Christmas flower

During the past few days, I have seen a lot of poinsettias placed on shelves at retail outlets. The plant obviously is popular during the Christmas season. With the popularity of the poinsettia during the Christmas holiday season in mind, I Googled "History of the Poinsettia" and clicked on search. I was hoping to find out why this plant was so popular.

The first bit of information indicated that in the 1800s a United States envoy to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, brought the plant back to the U.S. He showed it to horticultural enthusiasts. They liked the plant so much that they began to propagate it, and the public began to buy it.

The poinsettia also is called the Christmas Flower. According to the legend, a young boy and his sister wanted to give a present to Baby Jesus at the local chapel on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, they came from a family that was very poor. They had no money to purchase a gift.

Legend has it as the brother and sister walked to the chapel, they knelt down and picked some weeds to place at the manger. This was the only thing they could think of to give Baby Jesus.

A Poinsettia and fertilizer at Sunny Hill Gardens & Florist. (Glenn Landberg)

As the story goes, the next morning visitors at the manger were greeted with a plethora of red blooms surrounding the manger.

Those weeds brought to the manger by that brother and sister were poinsettias. Thus, the poinsettia has become the Christmas Flower.

I don't know whether my mom knew any of the history of the poinsettia, but she surely knew how to grow them. She would usually buy one about the middle of December.

With her motherly touch, they would continue to "bloom" well into the middle of the summer, when she would finally decide she had taken care of them long enough. The next December, she would purchase and care for another one.

Since Mom was so successful in maintaining her poinsettias as decorative houseplants, I thought I would list the growing instructions she adhered to.

Poinsettias sit in an arrangement at Sunny Hill Gardens & Florist. (Glenn Landberg)

1. When you take your poinsettia outside to transport it, make sure it is covered with a paper or a sleeve if the temperatures are below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. When you get your poinsettia to its destination, remove the cover. If foil is wrapped up around the foliage, pull it down so the leaves will not turn yellow.

3. Keep the poinsettia out of any drafts.

4. Check plants daily for moisture. The soil must be kept damp at all times. If the surface of the soil feels dry, give it a good drink. Do not allow the plant to sit in excess moisture that may have drained out of the pot into the saucer after watering.

5. Handle the plant carefully. Poinsettia bracts (the colored leaves around the bloom) are sensitive to bruising.

A Poinsettia and fertilizer at Sunny Hill Gardens & Florist. (Glenn Landberg)

6. Ideal temperatures are 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night, and 65 to 70 degrees during the day.

7. Place the poinsettia in a bright area in your home or office.

8. Fertilize monthly with a soluble balanced fertilizer.

As you shop during this busy December, purchase a poinsettia and take it home. Enjoy it throughout the year, but always remember why it is called the Christmas Flower.

Merry Christmas!