They’re everywhere this time of year. You probably even have one in your living room. Poinsettias! So here are some poinsettia facts you may or may not know.
Poinsettia Facts
- Poinsettia’s botanical name is Euphorbia Pulcherrima. Their common name, Poinsettia, is in honor of the man who saw them growing in Mexico and brought them to America—Joel Roberts Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
- They are the top-selling potted plant. About 20% of the potted plants we buy are poinsettias.
- The beautiful flowers we buy them for are actually NOT the flowers! The flowers are those tiny yellow centers. Those bright colors we see are modified leaves called Bracts. They turn color in response to the flowers.
- In the wild, poinsettias can grow 10 to 15 feet high.
- Poinsettias are NOT highly toxic! Studies show that a child would have to eat about 500 leaves to get seriously ill. The leaves do contain latex, however, and can cause vomiting and diarrhea, so it’s best for children or pets to not eat them. People who have a sensitivity to latex may find the sap irritating to their skin.
- California is the top grower of poinsettias, growing almost 7 million a year!
- Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico. Aztecs used to use the red flowers for dye.
To Grow Your Own
When you get your poinsettia, if the pot is wrapped in foil, poke holes in the bottom of it so your poinsettia can drain freely when you water it. Thereafter, allow your poinsettia to dry out about a third of the way down. Do not let it go so dry that it wilts. Keep in a spot that gets very bright but indirect light all day. It can take some direct sun but make sure it’s BEFORE 10:00 a.m. or AFTER 2:30 p.m. Do NOT feed while it is blooming. Start feeding a couple of weeks after it’s finished blooming.
If you want to try and keep it till next year, here’s what to do. If you choose to put it outside over the summer, put it in bright shade. Direct summer sun will burn the leaves. Also, do not put it out until night temperatures are staying over 55 degrees.
If you want to bloom it again next year, give it a pruning in March/April to about 8-inches tall. This will encourage it to branch out over the summer. Around the first part of September, the poinsettia needs about 14 hours of UNINTERRUPTED darkness at night—this means that a spare bedroom with a street light outside the window isn’t going to work. Some people place them in a closet every night; other people turn a box upside down and place it over them. But it IS the uninterrupted darkness that encourages bloom. You can discontinue the short day/long night treatment when the top leaves begin to turn color.
Poinsettias are beautiful and fun to grow. Enjoy!