By Chris Winslow
The poinsettia has an assured spot at this time of year as being top of the ‘potted plant pops.’ In this country alone we buy about 75 million… and we see them all over the place, in our offices, homes, shops and restaurants.
No Christmas holiday decorations are complete without some form of poinsettia.
This colorful plant, native to southern Mexico and Central America, was used by ancient Aztecs as a medicine to reduce fevers. For this they used the milky white sap from its stems, and also extracted a purplish dye from the flowering bracts.
Known as nochebuena in Mexico, this fall-flowering ornamental would probably have remained in the jungle if it wasn’t for Joel Roberts Poinsett (1770 – 1851), the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico.
An amateur botanist, Poinsett brought this lovely plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima) back to his home in South Carolina in 1828. Here he began propagating the “poinsettia” and sending it to his friends and colleagues throughout the country.
The poinsettia’s leaves and stems grow during the summer months, and begins to bloom as the days shorten in the fall.
The flowering part of the poinsettia consists of bracts and cyanthia. The bracts are the large colored leaves which surround the cyanthia or flowers.
In the native plant, the bracts and flowers are very small. With the modern poinsettia, thanks to hybridization, the colorful leaves have become much larger and you have a multitude of colors to choose from.
We now have varieties with names like angelica, jingle belles, celebrate, V-14 glory, freedom, and subjibe.
While the most popular color for the Christmas season is red, you can also buy pink, salmon, white and bicolor plants.
The poinsettia is pretty easy to care for. It likes to be placed in a well-lit location and watered when it is dry.
If it has a decorative wrap around the pot, remove it when watering, making sure the plant gets adequate drainage.
If you leave its roots standing in water, the plant will perish. Ideal temperatures are 70 degrees during the day and a slightly cooler night. Too hot a temperature will shorten its bloom time.
In the springtime, poinsettias can be grown as a potted plant or they can be planted outside in a very protected, sunny location. With any luck and a very late cold spell next fall, you might get a few blooms.
I’m often asked if they’re poisonous. Experts seem to agree that poinsettias are not toxic. An Ohio State University study showed that a 50 pound child eating 500 leaves might get a slight tummy ache.
Question: Are there any natural occurring plants or common plants in the landscape that I can use to make Christmas wreaths?
One of the best plants to make wreath frames grows all over the hill country: native grape vines.
By this time of the year they have lost their leaves and their pliable vines can be cut and formed into circular-shaped frames.
Plants such as bay laurel, blue ice cypress, holly, and juniper can be wired to the frame to make an evergreen cover.
Dried herbs and fruit, eucalyptus, pine cones, cinnamon, and star anise can then be added to the wreath to add interest and fragrance. This combination of natural products should last through the season.
Happy holidays everyone!
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com.Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com