POINSETTIA
Over 70 million poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are marketed annually in the United States, making it the most widely distributed flowering plant in the country. It’s unlikely that South Carolinian Joel R. Poinsett (1779–1851), the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, had any idea how famous the poinsettia would become when he first brought it to the Bartram Botanical Garden in Philadelphia in 1828. Philadelphia nursery owner and florist Robert Bust recognized the promise of the newly introduced poinsettia and gave it the name “Joshua Poinsett” in honor of the Civil War hero.
These Mexican wildflowers were between 12 and 15 feet tall on just one or two sturdy stalks. As opposed to the wide, flat petals of a modern poinsettia, these crimson flowers’ bracts were thin and droopy.
True poinsettia flowers, known as Cynthia, are those tiny clusters of yellow flowers you’ll find at the flower’s open center, between the red flowery bracts. There are no actual petals on these little blossoms; instead, they are encircled by bracts, which are modified leaves that happen to be a vibrant shade of red. The little blooms relied on pollination by insects, therefore these bracts evolved to be bright red to attract them. Through selective breeding, modern Cynthia has much tighter, smaller, and less obvious clusters, drawing attention to the stunning red bracts.
Poinsett supplied not just his greenhouses but also those of friends and fellow gardeners such as Philadelphia’s John Bartram with plants. The plant was first sold as Euphorbia poinsettia, a name given to it by nurseryman Robert Bust who received it from Bartram. Already in 1833, a German taxonomist had given the plant the name Euphorbia pulchra for its unique appearance. However, the poinsettia name has persisted in English-speaking areas.
Nowadays, poinsettias are a major crop for the U.S. floricultural industry. In 1980, the total value of the United States poinsettia crop, which is grown largely as a holiday houseplant, was $66 million. Over a decade, this amounts to an increase in output of more than 300%.
One of the most important flower crops in Texas is poinsettias. Today, there are around 700 growers across the state contributing to a poinsettia industry worth an estimated $9 million annually.
The rising population in Texas has boosted the demand for poinsettias in decorative pots. Although plant sales typically peak between December 10 and 25, there has been an uptick in interest due to the expanding Thanksgiving Day market.
During the next three to five years, demand is expected to increase by about 3 to 5 percent at most.
The following are some suggestions for ensuring the success of your holiday poinsettia at home:
Expose your poinsettia to at least six hours of bright, indirect sunlight per day by placing it in a bright room or window. The bracts’ color could be damaged if you leave it out in the sun. A light shade or sheer curtain can be used to filter sunlight if exposure to direct sunlight is unavoidable.
As a result of the high temperature, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off, and the flower bracts will wither before they should. The midday high shouldn’t get above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep your poinsettia away from any sources of draughts, excess heat, or dry air, such as appliances, fireplaces, or vents. If the temperature dips below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, chilling damage sets in and the leaves fall off prematurely.
Poinsettias need fertile, slightly damp soil and regular watering. Once the top inch of soil is dry to the touch, give them a good soaking. Never allow the potting soil to dry up completely, and never allow the plant to sit in water. Plants should always be watered without their decorative pot covers on. Water until the soil is so saturated that water leaks through the drainage hole. When a poinsettia is in bloom, you should not fertilize it.
Uncommon knowledge has it that in 1829, the poinsettia made its way into the horticultural world via the Bartram Botanic Garden. The Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia is credited with being the first place where this winter emblem could be grown successfully outside of its native Mexico.
“South Carolina native Poinsett worked in diplomacy and politics for much of his life, but never lost his enthusiasm for the outdoors and gardening. Poinsett was the first U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary when the new Mexican Republic was acknowledged in 1824. He had previously served as a special envoy to Mexico in 1822 and 1823. From 1825 to early 1830, he was a Mexican resident. Poinsett first saw the nameless shrub that would later carry his name about this time, maybe in the winter of 1827-1828.
Poinsett was on a mission to increase trade and friendship between the United States and Mexico, so he sent seeds and plants back and forth. There is current evidence to suggest that four distinct collections of seeds and plants were shipped from Mexico to Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia between 1828 and 1829. Poinsett’s ties to the Philadelphia scientific community and Bartram’s Garden appear to have been solidified when he was elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society there in early 1827. William Maclure, a longstanding acquaintance of Poinsett’s, and Thomas Say, a nephew of Bartram’s, visited Vera Cruz and Mexico City in the early months of 1828. For similar reasons, William Keating, a geologist from the University of Pennsylvania, visited Mexico in 1828 on behalf of American mining interests. Plant seeds from Mexico were sent to Bartram’s Garden thanks to the efforts of Poinsett, Maclure, Say, and Keating.
As one Philadelphia nurseryman, Robert Bust recalled: “On my arrival in this country from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, in 1828, I paid a visit to the celebrated “Bartram Botanic Garden,” and there observed two cases of plants which had just come from Mexico. There were the remnants of a peculiar Euphorbia plant, which, after a few months of growth, produced some very vivid scarlet bracts. (The young Bust made a fortune off of the new scarlet plant, and in 1834 he was widely recognized as the person who brought poinsettias to Europe.)
Next on the poinsettia’s paper trail is “The first semi-annual Exhibition of fruits, flowers, and plants, of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society,” which took place on June 6, 1829. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society held its inaugural public show, which has since evolved into the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. Mr. Poinsett, the United States Minister to Mexico, gave the Bartram collection “A new Euphorbia with beautiful scarlet brackets or flowery leaves.” This was unquestionably the poinsettia, or what is today called Euphorbia pulcherrima. The original plant shipped from Mexico, which is allegedly on exhibit, still had vibrant leaves in early June. It took some time for nurserymen to figure out how to reliably flower the new scarlet plant in time for the early winter holidays, but now we accept the association of poinsettias and Christmas as given.
In July 1830, a committee of the PHS designated “For visiting the Nurseries and Gardens in the vicinity of Philadelphia” specifically mentioned the “Euphorbia heterophylla, with its large scarlet flowers” and “some curious species of Cactus, lately received from Mexico” at the Bartram Botanical Garden. The poinsettia’s correct scientific name was still up for grabs at this point. Historically, the name “Euphorbia heterophylla” was used to refer to the poinsettia because it resembled a well-known North American native. In addition to “Poinsett’s euphorbia,” Philadelphia nurserymen called this new plant “Euphorbia poinsettia” beginning in around 1832. Between 1833 and 1836, the poinsettia went from the scientific name Pleuradena coccinea to Poinsettia pulcherima and then to Euphorbia pulcherima as it was described and published in the United States and Europe.
The poinsettia was originally described scientifically by botanist Constantine Rafinesque in the summer of 1833 for his Atlantic Journal, which he published in Philadelphia. According to Rafinesque, “The Botanical Garden of Bartram acquired some years ago from Mr. Poinsett our envoy in Mexico, a wonderful new green-house shrub, allied to Euphorbia, with splendid scarlet blossoms, or rather bracts.” It has now been introduced to our gardens in the Philadelphia area; some refer to it as Euphorbia poinsettia, but I believe it to be a distinct species or subspecies.
Robert burst began sending poinsettia plants and cuttings to Europe in the early 1830s, specifically to his friend James McNab at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. Having learned his trade at the Edinburgh Garden, burst went back to Scotland in 1831 to start a nursery business and stock it with plants. When James McNab traveled to Philadelphia and Bartram’s Garden that summer of 1834, he most likely brought back the first thriving poinsettia plants, which he subsequently planted in Edinburgh.
In the spring of 1835, the first imperfect poinsettia flowers bloomed in Edinburgh. As soon as it bloomed again in 1836, artists were commissioned to sketch it for Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. In an essay written for both Curtis’s and the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, Robert C. Graham, Regius Professor of Botany at Edinburgh, renamed the new euphorbia Poinsettia pulcherrima. After Graham’s description, the plant became widely cultivated across the United Kingdom and Europe and was given the popular name poinsettia. Unfortunately for posterity, Graham trusted Burst’s erroneous description of the plant’s introduction and failed to credit the Care or Bartram’s Garden with the discovery.
Poinsett is supposed to have brought the first poinsettia to Charleston upon his return from Mexico, and the Carl family in Philadelphia may have received a plant from Charleston. Since the first public display of the poinsettia took place in June of 1829, six months before Poinsett arrived from Mexico, this is not the case. All signs point to the fall of 1828 as the time when the first poinsettia was shipped to the Bartram Garden in Philadelphia. Because of the presence of several friends of Bartram’s Garden in Mexico, live plants were successfully shipped from Mexico to Philadelphia in 1828. Since its public debut in 1829, when the new scarlet euphorbia was released, the plant has undergone extensive propagation and is now a staple of the Philadelphia flower trade. When the young gardener Robert burst went back to Europe in 1831, he discovered that nobody there knew anything about the scarlet flower. The burst did a lot to spread awareness of the new plant, but he shouldn’t get all the credit for its introduction. Poinsett’s name plant presumably made its way back to him via the Philadelphia nursery community when he started growing it again in Charleston following his return.
The poinsettia plant is indigenous to Central America, and more specifically to the ‘Taxco del Alarcon’ region of southern Mexico, where it blooms seasonally in the winter. Cuetlaxochitl was the name the ancient Aztecs used for them. The Aztecs made use of the blooms (which are bracts and not flowers) to create a purple dye for textiles and cosmetics, among other things. A medication was developed out of the milky white latex sap to combat high body temperatures.
Before Christianity arrived in the Western Hemisphere, the Aztecs of Mexico were cultivating poinsettias. Although highly coveted by Kings Netzahualcoyotl and Montezuma, these plants were not able to be cultivated in what is now Mexico City due to climate limits.
History
There may have been the first religious associations with poinsettias as early as the 17th century. Franciscan priests near Taxco began using the flower in the Fiesta de Santa Pestered, a nativity procession, because of its vibrant color and opportune holiday blooming season. If not for Joel Roberts Poinsett’s efforts, the poinsettia might have remained a regional plant for decades (1779 – 1851). Poinsett, the son of a French surgeon, served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President James Madison (1825–1839). Although Poinsett was a serious, even obsessive, botany-lover, he had studied medicine.
In 1833, a German botanist called Wile now gave it the correct scientific name, Euphorbia pulcherrima (most beautiful). The year 1836 is typically cited as the year in which the current name first appeared in usage. Even though a German scientist had already given the plant the botanical name Euphorbia potcherman, it was first sold by Philadelphia nurseryman Robert burst 1 under the name Euphorbia poinsettia.
Unlike the curved, short shrubs of today’s commercial varieties, the Poinsettias native to southern Mexico and Mesoamerica form tall, straight trees. These trees commonly grow to a height of 10 feet. Many cultivars have been established in the United States and Europe thanks to growers’ careful selection and breeding efforts.
The poinsettia was first brought to the United States in Philadelphia, and it was widely distributed throughout the 1800s as an outside plant suitable for warmer regions. In the early 1920s, a gardener called Paul Ecke in southern California took over as the plant’s primary advocate. He decided that the shrubs he saw growing along the roadways would create lovely Christmas flowers, so he planted seedlings of them in fields in what is now Hollywood. A few years later, when commercial and artistic activity in Hollywood became too intense, he relocated to Encinitas, where poinsettias are still grown at the Paul Ecke Ranch. In the United States, poinsettia has come to represent Christmas because of Paul Ecke and his sons’ marketing efforts. In honor of both the man and the flower, Congress officially recognized December 12 as National Poinsettia Day in 1988. This day marked Joel Poinsett’s birthday.
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Since 1992, Joel T. Fry has been in charge of preserving the history of the garden at Bartram’s Garden, the former house of John and William Bartram in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1975, he began his long history of involvement in the archaeological investigation at Bartram’s Garden. He has written extensively on the subject of the history of Bartram’s Garden and the plant collections owned by the Bartram family, and he studied anthropology, historical archaeology, and American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania.
Attention Following the Holidays
After the showy bracts on your plant have faded in March and April, cut it back to a height of 8 inches. After pruning, the plant may appear to be dead, yet new shoots will develop at the stem’s nodes. Water the plant daily and keep it in a bright window until it finishes growing. Once the overnight lows consistently hover over 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you can transplant the plant outdoors. Fertilize the plant with a full, well-balanced fertilizer, like 10-10-10, every two to three weeks throughout the growing seasons (spring, summer, and fall).
Early in the month of June, repot the poinsettia into a pot that is 2 to 4 inches larger than the one it was growing in. Compost, leaf mold, or peat moss are examples of high-organic-matter soil amendments that can be incorporated into your soil mixture. You can either pinch off the growing tips of the shoots or trim back the branches. After September 1st, cut back no further. When the temps drop to around 60 degrees at night, bring the plant inside.
Poinsettia revival: bringing back the blooms
Despite the difficulty of the process, poinsettia plants can be coaxed into blooming again the following holiday season. As a short-day plant, the poinsettia relies on prolonged nighttime darkness to develop its showy bracts. The first week of October marks the beginning of a period of eight to ten weeks during which the plant must be kept in complete darkness for 14 hours per night. Put the plant somewhere dark, like a closet, or cover it with a box to keep out the light. The plant also needs six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day at this time. The plant will be in full bloom in late November or early December, depending on the receptiveness of the specific cultivar.
Problems
Poinsettias aren’t the only plants susceptible to the same pests. The whitefly is by far the most widespread pest bug. Poinsettia is also susceptible to pests like mealybugs, soft scales, and spider mites. Imidacloprid, found in products like Bayer Advanced 2-in-1 Insect Control Plus Fertilizer Plant Spikes, is an effective way to get rid of whiteflies and mealybugs in the soil. Sprays of insecticidal soap, such as Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap, Schultz Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap, Natural Guard Insecticidal Soap, Bonide Insecticidal Soap, or Espoma Earth-tone Insecticidal Soap, are the safest method of eradicating spider mites.
Fungi that cause root rot often flourish in soils that are either too wet or too dry. Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, insufficient light, and malnutrition are just a few of the causes of early leaf loss. Avoid exposing the beautiful bracts to the chilly wind and rain.
Poinsettia Mexicana growing in the wild
Wild Mexican poinsettia, similar to the ones Joel Poinsett acquired in 1828. The flowering bracts are narrow and droopy, and the center is fairly open, unlike modern poinsettias, which hide the genuine flowers. These plants can attain a height of 12–15 feet in their natural habitat.
Are Poinsettias Safe to Eat?
Toxic reactions to poinsettias are highly unlikely. The milky fluid makes the flavor of the foliage unpleasant, making it unlikely that a youngster would eat a large amount of it. Unfortunately, eating too much vegetation can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The milky sap may create a slight rash because it is an irritant to the skin. Use soap and water to clean the skin. Further, the sap can irritate and redden the eyes if it gets in them. Eyes should be rinsed with water.
In many households, the Christmas cactus is a staple. Pink or lavender tubular blooms appear on these plants when they reach maturity. They are a great plant because of their lovely blossoms, extended blooming period, and low maintenance needs. We’re willing to wager that you have a Christmas cactus in your home. Many new types of Thanksgiving cacti, Christmas cacti, and Easter cacti have been introduced because of hybridization efforts throughout the past century. The majority of these plants’ natural ranges are in Central and South America, and they all belong to the Zygo-cactus family. Even though they share the name “cactus,” these plants are utterly unlike the typical desert cactus. Epiphytes are another kind of plant that grows in similar conditions as orchids. Typically, you can find them in the crooks of tree branches, where they are thriving in the decomposing leaves and other organic matter that has accumulated there. They have quite different care requirements from real cacti because of their tropical origins. Here are some tips for tending to them and the actions to take to get them blooming in time for the next holiday season. It’s best to keep your Christmas cactus indoors in a cool location where the temperature stays about 50 degrees between September and October. Keeping them out of the cold is a must. They should also be maintained in a dark environment where no lights will be left on overnight.
In reality, adequate light exposure, stable temperatures, and restricted watering are the keys to getting Christmas cacti to bloom in time for the holidays. Thus, during the autumn, the Christmas cactus should be situated where it will be exposed to indirect bright light inside. the light of day and the complete absence of light at night (much like you would do with a poinsettia, but a Christmas poinsettia prefers warm temps while the Christmas cactus prefers cold). Cacti need a shady, chilly area in the fall. Because it is a tropical plant, the Christmas cactus has to be watered about as often as any other tropical plant. It is best to water the plants completely and then wait for the top inch of the soil to dry out before watering again. The plants need less water during the fall and winter months if you want them to blossom. Humidity levels of 50–60% are ideal for Christmas cacti. A glass, vase, or tray of water should therefore be kept close to the plant. Humidity for the cactus can be supplied by evaporation. You may also provide the Christmas cactus with the humidity it needs by using a humidity tray. To achieve this, fill a waterproof saucer partly with pebbles and then fill it with water. Put the planter down on the gravel. Christmas cacti shouldn’t be kept next to any exterior doors. Also, don’t put it near a vent, fireplace, or other heat or draught source. An application of liquid fertilizer in the 0-10-10 nutrient ratio should be made in late October or early November. These fertilizers can be applied again in February. Apply a liquid, all-purpose houseplant fertilizer twice a month between April and September, when the plants are actively growing. There shouldn’t be more than 10 percent nitrogen in the fertilizer you use. The first figure on a bag of fertilizer indicates the percentage of nitrogen present. How do expert gardeners coax Christmas cacti into bloom in time for the holidays? They are kept in chilly greenhouses with temperatures averaging around 50 degrees, where the plants spend between 12 and 14 hours a day in complete darkness, and where just a small amount of water is given to each plant.
After the Christmas cactus flower buds have fully formed, one of the most disheartening things that can happen is that they fall off the plant. Many distinct factors can lead to premature bud death. Causes include excessive watering, low humidity, and inadequate lighting. The Christmas cactus needs a rest for around 30 days after the holidays. Repeat the process of placing it in a cool room with a small amount of water. Don’t be alarmed if it loses a few leaves or appears feeble during this rest period. Don’t try to trim, shape, or pinch your Christmas cactus now. When new growth starts in March or April, that’s when you want to do it. Similarly, February, March, or April is ideal for repotting a cactus. Remember that the plant will produce the most flowers if it is kept in a pot. It is not uncommon for a well-cared-for Christmas cactus to produce multiple blooms over the course of the year.
