The Tribune | Weekend | 19
Friday, December 22, 2017
gardening
The rise of the poinsettia One of the most striking of all plants, says Jack Hardy, is named Euphorbia pulcherrima – a very beautiful Euphorbia.
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ow generally called poinsettia, the Euphorbia pulcherrima has had the most prolific rise in popularity and sales of any plant in the last 50 years, with the possible exception of marijuana. Once upon a time, Christmas plants were holly and mistletoe; now poinsettia rules supreme. How did this come about? Poinsettias come from Mexico in the region around the town of Taxco. Perennials, they were distinguished by brilliant red bracts – petal-like modified leaves – that appeared in mid to late December each year. The Aztecs prized the bracts for a dye they produced; Franciscan priests later used the bracts as ornaments for religious fiestas and parades around the Christmas season and on towards Easter. The wild poinsettia was somewhat different to today’s plants. It was a straggly shrub and the bracts were not as broad as they now are. The original poinsettias also sent up cane-like growth with few leaves but with a flowering head at the top, sometimes as tall as 16 feet.
The popular name is in celebration of a most remarkable man. Joel Roberts Poinsett was a botanist and medical man as well as a distinguished diplomat who was brought up in England but lived in Greenville, South Carolina. He was appointed the first US Minister (Ambassador) to Mexico and while there he studied the local flora and fauna. Poinsett was most attracted to what became E. Pulcherrima and took some back to Greenville in 1828 where he grew them in his greenhouse. He gave specimens to plant experts and friends who in turn agreed that poinsettia was a mighty fine popular name. Totally independently a Mexican lizard was also named for Poinsett. In the 20th Century a peninsula in Antarctica was also named for Poinsett. For a century the poinsettia became established as a sub-tropical exotic but sales were not particularly high. In 1923 Mrs. Enteman of Jersey City, New Jersey, developed the seedling cultivar Oak Leaf that was far more compact and tidier than the Mexican originals. Sales improved but were still not high. It was in the 1960s that serious attention was paid to the poinsettia by geneticists from several universities and commercial horticultural companies. Instead of one flower head to a stem, multiple-flowering stems were developed, along with stronger stems to support the added weight. Leaf retention was another improvement that helped to set off the red bracts. The bracts themselves were bred to be larger and showier, and soon there were other colours besides red. All of a sudden poinsettias were very big business and because horticultural
companies could force them into flowering by the end of November they were a natural for yuletide decorations. There was great competition between horticultural companies – particularly in California and Florida – and the battle was effectively won by the Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California. In recent years they have provided 70 per cent of all poinsettias sold in the US and 50 per cent worldwide. The growing of poinsettias at Ecke Ranch has ceased and they are now grown in Nicaragua where lower wages keep prices down. Two years ago the business was sold to the Agribio Group of The Netherlands. How to keep your poinsettia thriving Your own Christmas poinsettia will last a long time if you care for it well. Once the immediate holiday season is over you can either dig your plant into the ground or move it into a much larger pot. More than anything else it is the location that is critical. The plant should be gradually introduced to full sun if it has been indoors or outside in shade. The location must be free of artificial lights, as from a street or front porch light that stays on all night. The plant should receive full sunlight once established. I offer this advice but find that a single poinsettia of the modern type seems to look out of place in a regular garden. On a porch, fine. On a patio, fine. As a specimen shrub, dubious. Neighbours will think you are cheap to save 2017’s purchase for 2018. But whatever people may think, your poinsettia will have a show of bracts through to about Easter. After this the
plant should be pruned by one-third to encourage bushy growth. Another pruning should done in July at the latest. Do not prune in August or later because the flowering process may well have started by then and could be interrupted by a late pruning. The cane producing type of poinsettia is another matter altogether. One of these is a treasure and can hold its own in any garden and at any time of year. Also an exception is a poinsettia hedge. Jim and Doris Hall of Marsh Harbour, now both departed, tended a poinsettia hedge in front of their house near the old Key Club years ago. When the plants were green and leafy they formed a regular and unexceptional hedge, but from January to April the show was stunning. Poinsettia may be the most beautiful of the Euphorbiaceae but some of the other family members are no slouches. Crotons with their fascinatingly formed and multicoloured leaves are also candidates for a hedge. The chenille plant (red hot cat tail) is one of the most striking of our garden plants with its dark green leaves and bright red blossom spikes. Copper leaf (match-me-if-you-can) is not particularly beautiful but is striking. Crown of thorns, although prickly, has lovely red, pink or yellow flowers. All the Jatrophas such as the coral plant are related to poinsettias, as is the snow bush with its red branches and white flowers dotted and mottled with pink and red. The Euphorbiaceae certainly have character. • For questions and com- ments, e-mail hardy1342@ yahoo.com