LONDON, Dec. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight million poinsettias will be sold in the UK over the festive season, but how much do you know about the nation's favourite Christmas houseplant?

Top 10 Facts About Poinsettia 

• Poinsettia is named after Mr Joel Roberts Poinsett, US diplomat and amateur botanist, who discovered the plant whilst on a posting in Mexico and sent the cuttings to the US in 1828. 
• National Poinsettia Day commemorates the death of Mr Joel Roberts Poinsett on 12 December 1851.  
• Red is the top selling colour, followed by white, but early in the festive season it is possible to find poinsettias in some unusual colours such as orange, salmon pink, lemon yellow, to name but a few.  In total there are more than 150 different varieties. 
• Poinsettia flowers are tiny berries at the centre and they are called cyathia.  
• The flower 'petals' we see are actually coloured leaf bracts, and they can also be variegated or crinkled.
• Poinsettia is also known as 'Christmas Star' because of the colourful star-shaped bracts.
• Poinsettias make striking cut flowers that are good value too.  Simply snip each stem and immediately dip the end into recently boiled water for a few seconds to seal in the milky sap, then put it straight into cold water.  Try placing single stems in tiny bud vases to decorate the festive table – one plant goes a long way!
• Darkness is important when growing Poinsettias, they need 12 hours of complete darkness a day for their leaves to change from green to their final colour.  
• Poinsettia growers create black-out conditions in nurseries in order for the plants to develop in time for Christmas.
• Poinsettias have an unfair reputation for being temperamental, however, providing they are purchased from a reputable store or garden centre, are given good light, minimal water and are kept away from draughts, they will maintain perfect health. 

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Notes to Editors:

• 8 million poinsettias will be sold in the UK this year.
• Between 105 and 110 million poinsettias will be sold in Europe this year, of which 32 million will be sold in Germany.
• The UK Poinsettia campaign is supported by Stars for Europe (SfE).   Stars for Europe (SfE) is the marketing initiative of European poinsettia breeders Dümmen Orange, Selecta One, Beekenkamp and Syngenta, supported by MNP Flowers. The initiative was founded in 2000 with the aim to promote and secure long-term poinsettia sales in Europe. SfE is currently active in 16 European countries. In Germany, France, Poland and Sweden, marketing activities are supported by the EU as part of the "Stars Unite Europe" campaign.