Around Alpharetta/Milton/Windward
The poinsettia was named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was appointed by President Andrew Jackson as the first United States Ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s. During his stay in Mexico, and because of his interest in botany, Poinsett wandered the countryside looking for new plant species. In 1825, he found a beautiful shrub, with large red flowers, growing next to a road. He took cuttings from the shrub and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. Despite Joel Poinsett's outstanding career as a United States Congressman and ambassador, he will always be remembered for introducing the poinsettia to the United States.
Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. Many plants in this family contain a milky sap composed primarily of latex. Some people are mildly allergic to the sap of all poinsettia relatives, just as many people are allergic to other forms of latex. In its native range of tropical Mexico, poinsettias are a perennial flowering shrub growing up to ten feet tall! The showy, colored parts of the poinsettia that most people think are the flowers are actually colored bracts (modified leaves). The flowers or cyathia of the poinsettia are in the center of the colorful bracts. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous. Numerous studies have been conducted on poinsettia toxicity and according to the American Medical Association's Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, other than occasional cases of vomiting, ingestion of the poinsettia plant has been found to produce no effect.
Poinsettias are traditionally Christmas plants, though they can last through the holiday season and beyond. It is important to select the best plant for your home environment. A fresh poinsettia is one with little or no yellow pollen showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts. Choose a plant with dark green foliage down to the soil line. The poinsettia should look full, balanced, and attractive from all sides. The plant should be 2½ times taller that the diameter of the container. Choose plants that are not drooping or wilting and be sure to check the plant's soil to see if it is wet. If the plant is wilted, this could be an indication of a root rot problem. Do not leave poinsettias outside, because cold temperatures will damage the plant. Remember, this is a tropical plant and cannot survive in cold extremes; low temperatures, even for a few minutes, can damage the bracts and leaves.
Unwrap your poinsettia carefully and place it in indirect light. Six hours of light daily is ideal. Keep the plant from touching cold windows and away from warm or cold drafts from radiators, air registers, or open doors and windows. Poinsettias require daytime temperatures of 60 — 70°F, and nighttime temperatures of 55°F. High temperatures will shorten the plant's life. Move the plant to a cooler room at night, if possible. Check the soil daily and be sure to punch holes in foil wraps so water can drain into a saucer and discard any excess water. You could also remove the wrapping when watering the plant, and allow it to drain into a sink for several minutes before replacing the wrapping. Water a poinsettia only when the soil becomes dry to the touch. It is not necessary to fertilize the plant while it is blooming.
Information for this article was referenced from The University of Illinois Extension Web site www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/poinsettia. Contact our office for more information about poinsettias and other potted flowering plants.
Paul Pugliese is the Cherokee County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources community education, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. (770) 479-0418 http://cescherokee.org/