Celebrate National Poinsettia Day all Month!
By Nora Heston Tarte
As you deck the halls this holiday season, don’t forget to add Christmas cheer to your floral arrangements. While any red bloom will read “Christmas,” especially against green leaves, there’s one flower that sets the tone for the season above all the rest- the poinsettia.
The trendy holiday favorite didn’t burst onto the California scene until the 1920s, when a nurseryman from San Diego County, Paul Ecke, found them growing wild near the Mexican border. He immediately began creating different varieties of the plant, known for its colorful leaves, and they are now grown commercially in every state with colors ranging from red to white and every shade in between. He ended up with more than 100 varieties.
Ecke put together the winning formula for this yuletide bloom by combining the bright, red color with a plant that could easily grow in the winter months. That, mixed with the woody perennials ability to thrive in small pots, makes them a seasonal favorite. But the poinsettias we see at the mall’s North Pole are a far cry from the small tropical trees that grow in the wild or tropical environments from which it was derived.
New varieties are introduced yearly and poinsettias garner 23 percent of all flowering, potted plant sales in the U.S., according to the 2013 USDA Floriculture Statistics report. That translates to a cool $144 million American dollars spent on the Christmas staple.
Today poinsettias are available on Christmas-themed shelves at local shops, but as early as the mid-1800s, December 12 has been observed as National Poinsettia Day to honor the plant’s creator, Poinsett, who died December 12, 1851.
At some point during its long history, rumors started that poinsettias are poisonous, but that claim is actually false, and has been tested many times. While poinsettias are not meant to be a December delicacy, and cats and small children may choke on its fibrous parts, the plant should- even if eaten- cause little more than a stomachache or contact rash.
For those looking to add poinsettias to their holiday décor, it’s important to arm yourself with the tools you need to keep them thriving until the New Year. For starters, Belle Reynolds from Belle’s Flower Shop in Lodi says the perennials should be watered with warm water to keep them healthy. Native to Mexico, they don’t handle cold weather well, despite their ability to grow in the winter months. To ensure they keep their leaves, leave them in warm rooms, away from drafts.
If you have your heart set on red poinsettias, get a jumpstart. They are readily available in most chain stores, and local floral shops, like Belle’s, stock limited amounts.
Buy a Bunch:
Belle’s Lodi Flower Shop
1420 W. Kettleman Ln., Lodi
(209) 369-4709