How to Grow and Care for Poinsettia

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The quintessential holiday houseplant, the poinsettia is actually a tropical plant native to Mexico. The true flowers are tiny, yellow centers that are surrounded by showy, colorful leaf bracts that are typically thought of as the flowers.

While poinsettia is grown as a colorful landscape shrub in southern Florida, California, and Mexico, most know it as the familiar pot plant sold during the holiday season.

Available in increasingly abundant choices, poinsettias bloom up to 6 weeks in bright indirect light. After flowering, the poinsettia can be kept as a houseplant and forced to rebloom the next year, although forcing can be difficult. Some gardeners pride themselves on their ability to grow poinsettia and its colorful bracts year after year.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are iconic plants associated with the holiday season, known for their vibrant red, pink, white, or variegated bracts (modified leaves) that resemble flowers. Native to Mexico and Central America, poinsettias are perennials in their natural habitat but are often grown as seasonal plants in colder climates. With proper care, they can thrive well beyond the holidays.

Description

• Bracts: The colorful “petals” are actually bracts, with the true flowers being the small yellow or greenish buds at the center of the plant (called cyathia).
• Foliage: Poinsettias have lush green leaves that contrast beautifully with the bracts.
• Size: Most potted poinsettias are between 12–24 inches tall, though they can grow much larger when cultivated outdoors in tropical climates.

How to grow Poinsettia indoors for the holidays

To grow poinsettia indoors for the holidays, start by choosing a healthy plant with vibrant, colorful bracts and green leaves. Place the poinsettia in a spot with bright, indirect light, as direct sunlight can be too harsh. Keep the plant in a warm environment, ideally between 60-70°F (15-21°C), and away from cold drafts or heating vents. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, allowing excess water to drain away to prevent root rot. Avoid letting the plant sit in standing water. To encourage the poinsettia to develop its colorful bracts, ensure it gets 14 to 16 hours of complete darkness each night for about 8-10 weeks before the holidays, starting in late September or early October. This simulates shorter days and triggers the color change, creating a beautiful holiday display.

Planting or Buying Poinsettias

• If buying a poinsettia for the holidays, choose a healthy plant with brightly colored bracts, no wilting leaves, and tightly closed central flowers (cyathia).
• If growing at home, start with a small potted poinsettia or propagate from cuttings in the spring.

Getting Poinsettias Ready for the Holidays

Poinsettias are photoperiodic, meaning they require specific light conditions to develop their colorful bracts:

1. Light and Darkness:
   • Starting 8–10 weeks before the holidays (around early October), provide 14–16 hours of complete darkness each day.
   • Cover the plant with a cardboard box or place it in a dark closet from evening until morning.
   • During daylight hours, place it in bright, indirect light.
2. Temperature:
   • Maintain daytime temperatures of 65–70°F (18–21°C) and nighttime temperatures around 60°F (15°C) for optimal bract coloration.
3. Feeding:
   • Use a balanced houseplant fertilizer every 2–3 weeks until bracts begin to change color.
4. Watering:
   • Keep the soil evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging. Ensure the pot has proper drainage.

Caring for Poinsettias During the Holidays

Once the bracts have turned their festive color:

1. Light: Place the poinsettia in bright, indirect sunlight for 6–8 hours daily.
2. Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, allowing excess water to drain out. Avoid letting the plant sit in standing water.
3. Humidity: Poinsettias prefer moderate humidity. Use a humidifier or place a water tray nearby if indoor air is very dry.
4. Temperature: Keep away from drafts, heaters, or cold windows. Maintain temperatures between 60–70°F.

Caring for Poinsettias After the Holidays

With proper care, poinsettias can be kept alive and even rebloomed the following year:

1. After Blooming:
   • Once the bracts fade, cut the plant back to about 6 inches tall and reduce watering.
   • Allow the plant to rest for a month or two in a cool, slightly shaded spot.
2. Spring Care:
   • In early spring, repot the plant with fresh soil, resume regular watering, and place it in bright light.
   • Fertilize monthly during the growing season.
3. Summer Outdoors:
   • Move the plant outdoors after the last frost, keeping it in partial shade.
   • Pinch back stems every 4–6 weeks to encourage bushy growth (stop pruning by late August).

Key Tips for Success

• Avoid exposing poinsettias to sudden temperature changes, as this can cause leaf drop.
• Handle carefully; poinsettia sap can irritate the skin and is mildly toxic to pets.
• Keep the plant away from direct heat sources and cold drafts for long-lasting holiday blooms.

With attention to light, temperature, and watering, poinsettias can serve as a vibrant and festive centerpiece year after year!

Get to know Poinsettia

• Plant type: Tropical evergreen or deciduous shrub
• Growing Zones and range: Zones 9-11
• Hardiness: Tender
• Height and width: 6 to 12 inches (15-30cm) tall, 10 to 12 inches (25-30cm) wide
• Foliage: Sturdy stems carry broad green leaves up to 7 inches (17cm) long.
• Flowers: Tiny yellow flowers are surrounded by colorful bracts that look like flowers.
• Bloom time: Winter
• Uses: Best known as an indoor holiday decoration. Used as a large, somewhat rangy landscape shrub in warm climates without winter frost.
• Common name: Poinsettia
• Botanical name: Euphobia pulcherrima
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Origin: Mexico and Central America

Where to plant Poinsettia

• Indoors place poinsettia in a sunny spot and protect from sudden temperature changes both cold and hot.
• Poinsettias prefer a humus-rich, slight sandy, well-drained soil when growing outdoors; indoors plant poinsettias in an all-purpose potting mix

When to plant Poinsettia

• Set outdoors after the last frost in spring.

Planting and spacing Poinsettia

• Space 8 to 12 inches (20-30cm) apart indoors; outdoors growing as a shrub set plants 3 feet apart

How to water and feed Poinsettia

• Water when the soil is slightly dry to the touch. Be sure the container or foil wrapping has holes for drainage.
• To encourage poinsettia to rebloom, begin feeding in late winter once a month with a houseplant fertilizer.

Poinsettia care

• Leaves will drop due to low light, drafts, or over-watering.

Growing Poinsettia as a houseplant

• Poinsettias purchased for the winter holidays can be grown indoors until the bracts drop in the spring.
• When bracts drop, cut the plants back and either continue to grow the original plant or use the prunings for rooting new plants.
• Plants benefit from being placed outdoors in partial sun during the summer and can be pinched to keep [p them compact.
• Move plants back indoors in early autumn.
• To force them to bloom for the holidays, shade them with black cloth with a box that covers the entire plant, or by putting the plant in a closet each night.
• Shade the plants for 15 hours each night for about six weeks.
• pending on the variety, plants will bloom in 8 to 11 weeks after the start of the shading process.

How to make Poinsettias bloom again

• In early spring, cut the stems back to 4” to 6” (10-15cm); in mid-spring repot in a slightly larger container.
• Move outdoors to a sunny spot after nighttime temperatures are about 60°F (15°C).
• Pinch out growing shoots once or twice to keep plant compact.
• Water regularly and feed every 2 weeks while outdoors.
• Before nighttime temperatures fall to 55°F (13°C)., bring indoors to a sunny window.
• In early autumn, initiate flower buds by moving the plant to a closet or other darkened room each night to give the plant more than 12 hours of darkness.

Poinsettia propagation

• Take tip or stem cuttings in late spring and early summer; allow to dry overnight before rooting in moist sand.