Christmas is not far away and that means thoughts turn to turkeys, tinsel and poinsettias. Poinsettias are the best loved (and sometimes most loathed) of all Christmas potplants. Their colourful bracts surround the cluster of small yellow flowers at the end of each shoot. For me, it is not really Christmas without a poinsettia but they are a relatively modern feature of our festive season. Until they became popular we had the Victorians to thank for the ‘modern’ large-flowered cyclamen and we would deck our halls ‘with boughs of holly’, and other evergreens for religious and spiritual reasons as well as because they looked cheerful.
The poinsettia is a Mexican plant. It was discovered and brought to the USA in 1825. Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first US Diplomat for Mexico and while there he sent cuttings back to his home in Charleston. South Carolina.
The connection with Christmas is partly due to the fact that it ‘blooms’ in winter and partly due to the Spanish colonisation of Central America. In the same way that they used the passion flower to illustrate the Passion of Christ (yes I am sorry it is nothing to do with libido)* a story arose about how the glorious red bracts appear at Christmas. In fact, in the 1980s I wrote about it for a Christmas plant-care leaflet at Knights! So here goes again!
A young Mexican girl, on her way to church on Christmas Eve, is sad that she has no gift to give to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. An angel visits her and tells her that any gift, no matter how small, but given with love, would be welcome. So she picks some weeds from beside the road and places them in the manger in the church where they burst into the most beautiful red blossom.
Of course they had bloomed long before this and they were admired by pre-Christian civilisations in Mexico long before the arrival of the Spanish.
Back in the USA, the plant became known after the man who introduced it and the common name of poinsettia arose. Botanically the plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima which means the ‘beautiful euphorbia‘.
It was only in the 1920s, when Paul Ecke in California specialised in the plants, and a dynasty was formed which specialised in the development of the plants, that they became widely available and a staple of the Festive season.
Now poinsettias come in a range of colours and are much more compact than the tree-like wild ancestors. I love red poinsettias but am always tempted by the more unusual kinds and usually buy a pink or cream poinsettia. And then, in the run-up to the big day I get a red one because it just seems wrong not to have one.
Since 2002 the US even has a Poinsettia day (on December 12) which honours Paul Ecke and marks the day of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett.
Now is the time to get your poinsettia. When buying one, look to make sure it has been well looked-after and is not dry or sitting in water. That is why it is best to buy a plant from a garden centre like Knights and not outside a shop.
If it is in a plastic sleeve (good to prevent damage to the leaves and bracts in transit) check there are no yellow leaves or fallen leaves or mouldy leaves in the base – signs that the plant is old or has been badly looked after.
The bracts can last many months but the small yellow flowers open and drop off. Look for tight clusters of the yellow flowers – any plant with a gap in the centre, is older and may not look as fresh – as you can see on the white poinsettia below.
Keep the plant in a warm place out of draughts but not beside a fire or radiator. Water with tepid water and not cold water and keep it evenly moist. A bright spot is best but not in direct sunlight and not on a windowsill where it can get cold at night.
Poinsettias are euphorbias and that means they have milky sap. In some species this can be very irritant but poinsettias are not particularly poisonous. It is best to avoid getting the sap in cuts or in your eyes but they do not pose an especial danger to children or pets. Even if eaten they would only cause mild stomach upset. Even so, it is best not to leave a pet or child unattended with a poinsettia.
Of course, if you look after your plant it is possible to keep it growing all year and even get it to bloom next year. But that is a whole other story.
*The five-fingered leaves represent Christ’s assailants, the tendrils the whips, the flowers have ten petals representing the ten faithful apostles, the five anthers the five wounds etc.