It is normal to see the star before Christmas… The Poinsettia is celebrated on December 12. It is called Christmas star in French, in relation to its star-shaped bracts, its end-of-year flowering and its red color, red being the color of Santa Claus's clothes and that of the firefighters who come at this time of year. the year sell the calendars, or put out the fire of the tree...
The botanical name for Poinsettia is Euphorbia (because it is a euphorbia like many others) pulcherrima , which means very beautiful, magnificent.
Its name Poinsettia comes from the Ambassador of the United States of America to Mexico, Joël Poinsett , doctor and botanist (at the time, it was common) who imported this wild plant into his country around 1828. Joël Poinsett died on December 12 1851. The United States Congress established December 12 as Poinsettia Day in his honor.
This Poinsettia Day has crossed the Atlantic and 100 million plants are sold in Europe each year, 35 million in Germany, 25 in Italy and 4.5 million in France. Good. The craze is not yet at the top with us, but we bet it will come. It's not just shooting stars...
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a short-day perennial; this means you can keep it from year to year, and it flowers naturally in winter. It needs 14 hours of total darkness per day for flowering. But by playing on light and dark, growers offer us Euphorbia Pulcherima all year round. With a little luck, you will be able to make it bloom again next year.
If you're Taurus and red makes you nervous, there are Christmas Stars in different colors:orange, pink, yellow, cream, and white. At your florist, you will find mini Poinsettias of 6 cm and large ones, over 22 cm.
In other words, I love this plant. You can decorate the whole house with it. Not too much water , especially not stagnant in the saucer, a temperature between 15 and 20°C andno cold drafts (when airing the room for example!) are the guidelines for enjoying optimal decoration.
If your little plant loses its leaves, watch out for overwatering. Let it dry and trim it slightly.
Be careful though, like all Euphorbias, the sap is toxic and stinging . So we don't eat it, and if a branch breaks, it's better to put a small piece of cotton on the wound. If sap gets on your hands, wash them.
If you are giving a flowering plant for the holiday season, choose custom over originality. A Poinsettia can have little brothers all over the house, we won't blame you. A poinsettia, period! (yes I dared to do that one)
A practical sheet made by Botanic by following the link:poinsettia advice sheet
Poinsettia or Spurge pulcherrima
