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New Stour & Avon, November 19 2021
Home & Garden
Gardening... Christmas seems to start earlier each year and, with speculation that some popular gifts will be in short supply and the need for companies to regain losses caused by the Pandemic, I am certain this year will be no exception. Garden centres opened their festive displays of merchandise weeks ago because it draws in the crowds when gardening appears to take a back seat from most people’s agenda. There is one botanical gift, however, that symbolises Christmas more than any other – the poinsettia. The poinsettia is bought, not for its flowers, but for its modified leaves called bracts. Bracts take on the role of petals as a visual attractant for less conspicuous flowers. In the case of poinsettia, the real flowers are insignificantly
...with botanist Dr Dave Aplin
Poinsettia in the right direction clustered at the growing points of the plant surrounded by these colourful bright red (other colours exist) leaves. Poinsettia, also know by its
scientific name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, are native to dry tropical forests in Central America and Mexico where they can grow to over four meters in height. Despite the potential of this plant growing to tree-like proportions, festive poinsettias are treated, by most, as a seasonal plant often composted when their bright red colour fades. Occasionally some plants are composted a few days after purchase because plants wilt soon after getting them home. The most likely cause is that plants have been exposed to cold temperatures before purchase, so beware of buying them on market stalls and if they do wilt, demand a refund.
Despite their tropical origins, poinsettias will reward for longer if placed in a room that doesn’t get too hot. If you successfully get your plant through to April, you may wish to make it a permanent feature. In this case, hard prune shoots during April and repot in May and place them in a light position. Resulting growth may be taller than your original plant, this is because commercial growers spray their plants with growth retardants to maintain a compact, uniform plant for sale. Growers also manipulate the day length plants are exposed to in order to hit the Christmas market. To do the same at home, ensure they receive 12 hours of darkness, away from artificial lights, from November onwards. The sap of poinsettias has been sensationally reported in the press as toxic. This is actually a myth. The British Medical Journal published an article highlighting no evidence to support this. Even experimental studies on rats failed to find a fatal dose despite giving these rodents concentrations equivalent to more than 500 leaves. Naturally, a few may encounter minor skin irritations when touching the sap but this can be true and worse for many plants much closer to home.
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