‘This was the most beautiful Christmas ever’
It was a 191 years ago that Ambassador Joel Poinsett brought the plant we now know as the poinsettia to the United States. There is no way he could have dreamed of all of the colors, shapes, treatments or enhancements you find with today’s poinsettias. Ambassador, we thank you for your vision. Recently I was at a high-end food market and was mesmerized with all of the different choices of poinsettias they were offering their customers. One in particular that amazed me was a red poinsettia that look as though it had a light dusting of ice crystals. I am also thrilled to see the poinsettia has made it to a Black Friday tradition too as customers load up baskets of poinsettias. Years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel right after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The Israel tour was an agricultural event hosted by Israel but one the most memorable moments was standing alongside poinsettias that were fifteen feet tall. Whether the plants are a foot to the giant sized they all have the ability to thrill. When I was Director of The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens we took the opportunity to maximize their use as part of their December Nights and Holiday Lights celebration. The use of poinsettias was different every year and always brought out the cameras. No matter how you choose to use them, the poinsettia becomes one of the most treasured Christmas traditions.
Legend has it that the tradition started long ago, when they were called Flores de Noche Buena (flowers of the holy night) because of the legend of Pepita and Pedro. The story told, was that a little girl in Mexico, named Pepita, and her cousin, Pedro, were on their way to church in honor of the Christ child. Pepita was poor and had no money for gifts. On the way to church she picked a bouquet of wildflowers, and as she laid them lovingly on the altar, they turned into beautiful poinsettias, hence the name Flores de Noche Buena. The colorful parts of a poinsettia are actually modified leaves known as bracts. The true flowers are the small, yellow buttons in the centers of the bracts. The traditional color may be red, but colors and varieties today have reached staggering numbers. It is not uncommon for there to be over 200 varieties in annual university trials. If you are like me, we are similar kids in a candy store when it comes to poinsettias; we love them all and need three of each. Give me some Monet, Ice Punch; oh, that elegant Vision of Grandeur, then I need seven of the Carousel and five of the Winter Rose. Since I am a Texas A & M graduate, I definitely need some of the maroon selections. You can quickly see the dilemma both for shopper and the greenhouse producer. With hundreds of varieties, there is just no way one could grow them all. What is important is that you shop for poinsettias now. Poinsettias can hold their color way past Christmas if you shop wisely. Look for plants with fully mature, thoroughly colored and expanded bracts, and small green flower buds. Select plants with dark green foliage down to the soil line. This indicates a healthy root system. As a rule of thumb, poinsettias should be 2{ times bigger than their pots. In other words, a 15- to 18-inchtall plant looks best in a 6-inch container. Durable plants promise weeks of enjoyment and if you find yourself late with decorating or needing poinsettias for the visitors that are about to arrive have no worry. Look for strong, stiff stems, good leaf and bract retention, and no signs of wilting, breaking or drooping. Carefully inspect packaged poinsettias before purchasing them. With the busy holiday season, forgetting to water can be disastrous for a poinsettia. Feel the soil, and water when it is dry to the touch. Don’t be shy about using poinsettias throughout the home and don’t be surprised when the family says, “This was the most beautiful Christmas ever.” -30
Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of, “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.