By JOYCE COMINGORE

news@breezenewspapers.com

‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. There is the red or white amaryllis, Christmas cactus, fir tree, rose bouquets, holly, rosemary topiaries and rosemary trimmed like a tree — but the most famous Christmas plant of all is the poinsettia, in the Spurge family. Botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, it means “the most beautiful Euphorbia.”

What is really the flower is inside the cluster of colored modified leaves (bracts), the flowers are the tiny yellow buds clustered in the center. Flowering and bract coloring are initiated by short winter day-length, occurring naturally in December and January. I remember the days of hiding them in the closet, then when putting it out, avoiding the porch and streetlight in the fall. The colorful head of modified bracts are clearly designed to attract insects to their tiny yellow flowers in the center. The modified leaves change to color when the buds appear.

Poinsettias need bright, but filtered, light, away from strong sun and cool breezes. Cold damages them.

Water sparingly as too wet damages the roots, but for longer blooming, mist them regularly. Humidity extends their flowering life. When fertilizing, use low nitrogen and high potassium fertilizer.

We are fortunate enough to be able to plant them outside here. I have seen pictures of poinsettia trees. Not royal poinciana trees but poinsettia trees, bushes left to grow to their natural height. I was amazed when I first moved here to see a large poinsettia shrub covering a window at one of the homes. There was a picture of a tall, 300-year-old tree looking like any ol’ tree way above my head. I understand it can grow to be over 12 feet tall. Pinching and pruning keeps it at a manageable size.

They grow naturally in Central America and Mexico in the Taco area where our first ambassador to Mexico in 1825, Joel Roberts Poinsett, hence the name of the plant, sent some to his greenhouses in South Carolina. Amazed at their vivid color in December, he in turn sent them to his friends and botanical gardens. First sold as cut flowers, then in the 1900s they then sold as whole plants for landscaping and potted plants. December 12 was National Poinsettia Day because it was the day of Mr. Poinsett’s death.

Intensive breeding programs have produced the many varieties or cultivars, we now also see pink, white and marbled, mottled reds displayed as attractive attention getters.

Care for them after the holidays to help them last many months is just normally making them comfortable. No cold breezes, well lit area and since sunny days leave them dry, water when the soil surface is dry to your touch. Keep a saucer under the pot, empty any excess water that might collect. No soggy soil. Or use a gravel tray that keeps them up and out of the water but shares humidity. Do not fertilize until you are ready to move the plant outdoors. Planting in the landscaping is easy in our climate.

In the summertime, pinch back the poinsettias several times to create a full headed plant. In the fall, keep it away from artificial light sources at night when it needs to set up flowering (hence the closet hiding I use to do).

Contrary to some popular beliefs a while back, they are not poisonous. Do you remember people eating leaves to prove their point? They do ooze a milky substance to which some people are allergic.

The Ecke family from Southern California were one of, if not, the first to sell them as whole plants and are now the main producers of the plants in the USA.

The old Mexican legend about how poinsettias and Christmas came together has a poor Mexican girl called Pepita, who had no gift to give baby Jesus at the Christmas service. As she walked to the service, her cousin tried to cheer her up saying, ‘Pepita, I’m sure that even the smallest gift given by someone who loves him will make Jesus happy.” Not having anything to give, she knelt, picked a handful of weeds by the roadside making a bouquet. Embarrassed, she knelt and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene where suddenly they burst into bright red flowers. Everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on the bright red flowers were known as the “Flores de Noche Buena” or “Flowers of the Holy Night.” The star-shaped flower and leaves are sometimes thought of as the Star of Bethlehem which led the wisemen to Jesus. Red colored bracts symbolize the blood of Christ whereas the white bracts represent his purity.

The poinsettia is also the national emblem of Madagscar. It is a symbol of joy, hope and purity.

I got this far without saying it is Friday the 13th. How superstitious am I? How can any fa-la-la-la turn out bad? Joy, hope and purity overcome all that. The best of holiday wishes to you all and a happy good-night.

Joyce Comingore is a Master Gardener, hibiscus enthusiast and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.