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 Vallarta Living | December 2007 
Poinsettias, Con and Pro
 Beth Botts - Chicago Gardener
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| | More information about keeping a poinsettia plant throughout the year is in the Purdue Extension Bulletin HO-73, "The Poinsettia." It's available HERE. |
I am not a big fan of poinsettias. Overexposure and neophobia, I guess. Poinsettias are too much of a novelty for me; they didn’t become associated with Christmas in the U.S. until the 1920s, after the Ecke family of California figured out how to grow a Mexican shrub in quantity as a potted indoor plant. The resulting marketing campaign has worked very well.
Myself, I’m more of a holly-ivy-and-evergreens kind of gal. I like the ancient symbolism of seeking hope from plants that stay green through the darkest days of winter. When I cut a sprig of ivy, I know my Northern European ancestors were doing the same thing at winter solstices thousands of years ago. And I like the idea of finding my holiday greenery in my garden.
But a lot of people like poinsettias. They are a big splash of red (or, now, other colors) and can make a statement even in the midst of a lot of holiday decorations. Three generations in the U.S. now have grown up with poinsettias on Christmas cards and wrapping paper. They bring a hint of the tropics to Christmas. If your ancestors were from Mexico they might stir your emotions the way ivy stirs mine. (Poinsettias supposedly were cultivated by the Aztecs.)
For those to whom poinsettias mean Christmas, here’s a tip: Look at the center of the “bloom” (a cluster of brightly colored bracts that are really leaves) for the inconspicuous true flower. Buy a plant whose flowers are barely open. If you see a lot of yellow pollen, the plant is well along and will drop its “flowers” sooner. And of course, look for a bushy, healthy plant with deep green foliage below the bracts.
People always ask me, "Can I save my poinsettia for next year instead of composting it after the holidays?" To which I say: If you think it's really worth the trouble, you can try. But it's a big pain in the neck.
Poinsettias are outdoor woody plants in their native habitat. They color up their bracts in response to changes in day length (actually night length). To make them change in time for Christmas requires a meticulous regimen, starting in September, of keeping the plant in total darkness for 12 to 14 hours a day without even a peek of light.
And you still won't get the poinsettia to look like it did when it came from the florist, because commercial growers use all sorts of precise greenhouse control techniques and biochemical wizardry to produce those bushy, perfectly colored plants. If you have a poinsettia in some unnatural hue, such as blue, it is really a white poinsettia tinted blue and will rebloom with white bracts.
I recommend this process only to highly organized people who are looking for a challenging new hobby. And if you're looking for a challenging new hobby, there are more interesting persnickety plants to spend your energy on. Orchids, maybe? |
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