It is called a Christmas flower or Christmas star because of its beautiful green and red leaves that we like to use to decorate our tables or our homes at this time of year. But the real name of this plant is poinsettia, and we tell you everything so you can take care of it and keep it healthy even after the Christmas holidays.
The poinsettia is a very beautiful exotic plant, most often with bright red leaves, and it is not that complicated to maintain. Although it only invades stores and florists during the Christmas holidays and is chosen for its decorative appearance, you can grow it at home and keep it throughout the year if you learn to grow and care for it properly.
What are the characteristics of the Christmas flower?
Poinsettia is a flower with beautiful green and red leaves that comes directly from Central America and southern Mexico. These tropical flowers can reach a height of 3 to 4 meters when given all the necessary care. The colored part is not a flower but the bract, which looks like a leaf: these leaves are colored to attract birds and insects for pollination.
This flower can be found in various colors and there are several varieties: light pink, bright pink, yellow or even white and the bracts can also be covered with small white spots or patterns. The flower is in the center of the leaves and is yellow and very small. When the bracts are in full bloom, that is, for two to four months, the leaves acquire that beautiful color that is perfect for decorating our homes during the Christmas holidays.
Poinsettia leaves contain a white sap that can be irritating, so remember to wash your hands after cutting and pruning your Christmas flower and be careful that your animals don’t eat it: it’s not toxic to the point of being fatal, but it’s not is it edible or
To grow this plant at home, you don’t need to be a gardening expert! In addition to being decorative, this indoor plant is ideal because it is easy to maintain. There are also indoor plants to purify the air in your home.
How to grow and maintain the poinsettia?
If you want to grow this flower indoors, it is recommended to plant it in good potting soil. To help it bloom, you can use a fertilizer like NPK 10-10-10 to help your poinsettia grow. Check that your pot has holes at the bottom because it is necessary to prevent the roots from bathing too much in water. If it is not drilled, clay balls can be placed.
If you grow it outdoors, remember that it is a tropical plant that will need heat and humidity. A room temperature of 20°C is perfect for your flower to produce beautiful colored leaves. Check out other easy-to-care for flowers and plants for your garden.
Poinsettia care is not very complicated, but you should avoid overwatering it as the roots can rot. Water your plant once a week with room temperature water, as cold water can kill the poinsettia. When the flowering period has passed and the leaves lose their color, you should reduce watering. You can repot it during this period, around April, and prune 5 to 10 centimeters of the stems to encourage new growth and new flowering.
For poinsettia to bloom during the Christmas season, you need to put it in complete darkness for more than 12 hours a day for at least 20 days, as this is its rest period. In summer, place your plant outside so it can enjoy good light.
If you follow these tips for growing and caring for this plant, you will have no problems getting your poinsettia to bloom again and you will be ready to decorate your house during the Christmas holidays with its magnificent foliage.