
As cut flowers, poinsettias win points with colorful bracts and a long shelf life. If you can't keep your poinsettia alive, chop it up and boil it for a beautiful floral arrangement, suggests Stars for Europe. Trim off at the stems below the bracts — the colorful leaves, dip the cut ends in boiling hot water — 140°F — for a few seconds to remove the white sap, and then immediately place in cold water. With enough water, cut poinsettias can stay fresh for up to two weeks.
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