Whatever the color, shape or size, poinsettias brighten your home at Christmas and during the winter holidays.

There are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias, but the most popular are red, white and pink.

Bright, flaming red, star-shaped Poinsettias are known as ‘Flower of the Holy Night’ or ‘Flame Leaf’. One of the most popular flowers in Central America, it was brought to US by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, over a hundred years ago.

Poinsettias have a rich cultural history. The tropical shrubs, which have about 100 different species and reach heights of up to 12 feet tall in their natural habitat, were known as “Cuetlaxochitl” to the Aztecs and used to dye clothing and cure fevers.

Poinsettias were also used in Aztec religious ceremonies since the Aztecs considered the color red a symbol of purity.

So what does a poinsettia have to do with Christmas? One interpretation of the plant is as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, the place where Christ was born.

A Mexican legend tells of a girl who could only offer weeds as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve. When she brought the weeds into a church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plants we know as poinsettias, known as “flowers of the holy night”. And,

To get the best poinsettias, choose plants with thoroughly colored and expanded bracts. The red, white, pink and speckled “flowers” on poinsettias are actually bracts, or modified leaves.

The real flowers are the tiny yellow things in the middle of the bracts. As insignificant as those flowers are, they hold the key to selecting a healthy poinsettia.

Pick a plant where the tiny yellow blooms haven’t opened and you’ll get a poinsettia that’s early in its holiday flowering cycle. Large amounts of pollen and nectar in the flowers means it’s past its prime.

Look for a plant with six to eight bracts, dark green foliage and a stiff stem. A full plant with five or more branches would be an excellent selection.

You also may want to take the plant out of the pot and look at the roots. White and tan roots that have grown to the sides of the pot are signs of a healthy plant.

You can put your poinsettia just about anywhere to brighten things up, but they perform better and last longer in well-lighted areas — the higher the light intensity the better.

Poinsettias prefer a cool room. Adjust temperatures to 72 for daytime and 65 for night hours. Excess heat will cause the leaves to yellow and fall off and the flower bracts to fade early.

Do not put your poinsettia near drafts, excessive heat or dry air from appliances, fireplaces or ventilating ducts. Chilling injury is also a problem and can cause premature leaf drop if the temperature drops below 50 °F.

Poinsettias require moderately moist soil. Water them thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.

When watering, always take the plant out of its decorative pot cover. Water until water seeps out of the drainage hole and the soil is completely saturated.

Finally, poinsettias are absolutely safe. They have been scrutinized over many years and are proven to be nonpoisonous plants, perfectly safe for display around children and pets.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener