Your Guide to the Ultimate Christmas Plant – Poinsettias

One of the most popular plants during the festive season is the Christmas Star, otherwise known as the Poinsettia. We've put together this guide for you to learn how to care for poinsettias as well as a few fun facts, and how you can possibly get more than one year out of the beautiful, festive plant!

10 Fun Facts About the Poinsettia

1. Poinsettias are commonly known as Christmas Star

2. They're the most popular Christmas plant worldwide

3. Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and Central America

4. They belong to the spurge family

5. The plant is named after botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett. He went on to first introduce the plant to the United States in the 1820s while serving as the first U.S Ambassador to Mexico

6. The colourful leafy blooms we see on poinsettias are not actually flowers, they are bracts

7. The Poinsettia's flower is the small yellow bloom located at its centre

8. Their botanical name is Euphorbia Pulcherrima, which translates to "very beautiful"

9. There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias

10. Despite being commonly available in different shades of red, poinsettias also come in a whole host of other colours, including white, pink, pale green and orange

How to Care for the Poinsettia

1. This easy to grow plant enjoys a bright, draught-free location. Ideally, place it on a bright windowsill with a radiator close by.

2. Poinsettias will hold their colour for many months with just a little care and attention over the festive period.

3. The key element is not to overwater your plant! Allow the surface of the compost to dry before adding tepid water to it.

4. We also recommend providing it with a liquid feed of fertiliser every month. This will help to maintain a rich colour in both the foliage and bracts.

How to Encourage Another Year Out of Your Poinsettias

While Poinsettias are often disappointing in their second year, it's not impossible to encourage another year out of them. Read on below to learn the best way to try and get a good display from your Poinsettias for a second year:

1. Prune back the plants hard in April, to about 10cm (4 inches).

2. Re-pot them, growing them in a light, cool place over the summer months. A temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F) is ideal.

3. Flowering and bract colouring is initiated by short winter day-length, occurring naturally in December and January. To help the process along, place your poinsettia in a dark room, free from any light sources, for a few hours each day.

4. Poinsettias need a constant temperature of around 18°C (55°F) to colour up well. Ensure they do not get too cold.