Evening star., 1945-01-30
This and That
By Charles E. Traceueu.
BETHESDA.

Dear Sir:
Il received two ornamental plants for
Christmas and now I do not know what
to do with them. They are a Jerusalem
cherry and poinsettia.
They both did well through the holi-
days, but now they are beginning to
wither away. Is this necessary? I
would like to keep them, If possible, but
do not know how.
ANY assistance you could give me
would be very much appreciated. With
thanks, am, sincerely, r. M. H."
r II
These two favorite indoor plants need
dlametrically opposite treatment.
The Jerusalem cherry wants cool
room, the poinsettia a warmer one, but
even the latter cannot stand much
higher than go degrees.
Keeping both these plants, therefore,
ought to be easier, now that most homes
are colder.
The Jerusalem cherry Is an odd plant
with bright orange Cherries" while
the poinsettia (too often spelled with
out the 'f' near the enO is q favorite
with every one.
The bright red leaves" are really not
leaves, but are bracts, Q part of the
flowers themselves.
The cherry is a member of the Sola.
mum family. 1t Is small shrub, prob
ably from the tropics Of the Old World
but just where 1t came from is unknown
No one seems to know, either, Just
why 1t should be called Jerusalem
cherry. The cherry part is easy to
understand, but the place name is not.
1t is thought that at one time, in the
discovery and cultivation of plants in
Europe, any strange plant from any
far-away place was called Jerusalem" :"
Probably the Crusades had something
to do with it.
Experts tell us that the plant is not
native to Jerusalem and that the name
was not attached to it go years ago. It
is thought that probably some seeds
were first brought from that place.
Leaves and berries fall from the Jeru-
salem cherry II the plant is not given
plenty of water and kept at about so
degrees.
Drafts will harm it, and so will sud-
den drops in temperature, especially at
night.
All in all, it is not very successful
house plant, although beautiful for a
time. Careful spraying of the leaves
once day is helpful.
IT one can be kept growing it will grow
to about four feet and may be set out in
May in the garden, in a sunny place,
but where it gets some shade.
The pot plant this winter should be
kept on what the experts call ''the dry
side," that is, watered thoroughly about
once week, but no more.
If the plant does well in the garden
it should be cut back in September and
brought indoors. 1t should be given a
pot large enough for its new growth.
II watered and fed properly in the fall,
and not kept too hot, it should produce
its pretty berries around Christmas
time.
The poinsettia, named after Joel
Poinsett, one-time Ambassador of the
United States to Mexico, should be kept
at temperature Of around go degrees.
The room ought to have high humid
ity. If night temperatures go below b8
degrees, or higher than 81 degrees, the
leaves will become yellow and drop of.
1t may be realized that this is a
tricky plant to raise; 1t is no wonder
that most householders lose them
after Christmas.
If 1t is kept dry after the holidays.
and placed IN the basement, then put
outside In the spring, it may be brought
In for the winter, but whether 1t will
bloom is a question.
Keeping it in a lighted room often
makes 1t not bloom. The poinsettia is
used to short day, and any more light
than 1t is used to will cause 1t to refuse
to bloom. It Is almost human.