Are Poinsettias Toxic? - Video
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| Ice Punch Poinsettia |
Even as a horticulturist, I'm amazed by the variety of colors poinsettias come in! Poinsettias come in a large variety of colors, including blue. I'm not kidding! My personal favorite is the red and white 'ice punch'. And I'm shocked that people don't know they can be either indoor, outdoor, or both types of plants! In fact, there's a lot to learn about these beautiful flowers!
There's a lot people don't know about Poinsettias. Let's start with pronunciation. It's a four-syllable word: Poin-sett-i-a, not three-syllable word: Poin-sett-a. But it wasn't always called by that name.
Way back in 1829, Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was America's first Ambassador to Mexico (1825-1829), noticed these plants along the road in Mexico. Since he was a curious scientist, he brought some of these plants back to Charleston, South Carolina and began to grow them in his greenhouse. The plant was named in his honor in 1836.
The Latin name is Euphorbia pulcherrima (the most beautiful Euphorbia), but it has been called by several other common names in America: 'painted leaf', 'Mexican fire plant', 'Oak Leaf' and 'Crown of Thorns' until it was named Poinsettias PULCHERRIMA, or 'Poinsettia' in honor of its discoverer, Dr. Poinsett. He was the founder of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science and the Useful Arts, predecessor of the Smithsonian Institution.
By the early 1900’s, they were sold as potted plants in California. Many poinsettias are still raised in the state, especially for use as Christmas gifts and decorations. The city of Ventura, California is even known as the 'Poinsettia City'. (My neighborhood!)
You can drive down almost any street in Ventura and see Poinsettias as major landscape plants (as tall as 12 feet), outside most houses. Most homeowners plant the poinsettias after Christmas, and because Ventura is truly a 70-degree-year-round city, the Poinsettias love the mild climate and grow beautifully and rapidly!
Another thing you may not know is that the 'flowers' are not the red leaves, but are the yellow bracts in the middle of the floret. The Poinsettia blooms at Christmas in Mexico, where the flower is called the Flower of the Good Night (Christmas Eve.) According to a Mexican legend, the flower acquired this title because of a miracle.
A little Mexican boy, eager to visit the Christ Child in the
manger in his village Church, was unhappy because he had no gift to offer. Nevertheless, he gathered branches of green leaves from a bush that grew along the dusty road and took them to the Church. The other children made fun of the boy's crude gift, but when he presented the weeds, all were astonished to see a brilliant, red, star-shaped flower blooming on each branch. (Daniel Foley, Christmas the World over: How the Season of Joy and Good Will Is Observed and Enjoyed by Peoples Here and Everywhere 1963)The video below breaks the myth that poinsettias are toxic. They are not!
If you are thinking of planting your Poinsettia after Christmas, be sure it's on the shady side of your house. It will give you pleasure for many years to come!
Have a blessed Christmas!
2011 Christian Nature
