Poinsettia, the flower of the Christmas holidays

Poinsettia brings good luck and happiness

Poinsettia is the perfect item to decorate the Christmas table. Poinsettia is one of the most beautiful ornamental plants, well known around the world as the official flower of the Christmas holidays. Undoubtedly, its beauty and the fact that it blooms during this period of great celebration, have made this flower the subject of numerous legends. One of them says that God, when he made the world, commanded all plants to make flowers as beautiful as possible and to delight people with the most sublime shapes and colors.

Each plant strived to be as beautiful and admired as possible, but one of them, although he made huge efforts to impress, always went unnoticed. God himself, seeing the sacrifices of this flower, told her that he admired her very much and that he would make people love her.

With his blood, God transforms his leaves from green to red and made it bloom on a day of great celebration. Since then, every man has wanted to have a Christmas flower in his house, which he admires for the beauty of both his flowers and leaves.

Legend has it that a poor girl named Pepita, who had no gift to give to baby Jesus at Christmas service, was very sad. Her friend Pedro tried to cheer her up by saying, “I am sure that Jesus will be happy with a gift no matter how small, as long as someone who loves it gives it to him.”

Pepita didn’t know what to offer, so she picked up a few weeds on the side of the road, made a bouquet and then went into the church in shame. On the way down the aisle, she remembered what her boyfriend told her and began to feel better. Thus, he knelt down and placed the bouquet near the Nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds bloomed, astounding everyone with its big red flowers. Those present were convinced that they had just witnessed a miracle and since then it has remained the name “Flores de Noche Buena” (The Flower of the Holy Night, Poinsettia).

The shape of the Poinsettia blossoms and leaves resembles a star and is therefore associated with the Star of Bethlehem, which led the three magi to Jesus. The red leaves symbolize the blood of Christ, and the white ones symbolize his purity.

Give a Poinsettia flower

It is said that whoever gives a Poinsettia,will have not only a quiet holiday, but also a life full of luck. The beneficial plant is very popular in the United States, for which December 12th was designated the National Poinsettia Day.

Around the holidays with the white décor of winter, Poinsettia delights us with the big red flowers. We certainly find it in almost all the shops and the fovers. When we want to purchase this plant, it is good to know that it is quite demanding, needing a certain type of care.

How to care for Poinsettia, the Christmas flower

Poinsettia is native to Mexico, where it is found almost everywhere. In America it was brought in at the beginning of the 19th century by Joel Poinsett, then Ambassador of America to Mexico, hence the name poinsettia. In 1990, such flowers worth more than $183 million were sold. Since then, the amount has continued to rise, and Poinsettia does not seem to lose its charm.

Christmas flowers have the shape of small cups, of a golden yellow, being positioned between the bundles of leaves. But the plant also has petal-like leaves, red, pink or white, forming interesting and very pleasant combinations.

Poinsettia flowers require a little dry soil and suitable light, without forgetting to protect the flower from sunlight and cold or warm air currents that can dry the plant in just a few days. As a houseplant, Poinsettia needs 16-18 degrees Celsius at night and 18 degrees during the day. Those who grow Christmas flowers in the greenhouse should ensure an average temperature of about 21 degrees during the day and about 26-27 degrees on cloudy days, when the sun no longer beats directly.

Potted soil should be wet 2-3 times a week to maintain a relatively constant level of humidity. In winter, especially if the flower is kept in a well-heated house, it is necessary to water it daily, otherwise the leaves can dry out. During the period when the plant blooms, a mixture of water and fertilizer should be added to two to three weeks (approximately one teaspoon of fertilizer per 3 and a half liters of water).

After Poinsettia has bloomed, it is recommended to water it less often, and the ideal temperature should not be lower than 10-12 degrees Celsius. The plant can be moved to the garden in late spring. Put it in a new pot with vent holes and bury it in an area of the garden where it has as much sun as possible. During the summer you will wet it every two weeks with the same combination of fertilizer and water, but you should not forget to move christmases in the house at the slightest drop in temperature, being plants particularly sensitive to the cold.

For the propagation of this plant, in the summer period, cut the marshes, after they have reached 7-10 centimeters. Then plant them in new pots, first in the sand, then move them into the ground.

Christmases have another interesting feature. To flourish, they need 12 hours of darkness every 24 hours, because even a fairly little extra light time will considerably delay the appearance of buds. You can simply cover the pot with a box every evening, for example from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. next day. Thus, the plant will have enough darkness, and the water and fertilizer will do the rest. In greenhouses, Poinsettia flowers are kept in the dark for about 15 hours, and the results are matched.