How to Care for your Flower Bin Poinsettia

 

December 12 is national Poinsettia Day, so named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and the person responsible for introducing the poinsettia plant to the United States. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. The poinsettia we know today is a result of the significant contributions of Horticulturalist Paul Ecke Jr., whose innovations transformed the poinsettia into the country’s best-selling potted plant.  

Poinsettias have thin foliage leaves that vary in color from pale to dark green. The showy parts of the poinsettia that most people think of as flowers are specialized leaves, called bracts.

The actual flowers are tiny yellow clusters found at the very center of the bracts. In nature, the brightly colored bracts are there to protect the plant and to attract insects to the flowers to spread the pollen. 

Poinsettias are available in a wide variety of breathtaking colors from solid red to variegated leaves.

We also dye a few poinsettias for added color and interest. Our dyes are safe for plants and people.

Proper care for your poinsettia begins before you leave the store. If you choose, we will gift wrap your poinsettia in foil and ribbon. We cut a drain hole in the foil on the plants we wrap so your plant will drain properly.  We will carefully bag your poinsettia when it’s cold, to protect it on its way home.

At home, unwrap your poinsettia and place it in a room where it will get bright light, but not direct sunlight.  Poinsettias don’t like drafts, so keep your plants away from heater vents, fireplaces, doors and cold windows. The ideal room temperature should be around 72°F during the day and no cooler than 60°F at night. Water your poinsettia thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Poinsettias don’t like to sit in water, so discard any water that may collect in the saucer under the plant. 

If you don’t intend to keep the plant after the holidays, no fertilizer is needed. If you decide to keep your poinsettia, you should care for it as you would any other houseplant. Keep it in a bright location, out of direct sun, water regularly and fertilize once a month starting in February with a 15-30-15 fertilizer. Supplement every second watering with Super Thrive with Kelp. 

  

 At The Flower Bin, we grow all our own poinsettias, so you can be assured that the plant you are purchasing is locally grown and of the highest quality.