Poinsettia Care Guide
An iconic holiday plant, you know it’s Christmas time when you see poinsettias!
Why People Love This Plant
These beauties come in multiple colors, but are best know for their bright red petals with clusters of green and yellow at the center. While poinsettias are best known for the holiday season, it is possible to keep them growing throughout the year! Native to Mexico, these plants love the tropics. Fun fact: Poinsettias are thought to be very toxic, however they actually are not that toxic! They are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs who ingest the plant.
Your Guide to Care
Care: Easy, give your poinsettia care and enjoy it throughout the holidays and longer!
Light: Poinsettias like bright, indirect sunlight. If keeping your poinsettia indoors we recommend placing it by an east facing window or alternatively, place it a few feet back from a south or west facing. Make sure the plant is not touching the window as this could harm your plant. An indicator of too much direct sun is pale, bleached looking leaves.
Water: These are not incredibly thirsty plants, in fact they prefer to be on the dry side. Water when the soil is visibly dry or the top half of the soil is dry to the touch. While they are not heavy drinkers, if you keep your poinsettia in an extremely dry area it is possible it would need to be watered everyday. A good way to tell if your plant needs water is by lifting it, if it feels light then it needs watered!
Temperature: 60 to 75F is an ideal temperature range for your poinsettias. They thrive in warm climates so make sure not to exposure them to sudden cold temperature changes and keep them away from drafty doors and windows if it is cold outside.
Humidity: These holiday beauties request above average levels of humidity (think 50% or more). If you have a lot of dry heat in your home or live in a dry region make sure to mist your plant daily or use a humidifier.
Feeding: Fertilizing can be done once a month from spring to fall and halted in the winter.
Bonus
Spotting some yellow or wilting leaves? It could be for one of the following reasons: overwatering (if you have soggy soil), underwatering (if your soil is bone dry), too much light, a sudden temperature change (cold), or over fertilizing.
For poinsettia wrapped in foil, make sure to punch holes in the bottom of the soil to allow the plant to drain.
Tag us on Instagram @tropicalplantsofflorida with a Poinsettia plant selfie!
