Poinsettias are perennial shrubs capable of thriving year-round with appropriate care. This tropical species, Euphorbia pulcherrima, naturally grows as a large shrub or small tree in its native habitat. The vibrant red, pink, or white structures commonly mistaken for flower petals are actually modified leaves called bracts. The true flowers are the tiny, inconspicuous yellow structures located in the center of the bracts.
The Origin of the Holiday Association
The strong connection between the poinsettia and the December holidays has roots in its natural growth cycle and historical introduction. Native to Mexico and Central America, the plant naturally enters its blooming period during the short days of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The Aztecs called the plant cuetlaxochitl and used its colorful bracts for dye and its milky sap for medicinal purposes.
The plant received its modern name in the United States from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. Poinsett, an amateur botanist, encountered the brilliant red plants near Taxco, Mexico, in 1828 and sent cuttings back to South Carolina. Commercial growers capitalized on the plant’s natural winter coloring, timing cultivation cycles to ensure millions reached peak color for the Christmas season. This strategic marketing solidified the poinsettia’s role as a cultural fixture for holiday decorating.
Year-Round Survival and Growth
Keeping a poinsettia alive after the holidays requires treating it as an active houseplant. Poinsettias thrive in bright, indirect light, ideally near a south, east, or west-facing window, and prefer steady temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the plant is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, avoid placing it in drafty areas or near cold window panes.
Proper water management is essential; allow the soil to dry slightly to the touch before watering thoroughly. Drain any excess water immediately to prevent root rot. Once the colorful bracts fade (usually around March or April), prune the stems back to about four to six inches to encourage new, bushier growth. Fertilization should begin once new green growth appears, using a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength every two weeks throughout the spring and summer.
Inducing Color Change (Reblooming)
Reblooming involves manipulating the plant’s response to light, known as photoperiodism, to induce colored bracts. The poinsettia is a “short-day” plant, requiring long periods of uninterrupted darkness to trigger the change from vegetative growth to color production. This light control must begin around October 1st and continue for eight weeks.
The plant needs 14 hours of complete, continuous darkness every night, typically from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., followed by 10 hours of bright, indirect sunlight during the day. Even a brief flash of artificial light will disrupt the cycle and prevent coloring. Home growers often place the plant in a light-proof closet or cover it completely with a cardboard box to ensure total darkness.
During this eight-week period, keep temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Fertilization should be stopped during the darkness treatment. Once the bracts show good color, the darkness treatment can cease, and the plant can be returned to its normal bright, indirect light location, resuming fertilization.