A Guide to The Poinsettia

The poinsettia is one of the most widely marketed plants in the United States with almost 100 million sold per year. It just happens that the majority of the entire amounts of poinsettias are sold during a six-week period of time before the Christmas holidays! Poinsettias represent about 85 percent of all the potted plants grown and are also grown commercially in all fifty states. California is the top poinsettia producing state since more than 80 percent of all commercially grown poinsettias are produced there. The United States is also the largest exporter of poinsettias.

The poinsettia is native to Mexico and there it grows to be a perennial shrub reaching 10 feet in height. A botanist from Germany gave the poinsettia its botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima, but the common name is derived from a United States Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, who also had an interest in botany. He traveled Mexico's countryside in search of new plant species and found the poinsettia in 1828 on one of his trips. He brought back cuttings of this now famous holiday plant. Although Mr. Poinsett had a successful career in politics, he will always be best remembered for introducing the poinsettia to this country. December 12 has been officially declared National Poinsettia Day in honor of Joel Poinsett on the day of his death.

The beautiful holiday poinsettia is now available in many more colors than the ever popular red. It is sold in more than 100 varieties in many sizes and colors, although the red poinsettia is by far the biggest seller. The price of the poinsettia is mostly determined by the number of colorful bracts on each plant, often called the "blooms." The actual blooms are the tiny little puffy pods in the center of the colorful bracts. So the more stems in each pot that are in beautiful color, the more expensive the poinsettia.

There are several ways to be sure the poinsettia you are buying is in good shape and has been well cared for. First, if the poinsettias are all being stored in the plastic sleeves they were shipped in, they will not be healthy if they remain in them for a long time. They should only be used for shipping the poinsettias and for getting them to your home! Another way to see how much longer the poinsettia is going to be colorful is by the tiny little true flowers in the center of the colored bracts. The little pod-like blooms will start shedding yellow pollen when their bloom cycle is going to coming to an end soon. A poinsettia that will continue in bloom and is fresh will show only tiny amounts or no pollen at all. The colorful bracts will soon drop off after all the pollen is shed from the blooms. A healthy poinsettia will also have dark-green foliage that is all the way down the stem almost to the soil level. The stems will be erect and sturdy and the bracts should be fully colored without green around the edges. The leaves shouldn't be yellowing and dropping. The poinsettia should look full, lush and not droopy.

Since poinsettias are tropical plants, they must be protected from the cold when purchased. If the temperatures are below 50 degrees, the poinsettia can go into shock from the cold and will die shortly after. If they must be purchased on a cold day, be sure they are completely covered in a plant sleeve or with some type of bag. Take them home immediately and don't leave them sitting in a cold vehicle. Once the poinsettia is home, then remove it from the plastic plant sleeve or bag and place near a sunny window. It's best to keep the poinsettia away from the heater vents and drafts from doors and not touching a cold window pane. The poinsettia will do better if it receives about six hours of light near a sunny window. It also prefers daytime temperatures around 60 to 70 degrees. Even though the plant can't take temperatures below 50 degrees, it still prefers lower night time temperatures to prolong the bloom time. Many of us are not going to have our home temperatures at 55 to 60 degrees at night, although that is what the poinsettia prefers.

The poinsettia is somewhat particular about its water requirements. It won't last long in soggy soil that never dries out, but it also will not do well if it dries out repeatedly and wilts often. It's best to water the plant when the top couple of inches of the soil feels dry to the touch. The poinsettia makes a great house plant after the blooming stops. There is no need to throw them away. Depending on when the poinsettia stops blooming, usually in early spring, the stems can be cut back to about seven or eight inches tall and then put in a sunny spot. Don't fertilize it until new growth starts again. Sometime in late spring or early summer, the poinsettia can be fertilized again and then can be repotted in the next size larger container. ( The pot should only be an inch or two larger in diameter) The plant can be kept in a sunny window or outside in a semi-shady area. After the poinsettia has several growth spurts, keep the top new growth cut back to help the plant become bushy and full. This can be done during the heaviest growth cycles, around July and again in August. The poinsettia is not poisonous, but it's best to wear gloves when pruning the plant because the milky white sap irritates some people's skin.

The poinsettia can bloom again with much patience and dedication. It requires long dark nights around the end of September. Even the smallest amount of light can affect the process and it for this reason that most people do not want to go to the trouble. If you want to try to coax the poinsettia to bloom again, then give it total darkness the end of September by putting it in a closet or covering it with a box, etc. It requires fourteen hours of total darkness, then ten hours in a sunny location. This cycle should go on for about eight to ten weeks. The poinsettia needs consistent watering and fertilizing during this period of time also. The plant should begin showing color again in the bracts. It is certainly worth the experiment for someone with the time and dedication to give it a try. The poinsettia plant can still be a healthy addition to the plant collection even if it never blooms again. I've seen them last for years as a green houseplant. They will need an occasional pruning back to keep them bushy and healthy. Maybe this year that Christmas poinsettia will be around much longer to enjoy, long after the holidays have passed.