Unfolding petals of poinsettia history, from  South Carolinian roots to holiday blooms

Scarlet stars of winter

Each year on Dec. 12, National Poinsettia Day sweeps across the United States, paying homage to the man behind America’s beloved holiday plant, the poinsettia. This date marks the passing of Joel Poinsett, a South Carolinian statesman who famously introduced the poinsettia to the United States and whose affection for the plant encouraged its widespread popularity.

The poinsettia’s fiery red bracts have become an emblem of festive cheer, leading to its status as the top-selling potted flowering plant within its six-week sales period around the holidays. Astonishingly, over 80 million poinsettias are sold annually in the U.S., making it more popular than any other flowering houseplant.

Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, encountered the wild version of the plant, which traditionally bloomed for just a few days. Poinsett brought the plant back to his Greenville home, and upon his death in 1851, the plant was named in his honor, cementing his legacy.

Breeding advancements over the last hundred years have turned the poinsettia from a wild, fleeting beauty into a robust, long-lasting holiday staple. Efforts by organizations like the U.S. Department of Agriculture have resulted in a wide variety of poinsettia shapes and colors that maintain their vibrancy far longer than their wild counterparts.

It is the poinsettia’s bracts, not its flowers, that draw admirers. These brightly colored leaves surround the plant’s central yellow flowers, known as cyathia. When choosing a poinsettia, a keen eye will look for lush, vivid bracts and cyathia that are just budding or bright yellow, avoiding any with brown marks, as that suggests the plant is past its prime.

Caring for poinsettias: Keeping the tradition alive

To keep your poinsettia thriving during the holiday season and beyond, follow these steps:

Light: Place your poinsettia in a well-lit area, but avoid direct sunlight. They need at least six hours of indirect sunlight each day.

Temperature: Keep the plant in a room where the temperature is between 65-70 degrees during the day, slightly cooler at night. Avoid placing it near drafts or fluctuating temperatures.

Watering: Water the plant when the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch. Allow the water to drain freely from the bottom, ensuring the plant is not left sitting in water.

Humidity: These tropical plants enjoy humid conditions. If your home is dry, especially during winter, use a humidifier, or place a tray of water near the plant to increase humidity.

Aftercare: If you wish to keep your poinsettia for another year, prune it back to about 8 inches in height in spring (late March or early April) and re-pot it with new soil. Begin limiting its exposure to sunlight in the fall to encourage the bracts to change color in time for the holidays.