POINSETTIA CARE:
Poinsettias are a
widespread Christmas tradition both for
gift-giving and holiday decorating. Yet many
of these lovely plants end up in the trash
once the holidays are over. Your poinsettia
will not only make a beautiful indoor plant
all year long, but can also be coaxed to
bloom again each year in time for Christmas.
Poinsettias
(euphorbia pulcherrima)
are native to Mexico and Central America.
The Aztecs called it cuetlaxochitl.
Poinsettias were introduced in the United
States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the first
U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and quickly
caught on as a popular Christmas plant.
Poinsettias have thin, pale green leaves.
When in bloom, they display brightly colored
bracts (red, pink, or white) on the top of
each stem. Although many mistakenly think
that these bracts are flower petals, the
actual flowers are the tiny yellow clusters
found at the center of the bracts (Bract are
simply leaves masquerading as petals).
Another common misconception is that the
plant is poisonous. Like most euphorbias,
the sap is a little caustic and may cause
skin irritation, and certainly indigestion
if digested, but if you're going to knock
the hubby off for the insurance money
(there's a cheery holiday thought...), find
another plant.
Poinsettias like
lots of bright, indirect sunlight and prefer
humid conditions (so you may want to mist
your plant if your home is very dry due to
heating or climate). As for watering, let
the soil dry out between watering. The soil
should be dry to the touch. Also, be sure
not to let the plants pot stand in water at
the plants base or saucer (A layer of
pebbles in the bottom of the tray keeps the
plant out of the water and increases the
humidity around the plant). Poinsettias are
sensitive to extreme temperature, so don’t
place your plant next to a heater or near a
drafty window or doorway. A daytime temp of
around 65 degrees and nights around 60
degrees will provide perfect conditions for
your poinsettia. Whitefly can sometimes be a
pest for this plant; check your purchase
closely. If you pick it up, and things fly,
and they're white, well, there it is. Pretty
easily taken care of with insecticidial soap
or my favorite indoor pesticide, pyrethrine
(made of daisies; it's organic and safe if
you don't drink it).
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