The showy holiday plant is a favorite to many Iowans.

It’s not surprising that Brent Highfill, head of Florist Distributing, Inc., based in Des Moines, says the poinsettia is the most popular holiday potted plant. He should know. The company, a subsidiary of Hy-Vee Food Stores, supplies flowers of all kinds to stores in the supermarket’s chain around the Midwest.

“Just as with lilies at Easter or fresh flowers at Valentine’s Day, you can count on the popularity of the poinsettia at Christmastime,” he says. Hy-Vee uses various suppliers around the region, with Red Oak Greenhouses, Inc., in western Iowa being the main one.

It’s also no surprise, Highfill says, that red is the top color choice when it comes to the holiday plant. “It’s right up there at 70-plus percent, followed by white and salmon-color varieties.” The company sells about 100,000 poinsettias each year.

A few years ago mini poinsettias were all the rage, but they can be hard to find. He says the mini versions are still available, and there’s even an autumn-looking variety called Orange Spice, which eases the transition from fall to holiday plants.

“There is always something new in poinsettias,” says Dr. Cindy Haynes, consumer horticulture specialist with Iowa State University Extension Service in Ames. “There are new colors, new habits, or new foliage, such as variegated leaves that were so popular a few years ago. But no matter what is new, the traditional red ones are still the most popular.”

Colorful Trends
Haynes says that newer trends in poinsettias have included crinkled bracts (petals), as well as dyeing the petals unusual colors, such as blue, burgundy, or plum, and even bicolor varieties. Some varieties have included Candy Cane (white with rose flecks), Carousel (red with twisted bracts), Christmas Feelings (fringed pink and cream), Cinnamon Star (peachy pink and cream), Jingle Bells (red with pink spots), Lemon Drop (pale yellow), Monet (blend of cream, rose, and pink), Plum Pudding (dark red/purple), and Winter Rose (crimped bracts in various colors, shaped like roses), among many others.

Students in the ISU Hort Club usually grow poinsettias to sell during the Christmas holiday season. Haynes says the students receive cuttings during the summer, pot them up, and care for them diligently for nearly six months to have them ready for sales in late November and early December. However, because the greenhouses are being remodeled this year, students have not been growing the seasonal favorites.

Interesting History
So how did a plant native to Mexico become such a holiday hit up north? As far back as the 14th and 15th centuries, the Aztecs used the sap to control fevers, and the bracts, or modified leaves, were used to make a reddish dye. In the 17th century, botanist Juan Balme noted the plant in his writings. A German botanist named Wilenow gave the botanical name of Euphorbia pulcherrima, meaning “very beautiful.”
In the 1820s, President John Quincy Adams named Joel Roberts Poinsett (1799–1851) the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. His interest in botany caused Poinsett to introduce the American elm into Mexico, and he was often on the lookout for new plant species. In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers, and he brought cuttings to his greenhouse in South Carolina.

At some point later, William Prescott, a historian and horticulturist, was asked to give the plant a more common name because it was growing in popularity north of the border. He chose to honor Poinsett. In the early 1900s, the Paul Ecke family of California, who had greenhouses, ultimately became the leading growers of poinsettias in this country.

On a less scientific note, holiday legend has it that the poinsettia leaves resemble star shapes, as in the Star of Bethlehem. Many people bring poinsettias into their homes and churches to acknowledge the star that led the Wise Men to the manger where the Christ Child was born. 

Poisonous Plant?
Poinsettias have taken a bum rap as being a toxic plant. However, says ISU Extension, laboratory studies have shown that the leaves, stems, bracts, and flowers are not toxic to people or pets.

Plant Care
After you purchase poinsettias, Haynes says to unwrap plants carefully and place them in a sunny location away from cold drafts or heat sources. Ideal temperatures are between 60ºF and 70°F.
Check the soil daily to determine whether the plant needs water. When the soil is dry to the touch, water the plant thoroughly. Water should flow freely out the bottom of the pot. Discard excess water because plant systems can be damaged by sitting in water for long periods. Bracts should remain attractive indoors through the holiday season, often to Valentine’s Day.

We take for granted that poinsettias add color to year-end holidays. But, truth be told, they actually are summer plants, and seedlings arrive at greenhouses about six months before the holidays. If you save your poinsettias to bloom again, use this schedule:
May: Cut back stems to 3 to 6 inches above the soil. Repot or separate, if needed. Place in a sunny window and water when the soil is dry to the touch. Root cuttings, if desired.
June: Move plant outside. Water and fertilize more frequently as plant grows.
July 1: First pinch.
August 15: Second pinch.
September 1: Bring plant indoors to sunny location at 65ºF to 75°F.
October: Initiate short days (for mid-December bloom date). Water as needed and fertilize weekly.

Viewing Pointsettias

To get your poinsettia fix, check out greenhouses in your area for large numbers of the colorful plants. Places such as Goode Greenhouses in north Des Moines showcase the flowers in many varieties.

Goode Greenhouses, 1050 NE 50th Street, Des Moines (along I-80);
515-262-6504.
         
Other public garden-inspired spots have poinsettias as part of their holiday displays. Some public displays:

Des Moines Botanical Center, 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines; 515-323-6290, BotanicalCenter.com. Display starts the week before Thanksgiving.

Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Boulevard, Ames (near Jack Trice Stadium); 515-294-2710, ReimanGardens.com. Pink and blue poinsettias will be part of the Shiny and Bright display opening November 20.