Shropshire Star

Poinsettia takes over greenhouse

It started off as a tiny potted plant symbolic of Christmas, but less than a year later it has grown to almost three feet tall.

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Gwen Dimelow, of Ellesmere, with her poinsettia

The Christmas poinsettia was given to Gwen Dimelow as a gift last December, when it was just a few inches tall.

Believing it to be a miniature poinsettia – which are between three and five inches – Gwen, who lives in Ellesmere, put it in her greenhouse and thought little about it.

That was until she noticed how quickly it was going, with its distinctive red foliage blooming more and more as the weeks went on.

Gobsmacked Gwen is now questioning how much bigger it will get.

"I got it has a Christmas present for Christmas 2018. I put it in my greenhouse and re-potted it. I didn't really pay much attention to it," she said.

"Now it's almost 3ft tall and flowering. It's got the most amazing blooms."

Poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays.