Poinsettia Care Tips

Holiday Plants| Houseplants

Poinsettias are a clear indication that the holiday season has arrived.  These days, they come in many different varieties that will suit the tastes or decor of just about any home or business.  It has been so much fun to see our Garden Center bursting with shades of red, white, pink and even green poinsettias. They are most definitely beautiful, but you may have had poinsettias and found that they didn’t do well once you got them home.  We want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you, so we have put together tips for how to best care for your poinsettias.

Pick the best location!

Like all houseplants, location is key to a poinsettia’s survival.  Poinsettias are tropical plants and are actually native to Mexico (Check out this site for lots of poinsettia facts!).  Poinsettias prefer bright, sunny, indirect light that comes from a South, East or West facing window–a North facing window will probably not provide enough light.  They will do best in a warm location that is not drafty.  They can tolerate temps as low as 65℉, but prefer it much warmer. It is a great idea to run a humidifier in the room with your poinsettias.  (The extra moisture in the air will probably benefit you, too.) It is not a deal-breaker if you choose not to have a humidifier, but it will help. Alternatively, you could also place your poinsettias near other houseplants to expose them to more moisture.  

Keep them watered!

Water your poinsettias thoroughly once the soil is mostly dry.  You do not want your poinsettias to dry out completely.  However, you also do not want to over-water. When you water, dump any extra water that remains in the saucer.  This may mean you will have to take them out of the lovely foil wrapper they came in to water them. Let them drain, then you can return them to their shiny suit.  

Other tidbits and troubleshooting!

  • No need to fertilize your poinsettias this season.
  • If your poinsettias start to wilt, most likely, they need water.  
  • If you poinsettias start losing leaves, chances are they’re not getting enough light.  Move them to a brighter location and see if they perk back up.
  • Some of the leaves toward the base of the plant will dry up and die.  Remove those leaves and keep the soil free from debris.
  • You can keep your poinsettias after the holiday season passes.  Just continue to water and care for them. The leaves will turn back to green.  If you keep them through next year, check out this site for how to get the leaves to turn red again.  Just a heads up–it is a bit of a process. (And if you have a knack for this, you are our hero!)

Enjoy your poinsettias! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah, friends!