RADIO TRANSCRIPT
December 9, 2024
Matt Rodriguez

This is Matt Rodriguez, Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.

Today's program will feature Poinsettias. Many buy these bright flowering plants to use as gifts and Christmas decor. These flowers naturally bloom around christmas time and as such have become a holiday staple. To determine freshness, look for the small yellow flower called cyathia. These are the true flowers and many cultivars are being bred to ensure longer retention of these parts and thus making it harder to determine the age of a plant. It is also important to remember that these are tropical plants originating from Central America and do not do well in temps below 50F. They can suffer leaf drop and discoloration so keep them somewhere warm. These common holiday plants will last until spring if cared for properly. It will definitely make it through the holiday season but beyond that they need a little help.

This has been Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center. For more information, call us at 828-764-9480.