America’s Christmas flower has worldly background, By David Robson Ask 100 people to name a Christmas flower, and all 100 likely will say “poinsettia” (unless they sense that you’re surveying, and then they’ll say something obscure like cyclamen or Christmas cactus). The plant even has its own “day” - National Poinsettia Day, as designated by Congress, is Dec. 12. That’s the date that Joel Roberts Poinsett died in 1851. Poinsett led an interesting life, almost a Horatio Alger-type. Some say he was an opportunist and a self-promoter. Others say he was a dedicated freedom fighter, traveling throughout Russia to Central and South America, helping many countries as they became independent. He practiced law and he represented South Carolina in the House of Representatives. More importantly, he was the first ambassador to Mexico (though he eventually was forced to flee that country and return home). Poinsett traveled the Mexican countryside, found the plant and shipped a bunch home in the early 1820s. He passed along cuttings and seeds to some of his cohorts, including John Bartram, considered to be the premier plantsman of his time. Yet, the plant remained a horticultural curiosity. It would take almost 100 years before German immigrant Albert Ecke and his son, Paul, moved to Southern California and noticed the plant with the bright red leaves blooming at the end of December. Paul Ecke gambled his future on making the plant the symbol of the Christmas season. He won - big time. Since then, the Ecke family has been a leader in poinsettia production and development. New colors like the “Lemon Drop” yellow of the mid-1990s come and go, but red is still king, followed by white and pink, and the combined marbled red, pink and white. For homeowners, it’s best to treat the poinsettia as an annual plant, though the truly green-thumbed can attempt getting the plant to bloom next year. (When I say “bloom” I am referring to the red, pink or white bracts, which are modified leaves, and not the little tiny yellow blooms in the center of the leaves.) To keep poinsettias looking tops: Give the plant lots of light, but you need not place it in a south window. Six hours of indirect light is enough. Keep the temperature around 65 degrees during the day and 55 at night. Keep the plant away from fireplaces and hot air registers. Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. The plant is classified as a succulent and doesn’t need to be kept moist. However, if you let it dry, it will wilt and the plant will shed its leaves. Don’t let poinsettias sit in water. It also might be best to remove any foil covering the pot. Instead, place the plant in a decorative pot. Poinsettias hate drafts. Use a large shopping bag to carry the plant from the store to your warm car and inside the house. Try to maintain high humidity levels. Remember, the plant is tropical in nature, even though it’s a succulent. Poinsettias often are mistakenly classified as poisonous. Still, it shouldn’t be eaten. If an animal eats the leaves, more than likely it will come back up in an hour or two. More importantly, the poinsettia is recognized as one of the few houseplants helpful in removing indoor air pollutants. No matter what you do, the plant will eventually start dropping its leaves, leaving a cluster of colored leaves at the top of green stems. The sun still will come up the next day, should you decide to beautify the inside of the garbage can with the remains.