Poinsettia Day 2024 is on Thursday, December 12, 2024: How long are poinsettias supposed to live?
Thursday, December 12, 2024 is Poinsettia Day 2024. The poinsettia ( or ) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a culturally and commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family that is indigenous to Mexico and Central America.
The poinsettia ( or ) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a culturally and commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family that is indigenous to Mexico and Central America.
The Poinsettia is discovered in Southern Mexico by American botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, whose dying is commemorated by Poinsettia Day. The scientific reputation for the Poinsettia is Euphorbia Pulcherrima.
Christmas and poinsettias are practically inseparable. As you venture forth on one of the busiest shopping days of the season, you'll likely see poinsettias adorning more stores, more homes and more businesses than any other plant.
Poinsettias had their beginning in Mexico near present-day Taxco during Aztec times. For most of the year, these nondescript shrubs have no particular beauty, but when the days get shorter they develop brilliant red flowers. The Aztecs called it "Cuetlaxochitle," and it was a symbol of purity.
The Monet Twilight poinsettia is one of many variations. Albert Ecke started cultivating the plant in California in the early 1900s.
Courtesy Ecke Ranch
The poinsettia's namesake, Joel Roberts Poinsett, was a plantation owner and botanist from South Carolina. From 1825-29, he served as the United States' first ambassador to Mexico, and while visiting Taxco, he was impressed with the brilliant red flowers he found blooming in December. He sent some of the plants to his greenhouse in the United States.
A German taxonomist had already given them their botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, in 1833, but because of Poinsett's connections with the plants, poinsettia has become the accepted common name.
The poinsettia's history as a cultivated crop starts with Albert Ecke. He emigrated from Germany to Southern California and began growing the bright scarlet flowers in the early 1900s. His son, Paul, realized the potential of the plant and in 1920 developed the first successful poinsettia cultivar grown as an indoor potted plant.
Paul turned the family business over to his son in the mid-1960s. Paul Jr. assembled scientific and technical knowledge to bring the Ecke ranch into prominence. At his passing, it passed to other family members, who continue the tradition today.
More than 75 percent of the poinsettias grown in North America — and 50 percent grown in the world — get their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, Calif. Each year their plant breeders hybridize more than 10,000 different new varieties of plants.
Poinsettias today are much different than the plant Poinsett sent to his plantation. Although red is the traditional color, new and exciting hues are growing in popularity. Among the new varieties are pinks, whites, purples and multicolored offerings. One new variety is Plum Pudding, the first purple poinsettia. Another variety, Heirloom Peach, has a distinctive coral color. Another innovation is the Winter Rose Series, which features flowers of pink, white, red or marble.
The Jingle Bells poinsettia is a descendant of the original red Mexican plant.
Courtesy Ecke Ranch
For the longest-lasting, most attractive plants, look for those with mature, thoroughly colored and expanded bracts (the colorful parts of the poinsettia). Look for plenty of dark, rich, green foliage as a sign of good plant health. The best plants have dense, plentiful foliage all the way down the stem. If the leaves are turning yellow or dropping, choose a different plant.
Look for plants that are balanced, full and attractive from all angles. One generally accepted standard is that the best plants are approximately 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container.
Durability and freshness are critical. Select plants with stiff stems, good bract and leaf retention, with no signs of wilting, breaking or drooping. Avoid plants that are displayed too long in paper, plastic or mesh sleeves. Poinsettias need space; the longer they remain sleeved, the more the plant quality will deteriorate.
Examine the soil and avoid waterlogged soil, particularly if the plant appears wilted. This is often a sign of root rot. When transporting the plant, protect it from chilly winds and temperatures below 50¼ F. Put the poinsettia into a sleeve or a large, roomy shopping bag to provide adequate protection for transporting the plant home when it is cold and windy.
Poinsettias thrive on indirect, natural daylight. Give them at least six hours of diffused light daily. To prolong the bright color of the poinsettia bracts, keep daytime temperatures under 70¼ F. Never place the plants near drafts, excess heat or the dry air from televisions, fireplaces or ventilating ducts.
Poinsettias require moderately moist soil, so water the plants thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. Remove the plant from decorative pots or covers that will keep the plant in standing water. The most serious disease is root rot, so never let the poinsettia remain in standing water or it could kill the plant. When you do water, completely saturate the soil. It is not necessary to fertilize the poinsettia when it is in bloom.
Poinsettia plant.....?
Poinsettia need Indirect, filtered light when you first bring them home for the holidays.
Put your poinsettias in a place protected from both warm and cold drafts. Don't put them in direct sunlight. Your plants need INDIRECT sunlight for at least six hours per day; if direct sun can't be avoided, diffuse the light with a shade or sheer curtain. Ideally poinsettias thrive at a daytime temperature between 60 and 70 degrees. Nighttime temperature of about 55 degrees is ideal. Keeping the temperature low at night will lengthen the plant’s life, but don't expose the plant to temperature below 50 degrees.
To prolong the bright color of the bracts, temperatures should not exceed 72°F. during the day or 60°F. at night.
Check the soil daily and keep the plant in a well-drained pot. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch, but make sure you drain excess water from the saucer. Always remove a plant from any decorative container before watering and allow to drain completely before replacing it.
Avoid under- and overwatering. "If you don’t water enough, the plant will wilt and the lower leaves will drop off. Overwatering will cause the roots to rot and the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Root rot is likely if the pot has no drainage holes in the bottom. If it has no holes, make some... If it has holes but they’re covered by foil, either poke holes in the foil or remove it."
They go through a cycle of growth... then rest.
In late December, or when the leaves begin to drop, get the plant ready for a dormant (resting) period. Decrease the watering & when the leaves drop... cut the stems back to about two or three growth buds or “eyes”. Store the poinsettia plant in a cool place like a basement.
In late spring when the danger of frost is over bring your poinsettia out of its dormancy by watering deeply and setting the plant in a bright, sunny place outdoors. Or repot it using fresh soil, water it, & put it on a patio or protected spot. Trim new shoots sprouting from the stems to only three or four shoots. Give the plant a little fertilizer two or three times a year during its growing season.
Bring them indoors in the fall before it frosts. Beginning in September,keep them at 50 degrees and in total darkness (in a closet) for 14-15 hours per day.
Around Thanksgiving, you'll notice your plant turning leafy & the colors returning. Bring them back out into filtered sunlight and thoroughly water it again.
Good Luck! Merry Christmas! Hope this helps.
Help growing poinsettias?
Considered an indoor holiday plant, Poinsettias are native to Mexico and do well in tropical climates. As indoor plants they are quite easy to take care of and can be kept for weeks or months depending on the kind of care they receive and the variety you purchase. While most people throw away their plants after the holidays there is no reason a poinsettia cannot be kept and made to bloom year after year with special care.
The Plant
Poinsettias are memorable for their red bracts (modified leaves) that are often mistaken for flower petals. The actual flowers of the poinsettias are at the center of the bracts. Careful breeding has resulted in over 100 different varieties ranging from white to pink to a mixture of shades. These plants are a perennial flowering shrub growing up to ten feet tall in their natural habitat. Poinsettias contain a milky sap which is helpful in propagation which can be achieved with a cutting and some rooting hormone available at most home improvement stores. Contrary to popular myth, poinsettias are not poisonous.
Basic Care
When purchasing a poinsettia look for a plant where little or now yellow pollen is showing on the flower clusters. This indicates that the plant is fresh. Bring it home immediately well protected from the elements. Never leave poinsettias in a cold care as even brief exposure to cold may damage this tropical plant. Find a place in your home that is protected from both warm and cold drafts. Ideally poinsettias thrive at a daytime temperature between 60 and 70 degrees. Nighttime temperature of about 55 degrees is ideal. Keeping the temperature low at night will lengthen the plant’s life. Check the soil daily and keep the plant in a well-drained pot. Water when the soil is dry. Only Fertilize (once a month with houseplant fertilizer) if you plan on keeping the plant past the holiday season.
Poinsettia Reflowering
After the holiday season is over (February or early March), cut back the plant to 4-6 inches in height. Fertilize with regular houseplant fertilizer about once a month and water as usual. Repot in late spring or early summer to a container about 2 inches larger. Make sure the soil is moist. Keep plant in a sunny window. You can also start new poinsettias using the cuttings and some rooting hormone. Dip the cuttings in the hormone powder and place in moist quality potting soil. Make sure the new plants are well watered.
The poinsettia can be placed outdoors after all danger of frost is over and the night temperature is above 60 degrees. If you put your plant outside, choose a shady place at first until the plant is acclimated to the sun. Plants get sunburn just as humans can. If you choose, you may sink the pot directly into a flower bed turning it about a quarter turn each week to prevent rooting through the bottom and promote even exposure to the sun. During the summer, fertilizer can be increased to once every two weeks. To encourage a bushy plant with lots of flowers, pinch or cut growing shoots to promote branching off every 3-4 weeks. Make sure you leave two or three large fully expanded leaves below the pinch. Continue this practice until mid-August.
Before the night temperatures fall below 55 degrees bring the poinsettia indoors to a sunny location preferably a southern window. Check for pests and remove any diseased portions of the plant. Reduce the amount of fertilizer at this time to once a month. To get the plant to flower you need to make sure the plant experiences short days and long nights. This means that during the night there must not be any light. One way to achieve this is to place the plant in a closet or basement (as long as it’s not too cold) at night. You can also cover the plant with a heavy cloth or paper bag. Even short periods of light can interfere with flowering. Begin the dark period at 5PM every day beginning in late September or early October and ending in December. Dark periods must last12 hours for flowers to set. In 60 to 85 days (depending on the variety) the flowers should mature. During the day, give the poinsettia as much light as possible. Once the bracts are fully expanded dark periods are not as important but do still help with the plant growth and development.
