The poinsettia is a fairly easy plant to keep and highly recommended to get through the dark winter months with a little more color. Unfortunately, the poinsettia is seen as a (poisonous) disposable plant, while this is not necessary. With a little effort, the poisonous poinsettia can easily be kept.
Every year in December, plant lovers can indulge in all the beautiful poinsettias. And there is something for everyone:small, large, traditional red or another color. But also for people who have less 'green' fingers, this is a very suitable plant to give the house some extra (natural) color during the holidays.
There is a Mexican legend (generally a story based not on historical grounds, but on folklore) that explains the Christmas star's union with Christmas:
There was a poor Mexican child, Pepita, who because of the poverty under which she lived could not buy a present to give to Christ on Christmas night. In order not to end up empty-handed, she picked a few weeds and made a small bouquet from them. Pepita had heard that God would be pleased with a small but loving gift and hoped her bouquet would comply. According to legend, the bouquet in the church began to bloom with red and gro one flowers. From then on, the church considered this a special Christmas miracle. The plucked weeds were then elevated to a poinsettia. Known in Mexico as:'Flores de Noche Buena'.
The poinsettia falls under the group:euphorbias. All plants belonging to this group contain milky sap that is released when the plant is damaged and which is poisonous. It is therefore important to keep this in mind when having small children, although new research is questioning the toxicity of this plant.
The poinsettia (euphorbia pulcherrima, where pulcherrima stands for:the most beautiful) originates from Mexico. In 1804 the plant was discovered there and brought to Europe by the naturalist Alexander van Humboldt. In the wild it is a shrub that can grow up to 5 meters tall, with evergreen leaves. Until the 1950s, these plants were only suitable for the 'specialists'. Moreover, the plants did not live longer than a few months at that time.
Due to the dry atmosphere in the rooms during the autumn and winter months, the plants soon lost their leaves. However, Paul Ekke from California (USA) managed to breed varieties that turned out to be suitable for the living room. The leaves stopped falling and even for the layman it became a plant that could soon be enjoyed with minimal care.
Nowadays there are many varieties available in the shops. Characteristic of the poinsettia are the beautifully colored bracts surrounding the insignificant, small, yellow flowers. So it is different than many might have thought:the colored parts of the plant are not flowers.
There are small plants for sale with a single flowering shoot, but those who want larger ones can indulge in plants with 20 to 30 flowering shoots and a size of up to 50 cm. When purchasing and choosing a poinsettia, one should keep in mind where the plant will be placed and what function the plant has (decorative on the Christmas table or as decoration in the windowsill).
The plant bought in bloom will stop growing at that point. The poinsettia only grows before flowering.
The poinsettia blooms from late autumn to early spring, provided some attention is paid to the care of this plant. It is therefore certainly not the case that the plant should be thrown away after Christmas. It is precisely a plant that can give the house an extra bright appearance in the dark winter months.
Unfortunately, the plant has no scent. Anyone looking for a fragrant plant will have to turn their attention to a plant other than the poinsettia.
The plant requires a well-lit location. In winter, it can even be placed in the sun. An extremely suitable plant to put on the windowsill.
A normal room temperature between 12 and no higher than 21 degrees is ideal for the poinsettia. If you want to keep the plant longer, keep the plant in a cooler place after flowering, but keep it frost-free.
The plant should be watered daily (preferably with rainwater). Spray 15cm away from the leaves. Do not spray on the colored bracts!
The pot should be placed on a dish with water and gravel. Care should be taken to ensure that the pot does not touch the water. The potting soil stays moist that way. If necessary, the plant can be watered from above twice a week.
If you want to keep the plant after flowering (this is for people with 'green' fingers), give the plant a few weeks of rest. Pour once a week, but keep on the dry side. Only after pruning and repotting, the amount of moisture and water is slowly increased again.
Fertilizer in the irrigation water every fourteen days during flowering and growth.
The plant does not need to be kept clean:watering keeps the leaves clean. Do not use brighteners.
The poinsettia is quite tolerant, but care must be taken for cold drafts. Furthermore, smoke and gas smells are not recommended.
Most people who bring a poinsettia into their home keep it for a season, around Christmas time. After this, the plant is usually discarded. The poinsettia is therefore used as a disposable plant. However, the flowering of the plant can last up to 3 months. And the experienced plant lover will be able to keep the plant and propagate it himself with some effort.
The poinsettia is a fairly easy plant to keep and highly recommended to get through the dark winter months with a little more color.
*front photo from Shutterstock
