ORIGIN OF POINSETTIAS
Poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, are in the plant family
Euphorbiaceae (you-Forb-ee-Ay-see-ee), or the spurge family. They
are related to Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii. Poinsettias
are leggy shrubs native to Mexico. They were highly sought by the
Aztecs during the 1300’s-1400’s. During the 17th century, Franciscan
priests noticed the timely red bloom of the plants around the winter holiday
time and used poinsettias in the Fiesta Santa Pesebre—a Nativity procession.
Joel Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, “discovered”
poinsettias growing in the wild during a trip to Mexico in 1828.
He sent cuttings back to his home in South Carolina, where it was just
warm enough for the plants to flourish. William H. Prescott, a historian
and gardener, coined the common name “Poinsettia” after Joel Poinsett.
The Ecke family of Southern California was one of the first large scale
growers of poinsettias. Many of the cultivars in production today
still come from the Southern California area, as the climate is well suited
to outdoor mass production of poinsettias.
CARING FOR YOUR POINSETTIA
Most people bring poinsettias into their homes during the holiday
season. While this is their natural bloom time in the wilds of Mexico,
where the temperature is quite a bit warmer, the drafty winters of the
northern United States can make survival of the plants difficult, even
inside. Here are some tips for keeping your poinsettia healthy through
the holiday season.
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Place plants in very bright, but indirect light. Southern windows
with full sun exposure are NOT good places, because of window drafts and
temperature fluctuations.
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Keep plants away from sudden drafts. If possible, do not place them
near doors.
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Keep soil evenly moist, but not wet. Do not allow the soil to dry
out, as that will cause the color of the bracts to fade, and leaves to
drop.
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Fertilizer is not generally needed while the plants are in bloom.
Poinsettias can be held over to the next year; however, inducing flowering
is very difficult, as even a second of light exposure during the night
inhibits flowering. In Southern California and other places with
similar climates, poinsettias are used as exterior landscape plants.
In colder areas, poinsettias can be planted outside after danger of frost
is past, as a novelty in the landscape.
POINSETTIA PESTS
As poinsettias are grown as indoor container plants, the most common
pests affecting them are the common pests of houseplants. Whiteflies,
fungus gnats, spider mites and mealybugs can all attack poinsettias while
inside the home. Washing the leaves can help rid the plant of the
pests. If this does not help, mild insecticides can be used.
Consult a garden center.
PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES
Seed propagation is used mostly for breeding purposes only. Cuttings
taken in July and August from stock plants is the preferred method of mass
production. The poinsettia season lasts from before Thanksgiving
to the end of December, so growers are always adjusting their schedules
and finding plants that will come into bloom earlier and last longer.
 For
Further Reading
Anderson, Christine and Terry Tischer.
Poinsettias; the December Flower. Tiberon,
CA: Waters Edge Press, 1997.
Ecke, Paul and David Hartley.
The Poinsettia Manual. Encinitas: Paul
Ecke Poinsettias, 1990
Martens, Julie and Kathleen Pyle.
Poinsettias: Growing & Marketing.
Ball Publishing, 1993. |
GROWTH FORM
Poinsettias have come a long way from their shrubby, leggy outdoor
relatives growing in the wild. One characteristic of all poinsettias
and all Euphorbias is the milky sap flowing through the veins of the plants.
Wild poinsettias are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves in the winter.
The “flowers” of poinsettias are actually colorful bracts, or modified
leaves. In their native environment, the bracts begin to change color
in mid-November and remain colorful through January. The actual flowers
are the yellow structures, called cyathia, that the red bracts surround.
THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY OF POINSETTIAS
Every poinsettia that reaches one of many destinations during
the holiday season, has gone through a long process of cultivar development
and testing, and then a complicated propagation route ending in one of
the many available forms of poinsettias on the market today. Poinsettias
range from huge shrubs in brass containers to hanging baskets, to standards—or
trees, to mini poinsettias watered through a tiny wick through the bottom
of their pots. One of the most spectacular holiday uses of these potted
plants is to form giant poinsettia trees out of hundreds of poinsettias.
Breeding and Cultivar Testing
All poinsettias are descended from 8-12 ft. shrubs growing wild in
Mexico. Years of breeding and selection have given rise to the hundreds
of poinsettia cultivars, or types, that have been and are on the market
today.
The first new cultivars of poinsettias came from sports off of plants.
The sports are genetically mutated versions of the original plant that
have different characteristics. These sports could be different colors,
have differently shaped leaves or be smaller than the original plants.
These sports were then vegetatively propagated from cuttings to exactly
reproduce the unique characteristics.
Today most new cultivars are formed by cross-pollination of two plants
and collection and germination of seed from the new plant.
Poinsettia Trials
Every year at three universities, two private commercial growers and
five private breeders, hundreds of poinsettia cultivars go “on trial.”
These institutions located all over the country grow the selected new cultivars
in a variety of growing conditions and evaluate their performance.
Data is taken and recommendations are made for the future of these cultivars
in the poinsettia industry.
What’s in a Name?
Many of the modern cultivars have interesting names. Cortez Red,
Cranberry Punch, Flirt, Galaxy Red, Marblestar, Nutcracker Pink, Monet,
Plum Pudding, Silverstar White, Sonora Fire, Victory Red, White Christmas,
Spotlight Apricot, and Pearl are among some of the cultivar names.
Not Just a Pretty Face
Commercial growers not only concentrate on the spectacular colors of
their plants, they also work on breeding plants that will survive shipping
and selling during the cold winter months. Among the traits that
are being bred into poinsettias are:
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Lasting bract color under poor light conditions.
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Lasting foliage under post-production conditions of poor watering schedules.
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Bruise resistant and more flexible, less fragile bracts
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Plants that can survive the plastic sleeving and shipping without dropping
leaves.
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