Poinsettia or Mexican Flameleaf
Euphorbia pulcherrima (EUPHORBIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Poinsettia
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, bracts, fruit, and seeds of poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- Growing conditions for poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- When and where to plant poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- How to plant poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- How to shape, prune and control growth of poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- How to force blooms of poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf for holidays or special occasions
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- Landscape uses of poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
- Pest and disease control for poinsettia or Mexican flameleaf
Growing Poinsettia
Many cultivars of medium-growing, upright, branching, semi-evergreen shrubs, 7–10 ft. (2.2–3 m) tall and 4–6 ft. (1.2–1.8 m) wide, with smooth, bright to deep green, white, textured, spoon-shaped, pointed or rounded, veined leaves, 4–7 in. (10–18 cm) long.
Poinsettia Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Fruit
Inconspicuous, yellow flowers in winter at branch ends, surrounded by very showy, pink, red, white, sometimes variegated or marbled clusters of leaflike bracts, to 10 in. (25 cm) wide, form capsulelike fruit with seed in spring.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 8–11. Tender.
Soil Type and Fertility
Damp to dry, well-drained soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.5–8.0 pH. Salt tolerant.
Where and How to Plant
Full to filtered sun. Space 3–5 ft. (90–150 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep damp until established; allow soil surface to dry between waterings. Drought tolerant. Fertilize every 2 weeks when leaves begin to color until blooms fade. Prune canes after bloom. Protect from frost, wind. Propagate by cuttings, seed.
How to Force Blooms
Poinsettias develop colorful flower-like leaves in response to the number of hours of darkness they experience. Begin the forcing process 8–9 weeks before displaying the plant.
Choose a location for the poinsettia in a well-lit room that receives full indirect sunlight at least 7 hours per day, or place it a totally dark room with an overhead artificial UV plant light on a timer set to light the plant for 10 hours out of 24 daily.
Maintain room temperature at 60–70°F (16–21°C), and avoid drafty locations or exposure to direct air from heater vents.
Each day for 8 weeks, after the plant has received 10 hours of light, move it into a totally dark closet or other spot for 14 consecutive hours, then return it to the light. Throughout this forcing period, water the plant only when its soil is completely dry.
You will note mottled color in the leaves as the plant begins to produce red, pink, or white bracts. Once the color change is complete, remove the plant for display. It will retain color for 2–3 months, then lose its leaves.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, containers in small-space, tropical gardens. Good holiday color. Pest and disease resistant.
Warning:
Sap of Euphorbia pulcherrima may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Wear gloves to prune or propagate plants.