Caring for a red poinsettia at home (+21 photos)

Flowers

Poinsettias have recently started appearing in our flower shops during the winter holidays. They bloom so vibrantly and timely during the winter that they couldn't help but become part of Christmas decor, hence the flower's nickname—the Christmas star or the Star of Bethlehem. This flower's popularity stems not only from its beauty but also from its low maintenance requirements.

Characteristics of the variety

Poinsettia, or Euphorbia pulcherrima, belongs to the Euphorbia genus of the Euphorbiaceae family. It is an evergreen shrub that reaches a height of 30-50 cm indoors, although in its native habitat, its standard height is 1.5 m, with giants reaching up to 4 meters. Scientists have developed this compact size for ease of transportation and cultivation in any space-saving environment.

The leaves are pointed, elliptical, 10-15 cm long, dark green in color.

The flowers are inconspicuous, small, and yellow. But they are framed by luxurious, bright red bracts, and it is these that most people refer to as "flowers." Breeders have developed varieties with yellow, white, pink, cream, and bicolor bracts.

All Euphorbiaceae plants have a milky sap in their stems, which is essentially a liquid latex and helps the plant to ward off thirst in low-water climates.

Secrets and difficulties of caring for flowers at home

Poinsettias are often grown as disposable ornamentals, discarded after flowering. This is why some believe they don't survive, but rather die. However, this isn't true, and with some effort, they can be encouraged to bloom again.

Temperature conditions

Its southern home has accustomed the spurge to warmth: 18-20 degrees Celsius is ideal, but it can also tolerate temperatures as low as 25 degrees Celsius. However, drafts and cold temperatures are unacceptable; the plant responds to these by shedding its leaves.

During the dormant period at the end of winter, the plant requires a temperature drop to 14 degrees Celsius. After 1-2 months, it will need warmth again. This temperature change will allow the plant to bloom again.

Light

Poinsettias love sunny windowsills, but in summer they should be protected from direct sunlight. And most importantly, after flowering, they should be removed from direct sunlight for a month or two to establish a resting period and "recharge" the plant for the new season and repeated flowering. After this period, the pot should be returned to the windowsill.

The fact is that for poinsettias to bloom in December, they need short days, and this is created artificially: the pot is hidden in a closet for 12 hours or covered with an opaque bag. For the second 12 hours, it should be exposed to light. These actions should be stopped once the plant begins to flower.

Watering and fertilizing

The soil should be slightly dry at the top, and then water the plant immediately. Be vigilant to ensure there's no water left in the tray; this balance of sufficient water is crucial.

Take note!

During the dormant period, reduce watering to a minimum, just enough to prevent the root ball from drying out completely. The plant enjoys misting during flowering, using a fine mist spray around the plant to create a "mist cloud."

During the active flowering period, the plant needs to be fed fairly frequently—once every two weeks. Experts recommend using fertilizers containing potassium. Fertilizers based on vermicompost will also have a beneficial effect.

How to propagate and transplant a flower at home

Propagating poinsettias isn't easy; most often, it's achieved in specialized farms where they're grown en masse for sale. But of course, amateur gardeners don't give up, and many are rewarded with success for their persistence.

Cuttings for propagation are taken in the spring from young shoots, when they have at least four buds with internodes. They are cut into 10-cm-long pieces. A milky sap secreted at the cut site interferes with rooting and clogs the blood vessels, so the cutting should be soaked in warm water with a rooting agent for 15 minutes.

Sometimes a method is used in which the cuttings are soaked in this solution for several days until roots form. In both cases, they are then transplanted into a substrate (peat and sand), or even into ready-made peat tablets. The cuttings in the soil should be covered with a plastic bag, creating a mini-greenhouse, keeping it warm, humid, and well-lit, opening it periodically for ventilation.

After a month, the plants will have developed a root system sufficient for repotting, and then they are cared for like mature flowers. Pinching is essential throughout the growing season to shape the bush into a beautiful form.

It's important to remember that this plant isn't the easiest to root, so each step must be approached with maximum efficiency: choose the strongest mother plant, carefully monitor water, light, and air temperature, and be careful not to miss ventilation or mold growth, which can destroy the seedling.

A mature poinsettia should be repotted after its dormant period ends, in the spring, when it begins to actively grow. It needs a larger pot, and be sure to replace the soil to ensure it receives sufficient nutrition. You don't have to shake off the soil completely to avoid damaging the roots; instead, place the plant in the new pot and add some potting mix around the sides, gently tamping it down.

The mixture should be lightweight: turf, peat, sand, and agroperlite. These ingredients will adequately retain moisture and allow excess to drain through the drainage hole into the tray.

Diseases and pests

Few plants are immune to diseases and pests. Poinsettia diseases are mostly related to improper growing conditions. For example, excessive moisture leads to fungal infections:

Fusarium rot eats the stems. First they turn brown, then rot.
Powdery mildew covers leaves and flowers with a white coating and gradually destroys them.
Gray mold attacks plants growing in damp conditions. All parts of the plant become covered with a gray moldy coating, and the leaves turn brown.

Important!

All these diseases require the use of fungicidal preparations and a mandatory review of the living conditions of the plants, otherwise the problem will recur.

Pests can also attack poinsettia:

Whiteflies are tiny white flies that suck the sap and life force from plants. Their presence is visible not only by their flight patterns but also by white spots on the undersides of leaves. The plant should be treated with insecticides.
Whitefly
Aphids cause leaves to turn yellow and fall off. It's unlikely you'll be able to simply collect the insects. You'll likely need to remove all the affected areas and treat the plant with a permethrin-containing product.
Aphid
Mealybugs are insidious insects that stunt poinsettia growth. They can be eliminated by completely replacing the soil and treating the pot and plant with an insecticide.
Mealybug

If a flower is damaged in any way, it must be isolated from others; this quarantine will prevent the problem from spreading to the entire indoor flower family.

History of flower cultivation and signs

The plant's native habitat is the Mexican tropics and Central America, where it grows up to 4 meters. The Aztecs, the indigenous people of Mexico, used the plant to produce dyes and medicines, but most importantly, in religious rituals. For them, the poinsettia was a symbol of purity and immortality. They believed that warriors killed in battle returned to earth specifically for this flower. There is also a legend about a goddess with a broken heart from love, whose drops of blood turned into flowers.

This plant also found its way into Christianity. There's a legend about a poor child who wanted to give a gift to Christ. He picked a bouquet of simple flowers by the roadside, believing that such a gift was also valuable because it was given from the heart. As soon as the child brought it, the bouquet glowed bright red, like holiday lights. Thus, the poinsettia was born and became a symbol of Christmas. It is used to decorate churches for the holiday and in symbolism.

It received its name from the first American minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, for whom botany was a great passion, and milkweed evoked admiration and delight.

He took cuttings from the plant he found, grew them, and gave them away to friends and botanical gardens, thereby establishing the poinsettia as a popular houseplant worldwide. There's even a poinsettia holiday—December 12, the day the minister died, and it was suggested that the plant be named after him as a sign of gratitude.

Remarkably, the flower has many popular names. "Bent El Consul" is the Egyptian version, also associated with Poinsent, a former consul there, and translates as "the consul's daughter." "Ataturk Flower" delights people in Turkey, commemorating the founder of their state. In the Americas, names such as "Christmas Eve," "Crown of the Andes," "Easter Flower," and "Christmas Eve Flower" are common.

The botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima was given to European botanist Alexander von Humboldt, who brought it from America, described it, and added it to the botanical register. The secret to growing it became known to a wider circle of gardeners only recently, in the 1990s.

Until then, the Ecke family from California had held a monopoly, ranking second in the flower business after Dutch tulips. Only recently have scientists mastered all the intricacies of propagation, making it possible for anyone to grow the flower.

How can a flower be dangerous for a person?

The flower's affinity to the Euphorbiaceae family indicates its toxicity. The plant's sap is caustic, irritating the skin and mucous membranes and triggering allergic reactions. Dermatitis is a risk for those with sensitive skin, as the sap can cause serious lesions.

Attention!

It is quite dangerous for the eyes, even causing temporary blindness, so you need to control your movements so as not to accidentally rub your eyes with your hand in the juice.

There's also a belief that poinsettias can cause poisoning if ingested. Fortunately, this isn't true; for poisoning to occur, a person or pet would have to consume at least 500 leaves. However, even small quantities should still be avoided to avoid digestive upset.

The juice contains cyanogenic compounds, euphorbic acid, euphorbin, and the bright bracts are especially rich in anthocyanins, which produce this pigment.

For safety, it's best to wear gloves when handling the plant or wash your hands after handling. This will ensure the plant is completely safe for you. If you have small children or pets in the house, keep the plant out of their reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do poinsettia leaves turn yellow?

There are several possible causes of yellowing leaves:

Aphids—by sucking out the sap, they deprive the leaf of chlorophyll and vitality. These leaves should be removed and the entire plant treated for pests;
dry indoor air is a good environment for spider mites, whose activity leads to yellowing and death of leaves;
A cold and overly humid room can also cause yellowing due to root rot. This problem can be resolved by adjusting the care conditions or treating the plant with the appropriate product.

If moss appears on the surface of the soil, will the flower die?

The moss itself isn't as dangerous as its cause: overwatering and acidic water. If left untreated, the plant will eventually wither, as the moss will cover the entire surface and block air flow to the roots, while stagnant water will cause rot. In this case, remove the top layer of soil from the pot, along with the moss, scrape away any remaining moss from the rim, and add fresh potting soil. Adjust watering and other care routines to prevent the problem from recurring.

Is it true that poinsettias die after flowering?

Yes, it dies because it's thrown away. In some countries where it's especially popular, like Spain, garbage dumps are literally piled high with pots of these flowers after the holidays.

This situation suggests that most people don't know what to do after their poinsettia blooms, considering it a disposable decoration, like a Christmas tree. The plant can be safely kept indoors all year and re-bloomed (perhaps less profusely) by next Christmas if you heed the advice of experts.

What is the correct way to prune a plant if it has become very elongated?

After flowering, the stem should be shortened to 15 cm. During active growth, the poinsettia will inevitably stretch and should be trimmed. Trim all shoots by a third of their length, and then maintain the decorative shape throughout the summer and fall, periodically trimming branches and removing weak ones.

It's wonderful that the Christmas Star flower is no longer shrouded in the secrecy of exclusive cultivation, but is now available to everyone thanks to scientific expertise. You can enjoy observing it during the holidays and give it a second life next season.