Everything You Need To Know About Poinsettias
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – I visited Bachman's farmhouse on Tuesday to learn about the Poinsettia, the most popular holiday plant in North America.
The plant was once considered a weed in parts of Mexico -- not anymore. Now names like Red Fox, White Star, Shimmer, Premium Picasso, and many others are growing in popularity.
How do you pronounce Poinsettia?
There are a couple ways to say it: POIN-setta or POIN-set-tia, according to Dale Bachman, owner of Bachman's.
How many different varieties are there?
There are over 100 different varieties to choose from, but here in Minnesota the Noel, which is a deep red color, is the most popular color this time of year. At Bachman's, 70 percent of the Poinsettia plants they deliver to stores and shops across the Twin Cities are of the red variety.
Where did the plant get its name?
The name is derived from Joel Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the U.S. after a trip to Mexico. Poinsett was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he was also a botanist. That's why when you spell Poinsettia the P is capitalized.
Poinsettias are not poisonous and are part of the euphorbiaceae or spurge family. In science, botanically, they are known as Euphorbia pulcherrima.
In case you were wondering, Dec. 12 is National Poinsettia Day. Why? The date marks the death of Joel Poinsett.