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Optimara Creates Personal Poinsettia for Holidays

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081120/CLTH025 )

Developed at the company's greenhouses inNashville, the miniature poinsettia has all the characteristics of the familiar holiday plant. However, at only five inches tall, it fits well into smaller spaces to brighten the look of the holiday season.

The story behind these holiday decorations is interesting. One legend tells of a poor young Mexican girl who could not afford a gift for the Christ Child's birthday. The child was inspired by an angel to gather common weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church's altar. The bouquet burst into blooms of brilliant red and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.

Reinhold Holtkamp, president of Optimara, said that the development of the miniature poinsettia is a natural outgrowth of the company's overall mission of bringing the beauty of flowers to a wider group of plant lovers. "We developed this personal poinsettia to bring the color and holiday joy of this tradition to one's personal space, both home and office, no matter the size."

Holtkamp said that these miniature Poinsettias are easy to care for and will live several months or indefinitely depending on the care and environment. These plants are available in a 2-inch pot size that can be shipped with a spill-proof, self-watering WaterShip or shipped with one of Optimara's self-watering ceramics, in a variety of holiday styles. They are available at most Lowe's and Home Depot stores.

The poinsettia was brought tothe United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851), the first US Minister toMexico and the first head of the Smithsonian Institute. Ambassador Poinsett is credited for first bringing the new plant species back to his greenhouse inGreenville, South Carolina, where he began propagating the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens.

Optimara, is the brand name of products produced by the Holtkamp Greenhouses, Inc. based inNashville, Tennessee and the world's largest grower of African Violets.

For more information visit http://www.mypoinsettia.com, http://www.optimara.com or http://www.selectivegardener.com.

SOURCE Optimara