Page 14 2023 Home For The Holidays Lincoln Daily News November 23, 2022 Evergreen trees are not the only plants we love to bring into our homes to celebrate the holidays. The ubiquitous poinsettia makes its appearance shortly after Halloween to ring in the festive season. A native plant of Mexico, the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) was introduced to the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1828 who saw it while visiting the city of Taxco and sent some cuttings to his plantation in South Carolina where they were propagated. It is now the best selling potted plant in the United States and Canada. https://www.almanac. com/poinsettiachristmas-story The most widely available color is the classic red, however, poinsettia breeders have developed over 150 varieties in a range of shades. The colorful red, pink or cream “flowers” of the poinsettia are not actually flowers, but a type of leaf called bracts. The actual flower is the small yellow bud in the middle of the bract. The little yellow flower inspires the Spanish name for poinsettia because of its resemblance to a star. Flor de la Buena Noche is the Spanish name, which means Flower of the Holy Night, Holy Night referring to Christmas Eve, and the yellow flower bringing to mind the Star of Bethlehem. Because it is a tropical plant, the poinsettia Keep Your Poinsettia Happy and Healthy needs some special attention to thrive inside, but with proper care a poinsettia can last all year long. To begin, make sure the plant is protected from wind and cold when bringing it home from the shop– definitely do not leave it in a frigid car while running errands! Once home regular care will keep your new plant happy and healthy. The Old Farmer's Almanac offers Seven Tips to keep your poinsettia in peak condition through the holidays: 1. The plants require bright, indirect light during the day for the brightest color (at least 6 hours a day), so place yours near a well-lit window. East-facing windows are best. However, keep it out of direct sun, which could fade or burn the leaves. 2. Avoid spots near heating vents and doors. Cold drafts will cause leaves to drop. No part of the plant should touch the cold glass. Excess heat can dry out the plants too much. 3. Poinsettias favor semi-cool conditions. Keep temperatures between 65° and 70°F, ideally. Basically, maintain temperatures that are comfortable to people. Be sure to lower the thermostat at night so that plants cool off. Continued --
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