What's Blooming: Poinsettias

What's Blooming: Poinsettias
by Jenna Poncelet, Gardener, Gardens on Spring Creek

You may know poinsettias best as the potted houseplants that pop up for sale around Christmastime, but have you ever wondered how they became a holiday tradition?

Poinsettias were first introduced to the U.S. as a holiday plant by a minister and botanist named Joel Roberts Poinsett, who found them on a visit to their native range in Central America. The tradition of displaying the beautiful bright green and red plants comes from a Mexican Christmas legend. The story goes that a young girl wanted to give a gift to her church on Christmas Eve, but had no money to spend. Instead, she picked green plants that she thought to be weeds and laid them in front of a nativity scene. Overnight the green “weeds” transformed into beautiful red flowers, which was treated as a Christmas miracle. We now display the colorful plants all holiday season long as a show of festivity.

Unfortunately, the classic red color that poinsettias show off is not an overnight miracle. The red, showy “flowers” are actually not flowers at all, but specialized leaves called bracts, that change color over time. Poinsettia plants require short days of intense light and 14 or more interrupted hours of darkness at night in order to change color. The whole change from green to red takes about a month. Wild poinsettias are found as small trees or shrubs, and although they will lose their red bracts, they can be kept in the home as green houseplants year-round. You can artificially create short days for your poinsettia in the fall by placing them in complete darkness, such as a closet or cabinet, for a minimum of 14 hours every night until they make the change again!

If you want to cultivate these holiday beauties in your home but are worried about your pets and children, fear not! It is a common misconception that poinsettias are poisonous. Poinsettias have a sticky white sap in their leaves and stems that is a characteristic of the spurge, or Euphorbiaceae family. The sap may be irritating to those with sensitive skin, and the leaves might give you or your pets an upset stomach if consumed, but they are not toxic!

Poinsettias are surprisingly easy to care for and make wonderful and lasting holiday gifts for family and friends. Keep their soil moist, but not wet, and place them in indirect sunlight in a warm room of the house. Remove dried or yellow leaves as they may appear and consider repotting your plant in a larger container as it grows.

The Gardens is growing four varieties poinsettias that will be available for sale the week of Thanksgiving or before - as soon as they turn red!

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