Seeing stars: The right color for a special time

Color plays an important supporting role at special occasions, and the presence of poinsettia is assured to perk up the festive spirit.

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor/Jakarta

One of the most sought-after plants in the month of December is poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Although the shrub with star- shaped bracts was not popular in Indonesia until the mid 1990s, abroad it has a history that can be traced back to centuries ago.

Native to Mexico, the wild plant has deep red and green leaf- like bracts with small inconspicuous flowers, called cyathia. In ancient times, poinsettia was used for medicinal purposes and has also long been associated with Christmas because of its colors; in its home country, local legend has it that the plant was presented by a poor girl as a humble gift to baby Jesus.

The plant became known outside its native country in the early 19th century when its lovely shape caught the attention of Joel Roberts Poinset, then U.S. ambassador to Mexico and founder of the famous Smithsonian Institution, who later propagated it and introduced it to friends back home.

The plant was named poinsettia, after the name of the amateur botanist who made it popular, and Dec. 12, the date when Poinset died, has been declared poinsettia day.

Budhi Harjoko, director of PT Kebun Ciputri, a cut flower farm and marketing company, explained that today poinsettia -- or kastuba, as it is locally known -- is available in bright yellow, white, pink and marbled colors.

Actually, he said, there are several local varieties but they are not popular because they do not have showy bracts, fit for display.

"Many (Indonesians) mistakenly think that the red bracts are the flower. They are not. Those are leaf-like bracts which would turn into deep red with prior conditioning," he said, adding that the plant can grow from 0.6 meter to three meters tall.

And in Indonesia, poinsettia is often displayed an interior ornament, not only in December, but also throughout the year.

While it is true that the red poinsettia is especially popular in December but demands for the white tend to increase ahead of Idul Fitri because white and green are the traditional colors of the post-fasting month holiday season.

At the company's farm in Ciputri village in Cianjur, West Java, potted poinsettia is propagated by taking cuttings from stocks purchased from the Netherlands and the U.S. The plants are kept short and are regularly pinched to make them grow bushy.

To encourage the lovely colored bracts to optimally bloom in December, the plants should be since September kept in darkness for a longer time (at least 15 hours each day), commonly done by covering them in an individual black plastic bag (called dark cloud method).

"By December, the plant will be bushy with beautiful colored bracts," said Budhi, while adding that the plants are differentiated into three categories according to its size, jumbo, medium and small with prices starting from Rp 25,000.

Apart from the ordinary sizes, Budhi said, mini poinsettia was recently introduced to the market. And despite the fact that poinsettia is relatively new in Indonesia but its popularity continues to grow and plant lovers can easily find them.

While most potted poinsettias sold by vendors and nursery are the selected ones and in good condition, sources said that the plant was prone to insect attacks such as white flies, gnats and mealybugs, among others.

When choosing poinsettia, Budhi advised to look for healthy plants with lush, dark colored bracts.

"Since poinsettia is for ornamental display, avoid buying plants with dried leaves or those with not so bright bracts. They won't look good."

The plant, Budhi added, loses its bright color under long sun exposure, gradually turning its bracts green.

So in order to keep its lovely colors last longer, which can be about one month, only basic care is needed, such as watering the plants twice a day and keeping them in spots away from direct sunlight or covering them in black plastic bags in the early evening for at least 15 hours.

"And when watering the plant, make sure to water the soil and avoid getting the leaves wet, for the moisture will probably lead to rot."

Other sources said that general purpose fertilizer is needed every two to three weeks.

Even after careful care and maintenance, the plant's showy appearance will fade away and when this happens, the best advice is to get new, young plants. Old plants can be planted in the garden.

"When the plant has become established in the garden, its bracts will likely turn completely green," Budhi said.