Family resemblance?

Douglas Hunt
by Douglas Hunt
I found this Florida native growing in my garden recently and discovered that it is related to the most economically important potted plant world-wide. Who knows what it is?
  43 answers
  • Sandra R Sandra R on Apr 25, 2012
    Could it be the poinsettia
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Apr 25, 2012
    I'm going with poinsettia as well
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Apr 25, 2012
    The poinsettia in my garden doesn't have leaves like the picture but the wild poinsettias do so I agree with both Sandra R & KMS.
  • Candy C Candy C on Apr 25, 2012
    In AZ they call them Mexican poinsettia's and they do very well and with little water.
  • Joy D Joy D on Apr 25, 2012
    wow....would love one of these.....
  • Louise C Louise C on Apr 25, 2012
    i have this plant,i live in ky and it is a poinsettia,
  • Rena D Rena D on Apr 25, 2012
    It is a false poinsettia, not sure what the proper name is, i have them here at my place in Florida
  • Kelli E Kelli E on Apr 25, 2012
    I think the wild American "poinsettia" is called fire-on-the-mountain.
  • Rose I Rose I on Apr 25, 2012
    It's poinsettia. we have them too in Philippines. The plant do well with very little water. They are consider as tropical plants in the US
  • Leida R Leida R on Apr 25, 2012
    I also used to have this plant in FL (Tampa). A friend of mine gave it to me, but none of us ever knew its name, and I will definitively love to know it. Just as those of you above I, believe that it has got to be some kind of Poinsettia.
  • Pam G Pam G on Apr 25, 2012
    Do you have seeds from it that you'd like to send me some?? :)
  • Pam G Pam G on Apr 25, 2012
    it's a wild poinsettia and it grows almost everywhere..
  • Tony W Tony W on Apr 25, 2012
    Yes its false poinsettia , Euphorbia cyathophora .
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Apr 25, 2012
    I thought it was hardy only to zone 9 . Do you have it growing wild where you are Pam?
  • Tony W Tony W on Apr 25, 2012
    Highly invasive , possibly poisonious and grows to zone 11. http://www.hear.org/pier/wra/pacific/euphorbia_cyathophora_htmlwra.htm
  • Elizabeth H Elizabeth H on Apr 25, 2012
    Poinsettia!! And they are poisonious to people & animals!
  • Jamie M Jamie M on Apr 25, 2012
    poinsettia
  • Jamie M Jamie M on Apr 25, 2012
    Holy smoke.
  • Ellen H Ellen H on Apr 25, 2012
    Wild poinsettia. I saw them growing on a path to the beach in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
  • Judith A Judith A on Apr 25, 2012
    i have these also. when seeds drop in the fall, you will have many the next year. a friend gave me 1 and said, you will hate me this time next year. they come up everywhere
  • Rose S Rose S on Apr 25, 2012
    Here in Georgia we call it the Georgia Poinsettia. Once you have therm you won't be able to get rid of them - hateful.
  • Anita C Anita C on Apr 25, 2012
    It's a poinsetta alright, which is very toxic to cats and dogs. You may want to pull it up completely. Try pouring boiling water on the root of the plant. It won't harm the soil, or your water table, but will kill any roots of most any plant.
  • Walter Reeves Walter Reeves on Apr 25, 2012
    I think the "poisonous" reputation of poinsettia has been way overblown. Yes, it may give you (or a dog or cat) a tummy ache but it's nowhere near as toxic as amaryllis, azalea, rhododendron and Carolina jessamine. On the other hand, as most note, it does happily appear in unexpected places!
  • Geri M Geri M on Apr 25, 2012
    We called them summer poinsettias
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Apr 26, 2012
    That was an easy one for the super sleuths of Hometalk! My dog is not an investigative eater and I hear this wild poinsettia (Euphorbia cyathophora) is a good butterfly and bee plant, so I'm going to leave it.
  • Leida R Leida R on Apr 26, 2012
    I thank you all for all the information. given
  • Cyndi Autry Cyndi Autry on May 23, 2012
    Poinsettia..:)
  • Rainy Odessy Rainy Odessy on Jul 17, 2012
    yup we have another variety of it that grows here in kansas ....it common name is snow on the mountain and it haz green and white striped leaves
  • Katrina Wylie Katrina Wylie on Jul 18, 2012
    This one is not the snow on the mountain (which I love) but is related to it. We call it wild poinsettia. It is super invasive! We have been pulling up seedlings every spring and summer for about 4 years now and still have them coming up--everywhere!
  • Trish M Trish M on Jul 18, 2012
    I Bet It's a Poinsettia...
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jul 19, 2012
    It is indeed a wild poinsettia. I've seen no sign of it being invasive here.
  • Rena D Rena D on Sep 24, 2012
    I have them too, not invasive at all. Only stays and comes back every year from where it is rooted. I was raised calling them "False poinsettias"
  • Ann S Ann S on Sep 24, 2012
    That was my 1st thought Douglas, wow, cool!
  • Rose S Rose S on Sep 25, 2012
    Please come to my garden and take all that you want. They keep increasing yearly, and I am trying to eradicate them Maybe I am treating the rest of the garden too good, and so they just love it here. I manage to keep my Christmas Poinsettia's until almost May each year, but those wild guys are a major pain, for every time I pull one, two seem to come up in its place.
  • Ann S Ann S on Sep 28, 2012
    Rose, ok you can keep them, I have rosen sharon trees that about the same, they keep me very busy pulling out all the babies they make! lol
  • Rose S Rose S on Sep 29, 2012
    Shucks Ann, and here I thought that I had a taker. I have another one just like that, I believe that it is called Rose of Cashmir. It crawls UNDER concrete. But now, hopefully, I have it contained in two pots on the deck. It has a lovely blossom and smell, but is so invasive.
  • Ann S Ann S on Sep 29, 2012
    Rose S. I haven't seen Rose of Cashmir, you need to post it so I can see it! :)
  • Mimi Haywood Mimi Haywood on Jun 11, 2015
    Poinsettia, they grow like weeds and can get very out of control in just one season. Do not know the proper name for this weed version, but have had a problem with trying to eradicate them .
  • Penny Lindlau Penny Lindlau on Jul 05, 2015
    plant some mint. that will get rid of it LOL
  • Bonnie witlam Bonnie witlam on Jan 28, 2016
    I agree with Mimi, certainly looks like poinsettia family to me
  • Sherrie Slaboda Sherrie Slaboda on Jan 29, 2016
    That plant just recently showed up here in Debary, Fl. I liked it but my friend said it grows like a weed. A few months later I saw more of them so I started removing some of them. They are very pretty. They may be called Mexican fire PLANT. I also have the Mexican fire BUSH that is orange but different then the plant.
  • Sue Kiene Sue Kiene on Oct 16, 2016
    wild poinsetta
  • Rose S Rose S on Oct 17, 2016
    Definitely a nuisance wild pointsettia. I try to eliminate them as soon as I spot them.