Garden

[JustJazzmom]

Poinsettias that are blue or other odd colors are dyed: Ask OSU Extension

By 

Timothy J. Malinich, OSU Extension

Q. I have been seeing blue poinsettias in the stores. Are they real?

A. Those odd-colored poinsettias seen popping up in stores for the last few years are real. They just also happen to be covered with a layer of dye that gives them a poinsettia color not found in nature. The blues as well as some brilliant oranges and pinks (with or without glitter) are a means to market more plants by filling a decorating need.

Plants of a different color can meet the need for people wanting indoor color that is not the standard red and silver of the holiday. The blue or orange poinsettia can fit into a decorating scheme that would be ruined by large, bright-red bracts.

However, before you head out to the garage for a can of spray paint, be careful. To color their holiday crop, growers use colorants not toxic to plants and a fast-drying solvent that won't burn or discolor the poinsettia bracts. Glitter is added before the solvent evaporates.

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Our Wegman's sells ORCHIDS that are weird colors -they're horrid- imo- such beautiful flowers and they mess with them!--- (they also sell the colored pointsettias) On a different note ----a local nursery sells a some pointsettias that are different "reds" and one that is red with specks of white on them- but those are cross-bred to grow like that and are much prettier than fake blues or purples. I put one outside in my yard and it's now almost 4 feet tall- too bad though- I live in the Northeast (zone6) so I know it will get hit with frost- just hard to let them go sometimes! (as if they are "aware" lol!  And I don't have the patience to try to have them re-bloom by putting them in a dark closet for months and try to get them to get red again. Easier to just buy a new one. (or two)