POINSETTIAS FOR CHRISTMAS
The Christmas season is here once again, and, like millions of people around the world, you will probably be using poinsettias to decorate your home.
Native to Central America and Southern Mexico, its botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, plays second fiddle to the common name poinsettia - a tribute to the nineteenth century botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, who first popularized it by propagating and distributing plants to his horticultural friends and fellow botanists.
Contrary to widespread belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous. In 1919 a two year old child in Hawaii had convulsions and died after allegedly chewing on a poinsettia leaf. The attending doctor attributed the child’s death to poison contained in the leaf, thereby starting one of the longest running medical myths.
The sap of the poinsettia, like that of other members of the Euphorbiaceae family, can be irritating but will not kill. Scientists at Ohio State University came to this conclusion in 1971 after conducting extensive toxicity tests. So it’s quite safe to have them around your home.
In Trinidad and Tobago, poinsettias come in a variety of colours in pots ranging from 4” to 10” in diameter, and you can get them at most plant and garden shops. They are produced by just a few nurseries, the largest being Undercover Limited in Santa Cruz, which also ships thousands to other Eastern Caribbean islands every year.
PURCHASING PLANTS
Examine each plant carefully. What most people believe to be the flower is actually a series of colored leaves called bracts; the flowers are the round yellow berries in the center of each cluster of bracts.
Look for plants with many bracts and examine the flowers. If they look like tightly rolled balls, the plant has just started its blooming life. If you see little hairs with pollen sticking out at the top, or if buds are missing, then the plant is older and its blooms will not last as long. Also, look for plants with sturdy stems and bright green lower leaves; and, of course, avoid any plant that shows any evidence of pests or disease.
Your newly acquired poinsettia plants can remain in bloom for months if you give them the correct amount of light and water. Keep them in a bright location but not in direct sunlight because they have been grown under cover in filtered light. The soil should be kept evenly moist, but do not allow water to remain in the saucers in which the plants are sitting.
Do not fertilize until the end of January as the plants are usually fed before sale with a slow release fertilizer which lasts for three months.
UP NEXT
In my next column, two weeks from now, I will be returning to landscape gardening, telling you how to select the right plants and how to put the finishing touches to your new garden.
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If you have any gardening news or tips you would like to share, or if you are having a problem in your garden, e-mail me at thehappygardner@tstt.net.tt
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