Poinsettia

Sun

Full sun to partial shade outdoors; bright, indirect light indoors, away from cold windows.

Water

Water thoroughly when the surface of the potting mix feels dry, then let excess water drain. Established outdoor shrubs tolerate brief dry spells but flower best with steady moisture.

Soil

Well-drained, moderately fertile soil; use a free-draining houseplant potting mix in containers.

Height

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m) outdoors; commonly 1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m) in pots

Spread

6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) outdoors; commonly 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) in pots

Flowers

Tiny yellow-green flowers surrounded by red, pink, cream or white bracts, usually from late autumn through winter. Commercial plants can be timed for holiday display.

Foliage

Evergreen. Large, pointed, dark green leaves on branching, somewhat brittle stems; may shed leaves during drought, cold or a resting period.

Growth

Fast in warm weather

Care needed

Medium

• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   4 ft (1.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   6 ft (1.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Fast

• Remove decorative sleeves or empty them after watering so the pot never stands in water.
• Keep indoor plants around 60-75°F (16-24°C), away from draughts and heating vents.
• Feed every 2-4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser at label strength during active spring and summer growth.
• Move pots outdoors only when nights remain above 55°F (13°C), introducing direct sun gradually.
• For repeat colour, provide about 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness nightly for 8-10 weeks in autumn, with bright light during the day.

Pruning. In spring, after the coloured bracts fade, shorten leggy stems by roughly one-third to one-half, cutting above healthy buds. Pinch new shoots in late spring and early summer for bushier growth, then stop by late summer so flowering shoots can develop; wear gloves against the milky sap.

Spring

After the bracts fade, prune leggy growth and repot if roots crowd the container.

Late spring

Resume regular feeding as new shoots grow; move pots outside only once nights are consistently warm.

Early summer

Pinch shoot tips to encourage branching and check leaf undersides for whiteflies.

Late summer

Stop pinching and choose a position without evening lighting if you want natural autumn flowering.

Autumn

Bring pots indoors before cool nights. For indoor reblooming, begin the nightly darkness routine; seasonal timing is reversed between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Winter

Keep flowering plants in bright light, protect them from cold draughts and water only as the surface dries.

• Use compact potted plants for winter colour beside bright windows or in sheltered, frost-free entrances.
• Plant as a loose flowering shrub behind lower tropical foliage plants in frost-free gardens.
• Combine red-bracted plants with dark green foliage for a strong seasonal contrast.
• Use cream or white cultivars in sheltered courtyard containers with restrained green foliage.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Modern courtyard, Traditional, Winter interest and Mexican hacienda.

Plant it with: Croton, Cordyline, Bromeliads and Cast-iron plant.

Wildlife: The small flowers can attract visiting insects outdoors, but poinsettia is not a major wildlife-supporting garden plant.

• Whiteflies: inspect leaf undersides, isolate affected pots and treat with insecticidal soap labelled for the plant; repeat as directed.
• Mealybugs: remove small infestations by hand and treat persistent colonies with a suitable labelled insecticidal soap.
• Root rot: prevent standing water and use freely draining mix; discard plants with extensive soft, rotten roots.
• Sudden leaf drop: protect plants from cold, draughts, prolonged dryness and waterlogging; buy plants that have not been displayed outdoors in cold weather.

The milky sap in stems and leaves can irritate skin and eyes. Chewing leaves, stems or bracts may cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea in cats, dogs and people; serious poisoning is uncommon. Treat it as unsafe for horses to browse, although horse-specific toxicity information is limited. Keep broken stems and fallen leaves away from pets and children.

• Wild poinsettia (Euphorbia cyathophora)

  This smaller annual has green upper leaves marked red mainly near their bases, rather than the broad, extensively coloured bracts of poinsettia; its leaves are often fiddle-shaped or lobed.

Poinsettia commemorates Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the United States from Mexico, while pulcherrima means 'most beautiful'.

Propagation. Take softwood stem cuttings in late spring or early summer, wearing gloves to avoid sap contact. Root them in clean, free-draining propagation mix with warmth, bright indirect light and high humidity.

Accepted botanical name

Euphorbia pulcherrima

Native range

Guatemala, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast and Mexico Southwest.

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.