Branching Out
Think you know all about poinsettia? You might be surprised.
With more than 70 million plants sold each year, they’re the most popular potted flowering crop in the U.S. With those numbers come diversity: Poinsettias aren’t all red, and there’s a new one that sprouts ball-shaped bracts (poinsettias don’t have flowers but colorful leaves).
Thanks to advances in hybridizing, many unusual poinsettias have been introduced in the last decade, including ‘Jingle Bells,’ which has red and pink splotches; ‘Candy Cane,’ which has white bracts with pink blotches; ‘Marble,’ a variety with cream leaves that are light pink at the midrib; and ‘Monet,’ which is one of the prettiest poinsettias with its soft, elegant foliage that looks as if it’s been spray-painted pink.
Officially introduced last year, ‘Winter Rose’ can be found at many nurseries. This poinsettia’s incurved bracts are ball-shaped, and they resemble a hydrangea. It’s only available in red, although the plant’s creator, the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, plans to release pink and white varieties.
“Poinsettias have changed tremendously over the years,” says Paul Ecke III, of the Paul Ecke Ranch, where a majority of the nation’s poinsettias are grown and hybridized.
“Today’s poinsettias are much longer-lasting. It used to be you were lucky if you could keep poinsettias alive for five days. Today, many poinsettia plants will last indoors for months,” says Ecke, whose grandfather started growing poinsettias in the 1920s. “Poinsettias of years past also had smaller [bracts], were taller and leggier and less symmetrical and compact.”
Another change: In the past, poinsettias were sold as cut flowers. In the ‘60s, when the Eckes were able to ship plants they sold potted plants instead. At the same time, the ranch started breeding new varieties.
Now the company has come full circle, Ecke says. ‘Winter Rose’ took more than 30 years to produce. Created by longtime ranch employee, Franz Fruehwirth, it’s also an outstanding cut flower, lasting for an unprecedented three to four weeks in water.
Poinsettias come in many sizes and forms. The standard tree type reaches 4 to 5 feet tall. There are ones for hanging baskets and 1 3/4-inch ones that make great accents--even attached to the Christmas tree.
Native to Mexico, the poinsettia was discovered in a region near the present-day city of Taxco by Joel Robert Poinsett, a Southern plantation owner and botanist. While visiting Taxco as the first United States ambassador to Mexico in the mid-1820s, he fell in love with the brilliant red plants he found blooming in December. He had some of the plants sent to his plantation in Greenville, S.C., where they flourished in his greenhouse.
Over the years, poinsettia sales have increased without any hitches, except one.
“The belief that poinsettias are poisonous is a common misconception,” says Ecke. “They aren’t recommended for human consumption, nor is your Christmas tree, but scientific studies have concluded that no toxicity is present.”
How to Buy a Plant
* Buy a healthy plant. Make sure the poinsettia’s bracts are fully colored. “Stay away from poinsettias that have green in the bracts, because they were probably taken out of the greenhouse too early and they’re not going to get any darker,” says Ron Vanderhoff, nursery manager at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar.
Look for dense, dark green foliage from the stem to the soil line. An old poinsettia has yellow leaves at the bottom, which will eventually move upward. Also, avoid wilting, breaking or drooping foliage. Stay away from water-logged plants, particularly if they appear wilted, because this could be a sign of root rot.
* Look for proportioned plants. Poinsettias should appear balanced, full and attractive from all angles. In general, the plant should be about 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container.
* Don’t buy poinsettia that have been kept in a paper sleeve for more than a few hours, says Vanderhoff. After 24 hours, the sleeve will cause irreversible damage to the stems, which will remain bent.
Caring for Your Plants
* Give the plant bright, indirect sunlight for at least six hours a day.
* Keep the plant at a room temperature of 68 to 70 degrees. To prolong vibrant bract color, the house should not get any hotter than 70 degrees during the day.
* Avoid placing the plant in drafty areas, such as near windows, heater vents or doorways, or on top of excessively warm areas such as the top of the television set, which will dry out the poinsettia.
* Water regularly. Poinsettias require moderately moist soil to thrive. When the soil surface feels dry to the touch, water thoroughly over a sink. Do not allow the poinsettia to sit in standing water, as root rot could set in.
* Fertilizing. It’s not necessary to fertilize the poinsettia when it is in bloom, because this is its rest period.
* Care after the holidays. The poinsettia’s bracts will eventually age and fade, which usually happens by late March or early April. Cut the poinsettia to about 8 inches in height. By the end of May, you should see vigorous new growth. Prune in summer to promote bushy growth, but not after Sept. 1, or you will remove flowers.
After night temperatures average 55 degrees or above, place plants outdoors. Continue to water regularly and fertilize every two to three weeks throughout spring, summer and fall months with a well-balanced fertilizer.
Around June 1, you can transplant your poinsettia to a pot that’s 4 inches larger. Use a soil mix with a lot of organic matter, such as peat moss or compost.
You can also try planting the poinsettia in the garden, although the location must be a protected one next to a south-facing wall that stays relatively warm in the winter months.
* Reflowering. If you keep your poinsettia as a potted plant, you can enjoy blooms for years to come, providing that you follow a few critical steps each September.
Poinsettias need eight to 10 weeks of 14 hours of complete darkness every night and six to eight hours of bright sunlight daily to bloom.
You can accomplish this by putting your poinsettia in a completely dark closet every night for 14 hours. During the day, provide it bright, indirect sunlight and adequate water. Temperatures should range between 60 to 70 degrees.
Follow this regimen and you should have blooms for the holiday season.
The UCI Arboretum is having its annual poinsettia sale today from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be several unusual varieties available, including ‘Winter Rose,’ which has ball-shaped bracts. UCI north campus. (949) 824-5833.
