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Business & Tech

Poinsettia's 101

Misconceptions about a plant of humble origin are cleared up.

Intense shades of red, pink and white against a lush green background grace our homes, businesses and places of worship for a mere 6 to 8 weeks each year. Such is the life of this seasonal beauty. The Poinsettia, a superstar of weeds, holds the distinction of being the number one houseplant sold in the U.S.

"This year has been very, very strong for Poinsettia sales," said Noel Luchinski, co-owner of , 485 N. Main St., in Glen Ellyn. "I'm not really sure why that is, maybe people are going for a more traditional Christmas."

 In its native subtropical homelands of Mexico and Central America it grows as a weed in the form of a shrub or small tree that can reach heights from 2 to 16 feet tall. The plant varieties that we find at our local florists, greenhouses and grocery stores have been cultivated for decades. These beautiful plants have been engineered for color variation, disease resistance and container viability.

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We can thank John Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico, for introducing the plant to the United States. In 1825, Poinsett was stationed in Mexico and became intrigued by the plant. He sent plants to caretakers at his property in South Carolina, where they were cultivated in Poinsett's hothouses. Poinsett also sent some plants to a nurseryman in Pennsylvania who is said to have been the person who gave the plant its common name, Poinsettia.

The first item in need of clarification is the pronunciation and spelling of the plant's name. The Merriam Webster dictionary erroneously spells the name with an additional t between the n and s. The Oxford English dictionary lists it as, poinsett~ee~ah and the Encarta dictionary lists it as, poyn~settee~ə. Whether you choose the Oxford or Encarta pronunciation, either one is acceptable since you're just adding the "ia" to Poinsett.

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The next and most highly inaccurate information is the myth that the plant is poisonous. For almost a century, a story about a little girl who died after ingesting something has been cited as the basis for the myth. Apparently, the girl was seen near a Poinsettia bush shortly before dying. A physician detailed this in a medical journal and thus the myth began.

According to POISINDEX, the source of poison information for the majority of poison control centers, there is no need to fear the Poinsettia as a poisonous plant. The ASPCA Animal Poison Center in Urbana, Illinois lists poinsettias as non-toxic and that there is a possibility of gastrointestinal distress from having ingested the plant

 In 1971, the Society of American Florists and researchers at Ohio State University tested every part of the poinsettia plant on rats. The tests concluded that there was no toxicity even when the rats were given large doses that were equivalent to a 50 lb child consuming 500 to 600 leaves. 

 There is another common misconception about the Poinsettia flower. The colorful red, white and pink sections that are most commonly referred to as the flower are actually "bracts" or leaves. These bracts surround the true flower (inflorescence) of the Poinsettia, a small unremarkable structure in the center.

The bracts are green for the majority of the plant's life cycle. In its natural setting, the Poinsettia's inflorescence develops and the bracts color transformation takes place in the fall when daylight hours shorten. The plant needs at least 8 weeks of short-days to develop its blooms. This is why the plant blooms at Christmas time.

The blooming cycle also seems to have contributed to one of the folkloric tales that is associated with the Poinsettia. There are variations of this tale that follow this general pattern:

A poor young girl had no gifts to offer to Jesus on Christmas Eve, other than a handful of weeds. When she brought them into church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plant, Flores de Noche Buena (Flowers of the Holy Night).

Now that you are equipped with an entire Poinsettia trivia, you can relax at your holiday gatherings knowing that if an uncomfortable lull in conversation occurs, you will have it covered.  

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