- Botanical name: Euphorbia pulcherrimum
- Common name: Poinsettia
- Family: Euphorbiaceae
- Plant Type: House plant
Red
Green
- Key features:
- Dramatic foliage
- Flowers
Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrimum, has become as much as part of the traditional Christmas as holly and ivy, bearing colourful bracts in a deep shade of festive red. It’s native to Mexico where it can grow quite large, but it tends to remain small when grown here as a houseplant. Poinsettias are often thrown away at the end of the Christmas season, but with a little care you can keep them throughout the year, and the bracts will redden up again the following Christmas.
For best results grow poinsettia in bright light, away from strong sunlight and draughts. Water sparingly and mist regularly. Feed monthly with a low nitrogen, high potassium fertiliser.
To encourage the bracts to redden up the following Christmas, hard prune in April, to about 10cm. Repot into fresh compost, and keep in a cool place over summer, such as a north-facing window sill. From November onwards, place your poinsettia in a dark room for 12 hours each day, to mimic the short day lengths that stimulate flowering. Poinsettias need a constant temperature of around 18°C to develop a good red colour, so make sure they don’t get cold.
How to grow Euphorbia pulcherrimum
-
Plant size
100cm height
2m spread
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade
- Hardiness: Tender
- Soil type: Clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do Plant in October |
N
Do Plant in November |
D
Do Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does not flower in June |
J
Plant does not flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does flower in December |
Euphorbia pulcherrimum and wildlife
Euphorbia pulcherrimum has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Euphorbia pulcherrimum poisonous?
Euphorbia pulcherrimum can be toxic. Its sap is toxic.
Toxic to People
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
Plants that go well with Euphorbia pulcherrimum
