Holiday Poinsettia Care
/
Charming gift poinsettia from a neighbor keeping me company in the kitchen. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Holiday Poinsettia Care
Millions of poinsettias will be making their way from retailers to homes this week, a popular holiday decorating as well as gift item. One of the biggest mistakes I see people making, especially in temperatures below 70F, is taking the poinsettias out from a warm environment into cold. If you are purchasing poinsettias for whatever reason, ask them to be wrapped and, better yet, have a lightweight blanket you can place around the plant(s) as you move them to a warm car you drive close to the retailer entrance.
These are tropical plants, native of Mexico, and they don’t do well in colder temperatures. If you want to extend their life span, make sure to keep them warm as you move them home and present them as gifts. I keep brown bags stashed in the garage just for this kind of contingency. Brown bags will help protect the delicate poinsettia bracts from the cold.
Secondly, when shopping for a poinsettia, look in the center for tighly-closed yellow buds, those are the actual flowers. Poinsettias without yellow centers are older and won’t last as long.
Finally, place your poinsettias away from a heat source in indirect light.
If they have tin foil over the pot, remove the tin foil and add a saucer underneath. Don’t overwater, keep the soil moist without being water logged.
With a little care, you can keep your poinsettias through the year to re-bloom next year.
Last year’s gift poinsettias re-blooming for this year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
This was a gift poinsettia from two years ago now that has survived construction, poor watering schedule and getting knocked over a couple of times while it was summering outside.
The bracts, or leaves when they are green are a pretty shape and color and can easily be included in with other shade plants. I like them bunched up with my straight-leaf Bromeliads under trees in summer.
If you would rather not have to water anything, you can add the poinsettia vibe in your home decor with our crochet poinsettia throw.
Poinsettias emit a white sap when cut or broken. For some time it was assumed the sap was poisonous but it isn’t. I don’t let me cats chew the bracts but that’s more for the aesthetics of it.
One last note: poinsettias are red and may continue to bloom into Valentine’s Day, February 14 so enjoy these lovely plants through several seasons.
