During this holiday season, why not make someone's day with the gift of flowers?

The poinsettia replaced the chrysanthemum in 1986 as the best-selling potted plant in the United States. Poinsettias are commercially grown in all 50 states.

Poinsettias are sometimes called Christmas stars or Flor de Noche Buena, and truly symbolize Christmas to Americans more than any other single plant. They are available in red, white, and pink. What we think of as the colorful petals of the poinsettia are really specialized, modified leaves called bracts. The true flowers are the tiny yellow balls clustered in the center of the bracts. Some are male and some are female. The flower tips often exude small beads of crystal-clear nectar.

Poinsettias have a white, milky sap called latex. Although this sap has been blamed for causing effects ranging from dermatitis all the way to death in children and pets, recent findings refute this.

Most people enjoy the plant during the holiday season, then toss it in the trash when the celebrating is over. Care and handling of the poinsettia plant will ensure a very long life and sizable growth as a houseplant. On receiving the plant, remove the foil wrap. The pot will be full of roots; special care should be taken to water all of the soil, not just the uppermost layer. Large concentrations of peat moss in the soil are common and can dry quickly in the warm air of heated homes. If the plant begins to wilt, soak it, pot and all, in a bucket of water. Keep the plant at around 65 degrees Fahrenheit and away from cool drafts.

Poinsettias are short day plants. If you want them to blossom again, they shouldn’t receive more than twelve hours of light starting October 1. To simulate this, the plant can be covered with black cloth or placed under a box for the appropriate time. After the plant starts to bud, the blackouts are no longer needed.

Published: December 21, 2000

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