For decades poinsettias have been the official plant of the holiday season with over five million poinsettias grown annually in Canadian greenhouses. They’re beloved for their large showy blooms that are not true flowers, but rather leaf-like structures called bracts. The actual flower of the poinsettia is the tiny bud-like cluster in the center of each bract.
The classic Christmas poinsettia has bright red decorative bracts, but thanks to plant breeding, there is now a wide assortment of colours available. White, burgundy, and pink poinsettias are popular, but you’ll also find plants with salmon, yellow, and orange bracts. I’ve even spotted purple and blue poinsettias. Yes, blue. These are obviously not natural but dyed or painted.
Then there are the poinsettias with bi-coloured bracts. They can be red speckled with white, white blushed with pink, or any number of unique colour combinations. Some growers even spray poinsettias with glitter for extra holiday sparkle.
In coming years, we’ll be seeing even more unique poinsettias with some of the latest breeding resulting in better "glitter" or speckling of the bracts, and non-traditional leaf shapes. Typically, poinsettias have leaves with several points, similar to the shape of a holly leaf. Recent introductions, however, include Christmas mouse, a poinsettia that has rounded leaves and bracts for a very unusual appearance.
You’ll also find a wide variety of poinsettia plant sizes for sale at local florists, garden centers, and supermarkets. Most come in eight, ten, or twelve inch pots, but mini poinsettias have been very popular the last few years.
Mini poinsettias come in tiny two-inch diameter pots and are generally just six to eight inches tall. They’re adorable and hard to resist, but because they have such a small volume of soil, they dry out quickly and tend to have a short lifespan. If you want your mini poinsettia, which is really just a normal-sized plant forced to grow in a too-small pot, to thrive, water it often and consider moving it to a larger four or six inch diameter pot once the holidays are over.
Whether you’ve bought or been gifted a poinsettia, here are my four tips for not killing it. That said, if you decide to throw it on your compost pile in January, I won’t judge you.
Smart transportation
As a tropical plant poinsettias don’t like cold weather. If you’re spending the day holiday shopping or running errands, don’t buy a poinsettia unless it’s your last stop. If you leave a poinsettia in freezing temperatures in a car for more than a few minutes, the plant may respond by dropping leaves. I bring a fabric shopping bag to protect it from cold and take it indoors as soon as I get home.
Bright and warm
A room with bright, natural light encourages healthy growth while prolonging and preserving bract colour. Avoid sunny windows and overly warm rooms. A spot kept between 18 to 22C is perfect.
Avoid drafts
Placing a poinsettia near a door where it will continually be subjected to cold drafts is the quickest way to kill your poinsettia. Also keep it away from excessive heat from fireplaces, wood stoves, and heat pumps.
Water mindfully
Don’t water a poinsettia on a schedule. Instead, keep an eye on the soil, watering when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. Poinsettias appreciate moist but not wet soil. Mini poinsettias likely need to be watered daily.
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Niki Jabbour is a radio host and the best-selling author of three gardening books, including Veggie Garden Remix. Find her on social media and at SavvyGardening.com.
