Making A “Point” At Christmas

Around this time of the year there’s one particular plant that you can’t ignore when you’re out and about shopping and that’s the red Poinsettia. I can’t resist these gorgeous plants, as I just love to decorate my home with their flamboyant colours as they really brighten up my rooms and makes the place feel so festive. These plants have now become a seasonal Christmas symbol alongside the holly, ivy and mistletoe. 

As a matter of interest, the wonderful colours you see on Poinsettias are not actually flowers, but they are in fact bracts, which are modified leaves at the base of the very small true flower heads that you can see in the centre of the bracts. 

If the red Poinsettia is too brash a colour for you than you could opt for the cream coloured Poinsettia and place this in a silver container for a cool elegant look. You don’t have to just choose between red or cream, as Poinsettias are now available in a variety of other colours. For example there are pink varieties available, or bracts with a marble effect with a cream background and red veining, or even bracts that have an airbrushed effect.  These too have a cream background and the red colouring looks as through it has been sprayed on.

The botanical name of the poinsettia is Euphorbia pulcherrima and just like most Euphorbias, it too has a white milky sap in the stem, which causes irritation to the skin and eyes, so do take care.

Poinsettias were discovered in Mexico in the nineteenth century and in the wild, this winter flowering shrub can reach a height of between six and twelve feet. Because Poinsettias come from a warm climate they prefer a stable warm temperature indoors and also don’t like being kept standing in water or being in cold wet compost. Instead, water your poinsettia when the compost surface starts to dry out by giving it a good drink with tepid water.

If like me you have ever tried to keep your Poinsettia going after Christmas, you may have discovered how hard it is to do this, as poinsettias require very specific growing conditions. Even commercial nursery growers start off new plants each year from cuttings in order to get a good clean and healthy stock. My advice is just to enjoy Poinsettias while they last through the Christmas festive season as they really do add to the festive colours and decorations.

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