Poinsettia Care - Shopping Tips

Here are some items to consider while making your poinsettia selection:

Avoid plants with foliage that is beginning to yellow. The actual flowers of the poinsettia are the golden yellow clusters (cyathia) in the center of the colored bracts. The colored bracts are actually the plant’s leaves that change color to attract pollinators. When you choose your poinsettia, make sure the plant you choose still has the bright golden yellow clusters in the center.

Avoid purchasing poinsettias that have been left in the plastic wrapping. This could cause the leaves to yellow and drop before the holiday season is over. 

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A protective sleeve should be placed on the plant to shelter it from cold temperatures on its way from the store to home. The poinsettia should be taken home and unwrapped as soon as possible. Leaving the plant in an unheated car while you continue to shop will cause cold injury. 

Sumac Tea is Rich in Vitamin C

Have you noticed this tree around your neighborhood? Well its red blossoms are ready to harvest. This is a sumac tree, not the poisonous kind, but the kind that makes a delicious tea full of essential vitamin C.

HOW TO MAKE SUMAC TEA

• Pick 3-5 bright red berry clusters on a dry day and crush lightly with your hands. 
• Put the berries in a pitcher and fill with cold water. 
• Let the berries infuse for anywhere between a couple hours to a couple days depending on your taste. 
• Strain through a coffee filter or cheese cloth as some varieties of sumac have irritating, tiny hairs that you'd rather not ingest. (A coffee press or french press is a great investment as it has a strainer built in) 
• Once your tea is strained, sip and enjoy one of the best pink lemonades ever!

SUMAC REMEDIES

The sumac berries are full of natural vitamin C. That is the reason you use only cold water to make sumac berry-ade as hot water destroys the vitamin C.

American Indians knew sumac was full of the natural c vitamin and used it to treat colds, fever and scurvy. They also used the ground berries mixed with clay as a poultice on open sores and wounds. Native Americans also mixed the dried sumac berries with tobacco to smoke in peace pipes!

Sumac has also been used for diarrhea, dysentery, sore throats, infections, asthma, cold sores and even as a general tonic. You can even make sumac wine or a sumac tincture if you are so inclined.

Sumac is not only a useful plant but is an exceptionally beautiful red in the fall!

Source: http://www.healing-from-home-remedies.com/sumac-tea.html