17
“
Home For The Holidays” November 21, 2012 A Lincoln Daily News Magazine Copyright 2012
In the 17th century t h e
poinsettia gained more
religious symbolism. Spanish,
Franciscan friars of southern
Mexico included the red
blooms in their Fiesta del
Pesebre, the Nativity
procession. The star-
shaped leaf was said
to symbolize the Star
of Bethlehem and was
named “Noche Buena,”
meaning “Christmas Eve.”
In 1833, German botanist Karl Ludwig
Wilenow assigned scientific nomenclature
to the plant as Euphorbia pulcherrima, with
“
pulcherrima” meaning “very beautiful.”
The plant was introduced to the U.S. in the
early 1800s by the first ambassador to Mexico,
Joel Roberts Poinsett, and then named for him.
Nursery production of the poinsettia for cut
flowers began in the fields of California in the
1920
s.
With the first cultivar entering greenhouse
production in the 1960s, the poinsettia became
a potted-plant crop. The plant peaks in color
when days are shortest, making it a natural
choice for growers to produce for the winter
holidays.
The poinsettia’s popularity surged in the
1960
s, when growers began promoting the
plant by putting pots on sets of every family
TV show during the holiday season. The
popularity grew, and poinsettias are now the
most commonly sold holiday potted plant in
the U.S.
There is amyth that poinsettias are poisonous.
At Ohio State University, research showed that
a 50-pound child who ate 500 bracts might
have a slight tummy-ache.
However, the poinsettia is from the same
family as the rubber plant, Euphorbiaceous,
and may ooze a milky sap if broken. If the sap
comes in contact with the skin of people
who are allergic to latex, it may cause
irritation.
Tips
in
choosing
and caring for your
poinsettia:
•
Choose a full, perky-
looking plant.
•
If temperatures are
freezing outside, make sure
your purchase is protected by
a wrapping for the trip home.
•
Once home, un-sleeve or unwrap your
plant within a couple of hours.
•
Place the plant where it will get
approximately six hours of indirect light
daily.
•
Avoid locating your plant near heat
sources, cold windows or drafts.
•
Place a tray under the pot to protect
furnishings in case of leakage.
•
Water when slightly dry to touch.
So, if you’re wanting to add color to your
decorating, or if you’re looking for a holiday
party or dinner gift, stop by your favorite
florist, greenhouse, grocery or any store that
carries holiday plants and see what poinsettias
they have to offer this year.
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