By Gail Maifeld, MG

The Poinsettia is a weed in its native Mexico. It is called lobster plant or Mexican Flame Leaf and has become an essential part of North America’s Christmas décor. The plant that adorns mantles, coffee tables, and bookcases across North America is a descendant of a 6-foot shrub from which growers in Scandinavia and California developed the scaled-down varieties that bloom indoors.

All poinsettias are winter-flowering shrubs that are noted for the bright red bracts or leaves. Modern plants have bracts that measure 12-15 inches with green leaves. The real flowers are the insignificant, greenish-yellow center clusters. Today plants can be purchased in many colors from white, peppermint (red & white,) pink and others.

Keep a Poinsettia at normal room temperature (60-80 degrees) in a bright filtered location such as opposite light filtering blinds. Water only when the foliage droops slightly: the potting soil should then be totally saturated. No fertilization is necessary. Most individuals discard the plant soon after the holidays but with care you can have bright red bracts until April. Some enthusiasts will attempt to follow the strict schedule of taking cuttings or allow the cut back stump to develop new growth.

Commercial producers follow a strict routine that is difficult for the home grower to mimic. Poinsettias are short-day plants; the flower and bract formation is prompted by an eight-week period of 14 hours total uninterrupted darkness and 10 hours of light daily. Plants are treated with a dwarfing chemical that reduces stem length, which results in the Poinsettia plant we know today. Poinsettias are readily available so this procedure is not needed to enjoy this beautiful plant.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola tells the story of a young Mexican girl who had nothing for the manger scene on Christmas Eve. She picked tall green weeds to place around the stable and as the congregation prayed bright red star flowers burst open on the weed tips, casting a warm glow around the manger scene. The people named the plant la Flor de Nochebuena or Flower of the Holy Night.

Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the US ambassador to Mexico from 1825-1830, brought the shrub to the United States in 1830 because the bright red leaves, which he thought to be the flower, fascinated him. He took cuttings from shrubs growing near his Mexican residence to his home in South Carolina. The plant was named for Dr. Poinsett as the Poinsettia.

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a bright red Poinsettia. Remember to thank Dr. Poinsett for this cheerful holiday plant! For more details on caring for poinsettia, visit this UMN Extension link.

Additional sources:

Tomie dePaola.  The Legend of the Poinsettia. G.P. Putmans & Sons, 1994.

Huxley Anthony, Editor.  Success with House Plants, Readers Digest,1979.

By Gail Maifeld, MG

There are two recognized cacti that have become know as the Christmas cactus. Cacti species Schlumbergera Bidgesii is the plant that has gained the title Christmas cactus because pink to dark red blooms appear in December. Schlumbergera truncata, commonly referred to as a Thanksgiving cactus or the claw, lobster, or crab cactus due to the horns that appear at the edges of leaf segments, blooms during Thanksgiving time.

Hybrids of the houseplant Christmas cactus are not the true species. Native to the rainforests, the species inhabits moist tropical forests, and grows in pockets of leaf debris that have accumulated on trees. The densely branching plant will grow to a height of 12” with pendent flat green sections of 1-1 ½ “. Terminal areoles produce single or double blooms, for a long flowering period near Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Both the Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus are easily grown indoors but do ask for special treatment to guarantee bloom. Cooler night temperatures and shorter days cause the plant to bloom. In early fall (October) plant growth will slow. This signals a move to a low light location and given no water for a month. Return the plant to normal light and water regularly.

Just as short winter days begin, the plant will reward the grower with a mass of bright pink to dark red blooms. For more details on growing and caring for holiday cacti, visit the UMN Extension site.

Additional sources:

Better Homes and Gardens;  HOUSE PLANTS.  Meredith Publishing.

Success with House Plants.  The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

The South St. Paul Seed Trial Garden is an important project for gardeners and the community. Dakota County Master Gardeners test plants along with over one hundred other Master Gardeners across the state during the summer to determine some of the best varieties available on the market. Each year the list of trial plants is selected by the State Master Gardener Seed Trial Team.

Master Gardeners also provide horticultural education to fellow gardeners and community members all while raising produce to donate to the South St. Paul Neighbors Food Shelf. The project faced challenges this year due to the coronavirus however, with the hard work of volunteers, the garden donated over 1000 pounds of fresh produce!

This year six varieties each of mildew-resistant basil, red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, white cauliflower, purple pole beans and mini cucumbers were trialed. Combined test results for the year will be published on the Arboretum website. The winners for previous years can be found here.

As another testing activity, we participate in testing for PanAmerican Seeds. This year, we tested their Asian Delite Eggplant, PeppiGrande Red Pepper, SimplySalad – two varieties, Tomato Siam, Vinca Tattoo and Zinnia Double Zahara.

Have a gardening question? Bringing in Plants? What perennials to cut down? House Plant Problems?

Join the Dakota County Master Gardeners’ Ask a Master Gardener every Thursday from 7:00 PM until 8:00 PM beginning October 22 to get answers to your questions.

Stop into our weekly Zoom meeting to get your questions answered! Just click the link below on the date of your choice to get the Zoom link to stop in.

• Thursday, October 22
• Thursday, October 29
• Thursday, November 5