{Poinsettia as Tree in Indonesia}

THANK you all for the many Birthday wishes; here and on FB!



Most of my readers do know that we have worked and lived on the island of Java, Indonesia. In that tropical setting you find many exotic plants, shrubs and trees. Also you find there the Poinsettia Tree!

They really do become as tall as a tree and bloom year round of course. Our Poinsettia plant is only rewarding us with some blooms around Christmas. Many of you for sure have tried to keep such a plant alive but it is hard to do so... On January 18, ours looked still great and even today, it still is alive but has lost some leaves already because it is not happy in the dry conditions of winter inside our home.

Of course, those are the cultivated species and they look beautiful!

Did you know they were like trees in tropical areas?

Do you still have yours from Christmas...?

Related links:
{December 12th is Poinsettia Day} | previous post by me
{Today I turned 17!} previous post by me showing you white and red Poinsettia
{Our Pinckneya Pubens - Poinsettia Tree} previous post by me about our Poinsettia Tree in our garden.
{History of the Poinsettia} previous post by me
America's First Poinsettia: The Introduction at Bartram’s Garden  published on Poinsettia Day, 2011!
Joell Roberts Poinsett 1759 - 1851 Info
Joell Roberts Poinsett Info History

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{December 12th is Poinsettia Day}

Poinsettia Day. “December 12th is Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist, physician and Minister to Mexico who in 1828 sent cuttings of the plant he'd discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charlotte, South Carolina. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia Pulcherrima.” (Submitted on March 11, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

If you click on the above link: Poinsettia Day, you can read: In July of 2002, the House of Representatives created Poinsettia Day, passing a Resolution to honor Paul Ecke Jr. who is considered the father of the poinsettia industry.

These Poinsettias are photographed on the day I became an American Citizen.

On December 3, I forgot to celebrate my 19th birthday...

We even do have a Poinsettia tree in our garden; see previous blogpost about it below.

Last year's photo from our Poinsettia with leather deer from India.

You can read that previous post below: History of the Poinsettia.

Did you know these facts about the Poinsettia?

Which is your favorite color?

Related links:
America's First Poinsettia: The Introduction at Bartram’s Garden  published on Poinsettia Day, 2011!
Joell Roberts Poinsett 1759 - 1851 Info
Joell Roberts Poinsett Info History
{Today I turned 17!} previous post by me
{Our Pinckneya Pubens - Poinsettia Tree} previous post by me about our Poinsettia Tree in our garden.
{History of the Poinsettia} previous post by me
Beeswax Poinsettia Christmas Rose Candle Hand Poured Cotton Wick on Etsy

Mariette on Google+

{History of the Poinsettia}

History of the Poinsettia

In 1825, Mexican Ambassador and Charleston native, Joel Roberts Poinsett found a pulchritudinous red flowering plant while wandering on a mountain trail in rural Mexico. He was so taken with the flower that he collected a few specimens to take home to his Charleston greenhouse. In 1832, Dr. Poinsett began to successfully propagate the plant species in America. The Poinsettia became synonymous with Christmas and it is now known as the Flor de Noche Buena" or "Flower of the Beautiful Night (Christmas Eve)." Robert Buist, a famed Scotch gardener and taxonomist named the plant after learning about it from Dr. Poinsett in the mid 1830's. For info, click on the name: Joel Roberts Poinsett. Now I like to show you our red Poinsettia together with our special leather deer from India...

This is a beautiful handmade deer from leather. A gift that we got in Pune, Maharashtra state in India, from the company we did consulting for.

The craftmanship is incredible! Even the antlers of this stag are made of leather...

Nice Christmas combination; Deer with Poinsettia...

Memories from afar...

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{Our Pinckneya Pubens - Poinsettia Tree}

In our garden we do have this special pink-blooming tree: Pinckneya

Scientific name (Pinckneya pubens)

Common name - Fever tree; Poinsettia tree 

Join me on a Garden Tour with: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Pinckneya is a small deciduous tree native to the coastal plains of the southeastern United States. It is notable for the very showy blossoms borne on the tips of the branches in late spring. Their color is usually pink, but the possible shades range from creamy-white to rose-red. The blossoms occur in large clusters, and a tree in full bloom is a spectacular sight.

Actually the petals of the individual blossoms are small and inconspicuous. The size and color of the bloom comes from the sepals, which can expand to several inches. Because these sepals retain their color for an extended period before fading, the show lasts for several weeks.

This is a plant of the deep south, and it can't be grown in the north except in a greenhouse. Even in the south It isn't common, either in gardens or in the wild. Its native habitat is wet acidic soils on the margins of bays, swamps, and streams, often in the light shade of scattered pine trees. Cultivated plants can grow on drier sites, but may need special attention during droughts. Root rot can be a problem, especially on poorly-drained clay soils.

But in the right conditions the species can grow fairly fast and begin blooming at a young age. It needs a moist acidic soil with good drainage, and does best in light shade. Wild specimens often spread by producing root suckers, and cultivated plants usually have multiple trunks.

A Pinckneya grows rather tall, it was hard to capture its blossoms on camera...

Pinckneya can be grown somewhat north of its native range, in the warmer parts of Zone 7. It can be killed to the ground if the temperature drops below zero (F), but will usually resprout from the roots.

Most blossoms were way up high where we could not reach them!

The scientific name of this species has been changed from Pinckneya bracteata to Pinckneya pubens. An old common name is Fever-bark Tree, and the bitter bark of the plant was formerly used as a home remedy for reducing fever. The species is related to the Cinchona Tree (Cinchona ledgerina) of South America, the original source of quinine.

Trees in our garden are rather tall and also this Pinkneya has its blossoms all the way up in the air. But at least we got you some pictures. Pieter held a branch down for me to catch on camera.

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{Today I turned 17!}

On this day in 1993 I got my United States Citizenship!
So this is my 17th birthday... as a proud American.

We got up very early at 4:15 AM that day and left after breakfast by 5:30 AM to be in time for the ceremony in Atlanta at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building. At 8:30 AM the ceremony started for 257 people from 60 nations. By 9:55 AM it was over and we rushed back, to make it to Rotary lunch. Pieter introduced me as his guest with the following words: 'May I introduce my NEW American wife...'  That was well received, with laughter and happiness!

This is a picture of some of the plants and flowers I received.

My Dublin Mom has passed away on June 25, 2009. She did adopt me as her daughter when I came here in 1983; very sweet and she's been such a help over the years whenever I faced something new or unknown.

Dear friends!

This photo was taken on December 31 of 1993 by photographer Lee Wilson. That was during an interview for Threads of Life: International Women's Textile Art by Deborah A. Duchon of Georgia State University.

For that program I had donated several of my hand made lace pieces.

This is an excerpt from my LinkedIn profile.

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