Poinsettia Care

Here we are well into the post-holiday doldrums, and many of us are wondering how we can keep our poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) alive as year-round houseplants. Based on our previous experiences with them the answer is probably witchcraft, but after some trial and error we do have some tips to help you keep your plant thriving throughout the year!

These popular holiday plants originate from Mexico, and have strikingly colored leaves that lend a bright and festive air to your home in the middle of dreary winter — especially if you’re like me and live in a northern climate. If you’re not a fan of the traditional red, you can find a wide variety of other colors as well.

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Watering

Watering is one of the key things to get a good handle on for these plants. They don’t want to be soaking wet all of the time; you can let them dry out a little between watering. Bear in mind that your household’s temperature and humidity level along with the size of the pot and many other factors will influence how often you need to water. If you have one wrapped in foil, either remove the foil or punch a few holes into the bottom to give it drainage.

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Light

Poinsettias love light — so give them plenty of direct light! If you have a southern exposure window, that’s a good place for them. You can move them outdoors during the summer to areas with morning sun or partial afternoon sun.

Photo credit: 阿橋花譜 KHQ Flower Guide on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Temperature

Keep an eye on the weather (or the thermostat). It’s time to bring them indoors when the temperatures get below 65°F — otherwise these plants are fine in normal household temps. Keep them away from drafty windows, doors, or air conditioning/heating vents.

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Fertilizer

You can give your poinsettia an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer about once a month, but do not fertilize the plant while it’s in bloom!

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Blooming

If you want your poinsettia to re-bloom for the festive season, it’s going to need around twelve hours of darkness each day beginning in early autumn (think the end of September/beginning of October). You can place it in a closet or pop a box over it and move it or uncover it during the daytime for its regular dose of sunlight.

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Toxicity

Bear in mind that if you have curious kids or pets, you’ll want to place your poinsettia out of their reach, and in fact if you have a latex allergy you may want to wear garden gloves when pruning or re-potting. (Remember, it’s always good to check if your new plant is toxic!)

If you want more tips and tricks or just to connect and chat with other plant people around the world, check out our global community on Facebook!