Bought a few ornamental poinsettias today for gifts. Some side notes on the plant and history -

[pinto]

The ornamental poinsettia that has become synonymous with Christmas is largely accredited to the Ecke family, horticulturalists from San Diego County, CA. Poinsettias are a member of a vast genus of succulent and semi-succulent plants that grow worldwide, Euphorbia.

E. pulcherrima (poinsettia) is native to Mexico and Central America. It's a large shrub or small tree (when trimmed) and can bee seen along freeways throughout Southern California. Drought tolerant and tenacious, its clusters of red bracts (they aren't flowers, but colored leaves surrounding the true flower, plants are either male or female) stand out in many Southwestern landscapes.

Like all euphorbias they have a milky, white very caustic sap (hence the admonition of letting kids sample it).

The Eckes hybridized, grafted and eventually developed the compact poinsettia we all know today. Many So. Californians "plant out" a Christmas euphorbia, which makes a nice shrub in the right space.

[LiberalEsto]

1. The name comes from Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, ambassador to Mexico from 1825-29

A noted plant collector, he sent seeds and specimens of many plants from Mexico to the U.S., and introduced new plants to Mexico as well. The tall shrub known to Mexicans as Nativity flower, flor de la noche buena, was one of the first he sent to the U.S., for his own gardens and those of friends, including a Philadelphia seed supplier, Robert Buist. Buist started selling it in Philadelphia and New York, and eventually it was sold in Europe. As the plant's popularity grew, it was named for Poinsett by one of his friends, historian and gardener William H. Prescott.

Source: Green Immigrants by Claire Shaver Haughton. A fascinating read if you can find a copy.

[pinto]

3. Yeah, thanks for the added info.

[tabbycat31]

2. Just a FYI on them

Don't give them to people who have cats or dogs, as they're poisonous to the pets.

[MohRokTah]

7. Poinsettias are only mildly poisonous to pets

There is almost never a need for care from a pet consuming poinsettia:

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/poinsettia/

We have six cats and several poinsettias right now. No problems.

[smirkymonkey]

4. Thanks for the info!

I love Poinsettia's. I am partial to natural holiday decorations and they are so festive.

[KMOD]

5. I love poinsettias.

I don't have anything else to add, just wanted to be part of this thread.

[pinto]

6. Cool. And welcome!

I'm probably one of a small group of folks who have the English translation of Hermann Jacobsen's 'Kakteen und andere Sukkelenten'. The guy spent his career identifying and creating a lexicon of succulents, world wide. I remain a fan of his work and the enormous variety of succulents in all sorts of climates and areas of the world.

One hallmark among most is 'crassulacean acid metabolism'. They don't breathe during the day so as to conserve moisture. They breathe at night when it's cooler. Yet photosynthesis happens in daylight, so they have to store waste gasses to expire later when their stomates open for respiration. Acid metabolism is a unique 3 step process that binds waste gasses during the day then releases them at night.

A nerdy slice of horticulture, obviously, but when I found myself on the West Coast I grew an interest in it all.