By Jeanette Castanon
Poinsettias are famous for their beautiful red and green Christmas colors and are extremely popular and festive this time of the year. You can get them in many local grocery stores and are loved by all and bring so much Christmas cheer. Although you may be used to seeing them around this time of year you may not know many fun facts about these plants.
Poinsettias are known as Euphorbia pulcherrima many plants in the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family ooze a milky sap. Many people with latex allergies have had skin reactions when touching the leaves due to this sap. It is advised to keep your pets away from the plant because ingestion of the leaves can cause stomach irritation and lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
The Poinsettia is commonly thought of as a large flower, but the red showy part is a modified leave called a bract. The yellow flowers are at the center of the bracts and when these flowers shed their pollen the bracts will drop. For a long-lasting Poinsettia find a plant with the least amount of yellow pollen showing.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico and can grow up to 10 feet tall when planted in the ground. In Mexico it is known as “La Flor de la Nochebuena” (Flower of the Holy Night). Its importance to Christmas is worldwide.
There are over 100 varieties of Poinsettias available, they now come in pink, white, yellow, purple, salmon as well as multi-colored. Although these options exist the classic red still dominates the market. Poinsettias contribute over $250 million to the U.S. economy.
Now that you know a little bit more about these infamous Christmas plants, I hope you now have a bit more to share with your loved ones this holiday season!
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