Hello!

When you think of Christmas, what do you picture? Christmas tree? Mistletoe? Holly? Well, Euphorbia pulcherrima is also extremely popular and very beautiful around this time of the year. While red is the usual color, E can also be found in various shades of yellow, pink, peach, white, ivory. And newer developments come marbled and speckled.

So today we’ll discuss a few pointer in selecting and caring for your E – or should I say - your poinsettia, its more popular non-de plume!

Did you know that this symbol of Christmas is really a native of Mexico? Yup – the p is a tropical, perennial, winter-flowering shrub that can grow up to 12 feet tall! That’s in Mexico, not up here in the north Country! The p was brought into the United States from Mexico around 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the first ambassador to Mexico. But Albert Ecke and his family out West (out in California, I think) were the ones that were really instrumental in bringing this p into many American homes. In the early 1900’s Ecke began raising and selling p big time as holiday cut flowers. (Yes, p can also make for beautiful cut flowers!) And the Ecke family continues to be important p growers and breeders to this very day. Aren’t you glad they named the p after Joel Poinsett rather than Ecke? P sounds so much better than Ecketta!

At any rate, the p in its attractive foil-wrapped pot has become a traditional part of the Christmas holidays – as traditional as mistletoe and holly! And it’s a perennial! Yes, it can last for years with proper care. While it won’t grow to 12 feet, it may get up to 3 feet.

Did you know that the small green or yellow berries at the very center of the colored bracts are really the p’s true flowers? These are called cyathia. Those colorful “leaves” are called bracts. These bracts are not the flower part of the plant. And then there are the green leaves on the p; these are called…uh… green leaves.
So here are some shopping suggestions for your very own Eurphorbia pulcherrima, or your perfect p. When buying a p choose a plant with fully colored, expanded bracts. Too much green around the bract edges means immaturity. The p berries, the cyathia, should look fresh in a healthy plant.

Choose a p plant with abundant, dark green leaves. This dark green foliage should extend all the way down the stem to the soil line. The stems should be stiff. There should be absolutely no sign of any wilting, drooping, or breaking.

The perfect p plant should appear balanced, full, and attractive from all angles. Generally, that plant should be 2 ½ times taller than the diameter of its pot.

Be careful about p wrapped in those protective sleeves. Usually those sleeves are plastic, but they can be paper or mesh. Keep in mind that those sleeves can distort the shape of the plant. A p needs space. The longer the plant remains in that sleeve, the more the plants quality will deteriorate. At least check to see how the plant looks without the sleeve before you buy it and bring it home, only to find out that it is lopsided or missing half of the plant!

Before you plunk down any serious money for that p plant, examine the soil in that pot. It’s best to avoid a plant with water-logged soil. And if that soggy plant looks wilted, it could mean that it has irreversible root rot. And that means that the potted p is gonna' soon kick the bucket! It won’t be a perennial for much longer!

Also, avoid a plant where the soil I=sn bone-dry. Then that plant is moisture stressed and it won’t stay in bloom (or in bract!) for much longer! After all, you are paying for a healthy, happy content plant!

And to get your p home from the store safely, cover it loosely with a large bag before going out in to the elements, especially if the temperatures are below 50. Hopefully this bag will also protect the plant from those freezing winds, as well as the cold temperatures. And don’t let this tropical p sit out in your cold car while you do hours and hours of shopping. Be sure to remove those protective coverings (*the bag and the sleeve) as soon as you get home. And then prepare to enjoy your p.

Next week we’ll talk more about how to take care of you p as well as a few other Christmas plants. Keep in mind that some of these wonderful plants may be poisonous for children or pets if they are accidentally eaten. The beautiful p is NOT a poisonous plant as was previously thought. Actually someone would have to eat a couple of bushel baskets full to get sick!

If you would like more information on Christmas plants/ general houseplants, and which ones are safe, which are poisonous, give your Cooperative Extension off ice a call (Lewis CCE – 376-5270)

In the meantime….

Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D