Poinsettia: what is it?

Here is the star of the end of the year celebrations! Its fiery red is part of the decoration for Christmas. This indoor plant requires little care and flowers until March, to bring color and some light to your stay.

Appellations

Also known asChristmas star, the poinsettia, whose Latin name is Euphorbia pulcherrima, belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family (Euphoriaceae).

Botanical description of the poinsettia

The poinsettia is considered a indoor plant. From the month of September, it is covered with magnificent bracts, of red, pink, cream, Salmon, plain or mottled. Its glossy green foliage and insignificant central flowers complement the colorful leaves.

Origins of the poinsettia

L’star of Christmas originates from Central America, from the great tropical forests, and more particularly Mexico and Guatemala.

Poinsettia Growing Requirements

The purchased or gifted plant must be planted in a good light horticultural soil. Avoid replanting it during flowering and feeding it with fertilizer. With regard to watering with water at room temperature, leave the Earth dry between 2 applications and regularly spray the foliage with non-calcareous water. You will thus recreate the humid atmosphere that it requires to flourish.

Prefer to install it in a room between 18 and 20 ° C, without Sun directly which could cause burns on the leaves. The watering will be more frequent if your interior is heated because theair dry tends to dry out the substrate. The roots must not come into contact with the water left in the saucer.

At the end of flowering, do not hesitate to change it the soil by putting a layer of drainage in the bottom of the pot and checking that it is well pierced. Reduce watering after flowering, resume fertilizing liquid once a month and prune the stems about 15 cm from the base. The poinsettia will enter a quiet winter period.

Keep it in a corner of a room and resume care next spring to benefit from a second flowering. You can even take it outside all summer, provided you place it in a shady spot. From September, place it 12 hours a day in a dark room and the rest of the day in a bright room. This little ritual that will last 2 months will make it bloom again.

Use of the poinsettia

The Christmas star is bought or offered to participate in the festive atmosphere of the end of the year. Its flamboyant red is acclaimed when it also exists in pink, cream, salmon or even with speckled or spotted leaves. Often alone, it can accompany cyclamen or kalanchoes in a composition or be the main element of a centerpiece. Its bracts can be used to create an ephemeral Christmas wreath.