It’s easy to treat poinsettias like another Christmas decoration, one to put on display wherever they look best, and then kindly put away—or discard—when the holidays are over. But these festive poinsettia plants are as alive and eager to grow as any of our year-round houseplants. If we care for them well, their vibrant blooms will brighten our homes at Christmas and into the New Year!
The Story of Poinsettias
The American diplomat, Joel Poinsett, discovered poinsettias on the hillsides of Mexico during Christmas in the 1820s. The local people called them Flor de la Nochebuena, or the Christmas Eve flower. He sent clippings back to the United States, where they slowly became the iconic houseplant of Christmas, widely admired for their seasonal reds and greens.
How Do You Take Care of a Poinsettia Indoors?
If you care for your poinsettias well, they’ll not only color your homes during the holidays, but last for weeks into January and sometimes beyond. Here are some care tips to get your poinsettias looking their best:
- Light: They need at least 6 hours of bright, indirect light each day. An east-facing window gives them gentle rays in the morning, or a few feet back from a bright, south-facing window is an excellent place as well.
- Temperature: Poinsettias prefer temperatures between 65-75 degrees, which is often the normal temperature range in most homes. Just take care that they’re not scorched near a fireplace, or chilled by a cold draft or open door.
- Water: Poinsettias like to be kept moist, but not soggy or sitting in water. Aim to water when the soil surface is dry to touch. If they’re in a foil wrapping, take them out before watering, and leave them in the sink so water drips out before returning them to the foil. Underwatering or excess watering are common lapses in care that make the plant wilt and affect the blooms.
How Do You Keep Poinsettia Plants Alive All Year?
Even after their blooms are over, you can take care of poinsettias year-round. They are perennials and will rebloom again next winter, with a few tricks. Once the flowers fade, they naturally go into a dormant (rest period), where they’ll need less water. In March or April, cut them back to half of their size. Once temperatures are consistently above 55 degrees, you can move them outdoors for the summer.
Summer Poinsettia Care Outside
Carefully choose a spot where they won’t be scorched from direct sun, but still have access to indirect light. When poinsettias are blooming during the winter, they don’t need fertilizer, but you can start fertilizing them when they come out of their dormant state in the spring, and start growing in the summer. When June and July comes, pinch off new growth to promote a fuller shape.
Fall Poinsettia Care: How to Encourage New Blossoms
After you take them inside for the fall, poinsettias need a period of dark nights in order to bloom in December. Starting in October, make sure they receive 12-14 hours of darkness every night. Even light through the crack in a door can disturb them. After 8 weeks, restore them to their normal conditions, and watch as the colored bracts start to show.
If you care for your poinsettia well, you’ll be rewarded with gifts of beautifully colored flower bracts for Christmas. Usually, a plant nursery does all of that prep work for you. But even if you buy them when they’re already blooming in December, you can still care for them diligently to make the blooms their brightest during the holidays and beyond!
Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery in the Chicagoland area.