For the first time, the “Christmas tree” - the poinsettia flower - came to Europe thanks to the US Secretary of State in Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first to bring the cutest milkweed cuttings (scientific name) to the USA. From there its distribution went all over the world.
Christmas custom
Poinsettia is often called a "Christmas tree" or "Christmas star." This is due to the fact that the flower has a very bright red-green color, which resembles traditional Christmas decorations. It is on the eve of this day that it is customary to buy a plant for your home or present it as a gift.
It is believed that the "Christmas tree" is a houseplant that brings prosperity, love and understanding to the house and family. In European countries, poinsettia is decorated with temples, shopping centers, halls for parties and banquets, as well as houses and apartments. The "Christmas tree" with red-green leaves is considered the main symbol of the holiday in the west.
Breeding milkweed at home, which took on a massive scale, began at the end of the 20th century with the Ekke family from California. It was thanks to these people that poinsettia became widely known in various sectors of society.
In the time of the Aztecs, the "Christmas tree" was used as a medicinal and ceremonial plant.
Outer beauty
The poinsettia stem contains a sticky white juice, which is a poisonous agent that irritates the mucous membranes of the eye when ingested.
This shrub plant is of various colors. Observers recorded more than 100 species. These are yellow, white, pink, red and many other variegated petals, which are not only of different colors, but also of different shapes.
How to choose a healthy plant
If you choose from all possible species, it is best to give preference at the time of purchase to the most healthy plant in appearance. "Christmas tree" is a flower with a short stem and green leaves, located closer to the soil. Its petals have a large, slightly elongated and pointed towards the end of the form. It is undesirable to acquire a plant with withered or drooping leaves, crooked stems, as well as dry soil in a pot.
Christmas Tree: Care
At home, the flower grows to half a meter, while in the natural environment, the shrub reaches a meter in height. Poinsettia blooms up to six months, after which it begins to take off the petals, gradually losing its bright, beautiful color.
In order for the "Christmas tree" (milkweed flower) not to lose its beautiful petals ahead of time, it requires some care not only at home, but also during transportation of the plant.
Poinsettia is very afraid of the cold. That is why, after purchase, it is advisable to wrap the plant with paper and as soon as possible carry it to heat. The air temperature should not be lower than 15 degrees, otherwise the flowers and stems will fade from the cold.
When buying flowers, it is important to pay attention to exactly where in the store there is a pot with a plant. In order for it to grow and bloom for a long time, it is better not to purchase those instances that are near the entrance-exit to the room or are often exposed to air flow of different temperatures.
This should be paid attention at home. You can not put a flower on a cold window or leave it in a draft. Petals should not come in contact with glass. "Christmas tree" is a houseplant, the care of which should be serious. The optimum air temperature for it is 20–22 degrees.
Basic rules for care during flowering
To see beautiful flowering, you must follow the rules for watering the plant. One of them, the most important, is to pour poinsettia only with warm water. This should be done if the earth has completely dried out about 3-4 times a week with a small amount of water.
If you water the flower abundantly, you can cause stagnation of liquid at the bottom of the pot, which will lead to rotting of the roots, yellowing and falling leaves. To avoid rotting, excess water needs to be drained from the pan, and the bottom of the pot should be provided with drainage (a hole on the bottom and a layer of expanded clay) for additional filtration. In addition, it is necessary to spray the petals up to two times a day, trying to avoid flowering leaves.
"Christmas Star" loves bright light, but it is important to consider the fact that direct sunlight on the leaves of the plant can cause them to burn, resulting in withering.
Flower "Christmas tree": how to care for the plant after flowering
During flowering, it is not recommended to fertilize the soil in a pot with poinsettia. This can lead to a premature end to flowering. After the plant has flowered, the fertilizer is diluted in water and watered the earth up to twice a month every 2–4 weeks. Pouring fertilizer is necessary only on the soil, trying to do it slowly and carefully so that water droplets do not fall on the stems of the plant. With proper care, poinsettia will bloom throughout the winter holidays.
After about 5-6 months, you can notice the first signs of the end of flowering. At this point, do not be scared and think that something has been done wrong. This is an absolutely normal state of the flower during this period. In order for the plant to gain strength before the new flowering, the poinsettia is placed for several months in a dark cool place in which it should stand, resting. During this period, its stems are trimmed, creating the desired, usually round, shape. Cut leaves under certain conditions can please the eye for at least 2-3 weeks. To do this, before lowering the stems into the water, they are cut off and dipped in boiling water for a few seconds (or keep the ends of the stems above the fire for 2-3 seconds). During the rest, watering the tree is necessary only when the earth becomes dry enough, and the leaves should be sprayed every other day.
Sometimes poinsettia is transplanted into another pot, but it is important to consider the following: despite the size of the plant, the pot needs to be prepared only a few centimeters more than the old one, otherwise the roots will rot.
How to ensure poinsettia blooms before Christmas
Providing the necessary light mode, the euphorbia can be made to blossom already in late autumn. To do this, several conditions must be observed. Every day, the flower should be in bright light for no more than ten hours, and the rest of the time (14 hours) Poinsettia is kept in the dark. This mode is observed for at least two months. Usually it is November and December. After these actions, he is placed in a bright and warm room, where the air temperature is at least 18 degrees, and humidity - up to 50%.
Insects that can kill the plant
There are many insects that harm the plant. Among them are whitefly, spider mite, mealybug and mushroom mosquito. "Christmas tree" is a houseplant, the care of which requires attention.
Whitefly is a small insect with white wings. These pests are very similar to a small moth. Most often they are on the inside of the sheet. If the plant is completely surrounded by whiteflies, the consequences can be fatal to the plant, because getting rid of it is quite difficult. For this, special medicines will be needed. But if only a few individuals of this species appeared on the leaves, you can save the flower quite easily. You just need to wash the plant under running water and treat the leaves with insecticidal soap, which will prevent the return of the pest. It is important to process the entire plant without missing a single petal.
As for spider mites, they are also easily removed from the plant with water and a disinfecting soap. They appear if poinsettia is left for a long time in a humid room. They are difficult to notice, but their presence is indicated by the characteristic yellow spots on the tips of the leaves.
Mealyworms are considered one of the most dangerous insects . They are the largest. Form small white clumps similar to flakes. The danger is that almost always they come with ants. You can get rid of them with alcohol and insecticidal soap.
The most annoying and deadly insect for poinsettia is mushroom mosquitoes. Their larvae damage the roots, which as a result begin to rot. They look like tiny brown pinheads. They live not on leaves, but on soil, so they are easy to detect and recognize before irreparable harm has been done. They get rid of mosquitoes by transplantation, soil replacement and insecticidal soap treatment.
Holiday Gifts
Dishes are considered a very relevant gift for the New Year holidays. The Christmas tree on it is depicted as the main symbol of the New Year and Christmas.
A drawing is usually an image of a fir decorated with cones and Christmas decorations. At Spode you can find a Christmas tree in the design of mugs, candlesticks, beautiful trays with the inscription "Merry Christmas", plates and dishes, jugs, tea and coffee sets, pots, decorative figures and much more.
A pot with wonderful poinsettia and elegant dishes will make an ideal Christmas present for families from any corner of the world.