"poinsettias in the backyard" by Jan Smith

With Christmas time just around the corner, and all of your plans made and holiday plantscapes carefully crafted  it is time to relax and enjoy the holiday. Grab a cup of eggnog, relax and enjoy as we celebrate the season’s most popular plant with some fun facts, in honor of National Poinsettia Day which happened this week on December 12^th.

 History

The poinsettia was first introduced to the United States by Joel Poinsett. Poinsett was a United States ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s. Botany was also one of his favorite hobbies. He found the plant and brought it home to a greenhouse in South Carolina(University of Illinois Extension.)

 Long before being brought to the United States, the Aztecs prized the poinsettia, calling it Cuetlaxochitl which means flower with leather petals (gomexico.about.com.). They used the red bracts to make dye and to reduce fevers.   In it’s natural habitat, where temperatures remain between 50 and 70 degrees the poinsettia can grow to be a large bush over 10 feet tall.

"Poinsettia" by Robert Nunnally

Sales

According to Living Arts Originals, it was Albert Ecke that first sold the poinsettia on street corners. His son improved the plant through grafting, so that it was fuller and more beautiful as a potted plant. His grandson marketed the plant, sending it to television stations so that it would appear on air during Christmas time.   All of their efforts have paid off and the Ecke family still grows 70% of poinsettias purchased in the United States. 

 With its innovative marketers and natural Christmas red and greens, the poinsettia remains the most popular potted Christmas decoration.  According to University of Illinois Extension$220 million dollars worth of poinsettias are sold during the holiday season. Of that $220 million, 80% are purchased by women.  Also, you don’t have to stick to just red and green anymore. There are over a hundred different varieties of poinsettias with colors including pink, and white. However, keep in mind as you plan your plantscapes, 74% of Americans still prefer red poinsettias. 8% prefer white poinsettias and 6% prefer pink. 

"White Poinsettia" by Liz West

 Long Term Care

Poinsettias are difficult to keep and encourage to bloom again, but if you have the right conditions it is possible. These suggestions come from University of Illinois Extension. Store the plant in a space that stays between 50 and 60 degrees until spring, water just enough to keep the roots from drying. Then in the spring move the plant to a warm room and water regularly. Cut the stems back to about six inches. Provide plenty of sunlight. In the fall the plant should be kept in a space between 60 and 65 degrees. The plant must have 6-8 weeks of long nights in order to flower again.

Planning for Next Year

When you are ready to plan for next year’s poinsettias, be sure to browse the holiday selection at NewPro Containers. They have a variety of containers, including hanging, floor and table top containers that accent the festive beauty of the poinsettia.

 Your Turn to Share

What is your favorite holiday plant? Have you ever cared for a poinsettia year round? What difficulties did you encounter?

You may also be interested in these older posts about poinsettias:  Are Poinsettia Poisonous? Sell a Pot with a Poinsettia

The supposed death of a two year-old in 1919 after eating a poinsettia leaf seems to be the genesis of a persistent urban legend that poinsettias are deadly for children and pets. While there may not be too many kids or dogs on your Interiorscape service routes, many in the plantscape industry still hear this question from clients dozens of times a season.

Ironically many of you may still answer “yes!” Nearly 66 percent of those participating in a 1995 Society of American Florists poll believed poinsettias toxic if eaten. A 1994 survey of 1,000 Americans by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Society of American Florists showed that 42 percent of men and 57 percent of women polled also thought that.

The truth is that poinsettia leaves taste awful – but don’t kill.  The assumed cause of the toddler’s death was never confirmed according to the well-respected myth debunking site snopes.com. In fact, after extensive testing by the American Society of Florists and the Ohio State University, researchers confirmed that no part of the Poinsettia plant is toxic. While the leaves may cause minor skin irritation, and consuming any part of the plant could result in a stomachache, there is no documented evidence that ingesting any part of a Poinsettia would be life-threatening or has actually killed anyone.
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35 days.

840 hours.

50,400 minutes.

3,024,000 seconds.

No matter how you state it, the duration of time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day this year will be hectic for many Interiorscapers who add on holiday installations to their service profile. Oftentimes the item central to holiday designs also provides the most headaches from hair-pulling – the Poinsettia.

It is not uncommon for some Interiorscapers to install the majority of decor during the week of Thanksgiving. But some Interiorscape companies shared with us some tried-and-true methods they will be using this year to extend the Poinsettias they install in November all the way to late December. (more…)

Interiorscapers possess a variety of talents. Of course they understand how to install plants and related accessories to keep them alive, as well as horticultural knowledge and design skills. Yet during the holidays, they must wear many more hats (carpenter, electrician and even engineer). This all must be accomplished while avoiding neglect of existing non-holiday installations.

During the holidays, customers, ironically, are oftentimes less patient and forgiving. Clients are more demanding, and your chances to “get it right” are fewer. Even the best intention to tap into holiday cheer can create situations better suited for Halloween!

NewPro Corp Vice President Fred Scott, a former purchaser and manager of installations at one of the largest exterior and interior landscape supply companies in the US, has seen holiday planning go well and, not-so-well.

One strategy that works well with poinsettias is selling a pot with each plant. It saves time on installation and clean-up. A decorative container, rather than simple foil or even a speed cover keeps the poinsettia more stable and therefore healthier throughout the holiday. (more…)

Interiorscapers who will be knee-deep in garland and Christmas trees late in November and December sometimes earn a chunk of their annual income during the week or two of holiday installations.

Veterans who profit from “Holidayscaping” know pulling off a successful installation means planning for it months in advance. After all, the 200 poinsettias you will be placing in your clients’ lobbies are taking root at the growers right now.

Fred Scott, Vice President of NewPro Corp., is a former purchaser and manager of installations at one of the largest exterior and interior landscape supply companies in the US. He’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly the holidays can bring to Interiorscapers.

“People who install artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands and poinsettias are beginning now to plan for Christmas” Fred said. “The first step is just diagraming what each client needs and then taking a simple inventory of what you have on hand and what you will need to match or expand your service for what client.”

That service includes the non-living – lights. It is safe to assume not every bulb survived the off-season or will survive this year’s installation rush. Many interiorscapers just purchase a set percentage – say 20, 30 or even 40 percent of their light inventory lighting so they don’t have to count every bulb or go shopping for them at the last minute.

While there are many ways to store and transport artificial Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands, one method is preparing the display in advance at your location. This is accomplished by decorating and then shrink-wrapping the pieces at your location before transport and installation at the client site.

“That way, once the tree is placed in the location, all the (Interiorscaper) needs to do is unfurl the shrink-wrap and fluff the tree,” Fred said. (more…)