Care Tips & Tricks for Your Locally Grown Poinsettia

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Poinsettias are one of the most iconic Christmas houseplants; millions are sold around the world every year, with 70 million in the US alone in just 6 weeks!

Poinsettias are tropical plants that grow natively from Mexico to Southern Guatemala. In their native habitat, they grow into trees and can reach heights of up to 16 feet tall. They turn red in December, painting the hills a dramatic shade of crimson.

In the late 1820s, Joel Roberts Poinsett, an avid amateur botanist, was appointed ambassador to Mexico from the USA. He was fascinated by poinsettias and sent some home to his greenhouses in Charleston, South Carolina. By 1936, they had become very popular across the US at Christmas time. Their popularity has exploded around the world since then. Every year, we grow over 16,000 poinsettias right here in Northwest Arkansas.

Facts About The Poinsettias

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The red “flowers” on poinsettia plants are not actually the blossoms, they’re actually modified leaves called bracts. The actual blossoms of the poinsettia are the tiny yellow clusters of blooms in the centers of the leaf bracts. The leaves on poinsettias turn red through a process of photoperiodism. This means that when the plants experience extended periods of darkness, up to 14-16 hours in the weeks leading up to Christmas, some of the leaves change color to red.

If you keep your poinsettia through to next Christmas, you can encourage it to turn red again by making sure it gets good care and extended periods of complete darkness starting in September or October. However, don’t be surprised if this turns out to be a challenge!

The Poisonous Poinsettia Myth

The stubborn myth that poinsettias are poisonous has been going around for decades, but it is untrue. Scientific studies have proven many times in recent years that poinsettias are not poisonous to children or pets. A fifty-pound kid would need to eat at least 500 poinsettia leaves before experiencing any dangerous effects. If a pet ate several whole leaves they might get an upset stomach, but the plant is not poisonous. However, the sensitive poinsettia leaves will not appreciate being nibbled on by pets, so it’s still a good idea to keep them out of reach.

Here are a few care tips and tricks for keeping your locally grown Westwood poinsettia happy all season long.

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Bringing Your Poinsettia Home

As a tropical plant, poinsettias are very sensitive to cold. If you pick them up on day below 50°F, make sure they are wrapped well and protected with a blanket on the way home. Whatever you do, don’t leave them in a cold car! Get them inside the house as quickly as possible. If exposed to temperatures below 50°F, poinsettias will wilt and die very quickly.

Location & Temperature

Choose a location in your home that is warm and bright for most of the day. Try to keep poinsettias away from heating vents or drafts from doors and windows. Poinsettias prefer a stable temperature between 65-75°F, and are okay with a drop to about 60°F at night. Never let them sit in temperatures below 50°F.

Lighting

Poinsettias needs plenty of bright light, at least 6 hours a day. But, they don’t like really like direct sunlight, so don’t set them right by a south window.

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Watering

As a tropical native, poinsettias do not care for soggy roots. Wait until the top of the soil is dry to the touch before watering. The best way to water poinsettia is from the bottom of their pot. Remove the pot from its decorative foil wrapping and set it in a few inches of water in the kitchen sink. Let it soak up as much as it needs for about an hour. Then, drain the sink, and let the plant sit in the sink to drain out for about 30 minutes before returning it to its wrapper or pot. It’s a good idea to check it again in a couple of hours to see if any water has collected in the wrapper or pot, and empty it out so the roots don’t sit in standing water.

If you haven’t picked up a poinsettia yet, come visit one of our Westwood Gardens locations, in Fayetteville, Rogers, or Springdale. Our poinsettias are grown with care here in Northwest Arkansas, so they haven’t traveled thousands of miles in a truck. They’ve never been exposed to cold temperatures, and they have lots of room to grow, dedicated daily care, and they’re inspected regularly to ensure optimum health. You can be sure your poinsettia from Westwood Gardens will be healthy, happy, and will last through the entire Christmas season.

Come to one of our locations today and see all the different colors we carry and find the perfect poinsettia for your holiday decor.

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Care Tips & Tricks for Your Locally Grown Poinsettia

Up your gardening game.