Only a small handful will know what that means. When I say it, I think I sound like Steve Carrell in Bruce Almighty, the babbling and everything! Haha! For the rest of you, it means Poinsettia. It’s a staple in households during the holidays. Now a days you can get pink, white, marble, and my favorite, beautiful Christmas red. You can get them as a small plant or bush-like and they even have them as hanging baskets and trees. The options are endless!
Here’s the history of them. They are native to Central America and back in the day of Joel Roberts Poinsett (our first US Ambassador to Mexico 1825-1829), this plant was brought back to South Carolina where Poinsett began to propagate them and give them to friends and family. From that point on, the Poinsettia was bought and sold around 1836 and continues to this day. Euphorbia pulcherrima, its botanical name means, “very beautiful”.
December 12 is known as National Poinsettia Day, which commemorates Poinsett’s death in 1851.
So, you have a poinsettia and not sure how to care for it…here’s some advice:
Bright not but direct sunlight, prefers 65-75 degrees during the day and won’t blink an eye if night-time temps are between 50-65 degrees. When to water? Check the soil every few days and when it feels dry to the touch, water. Make sure your pot doesn’t hold water and it drains. It also doesn’t really like drafts, so keep it away from doors and heaters. Enjoy the beautiful colors through the holiday season!
~Christy
