We would like to decorate our home with plants for the holiday season and poinsettias are my first choice. Can you offer some advice on selecting good plants and caring for them?
— Aliya Johnson, Grayslake
I like traditional red poinsettias, but I’ve also been pleasantly surprised with some of the new cultivars with different colors that are available now. Simply choose the variety you find most attractive. Poinsettias are traditional Christmas plants that will last throughout the holiday season and beyond, as long as you choose healthy plants and take care of them properly. Many businesses have them for sale now, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding them. The decorative part of a poinsettia is not the flowers, but the cluster of colored bracts (modified leaves) that come in red, pink, white, yellow or multicolored.
Choose plants with dark green foliage all the way down to the top of the pot while avoiding plants that have fallen or yellowed leaves. Ideally, you should not be able to see the top of the pot. Plants with pale green leaves may not have been fertilized enough. Poinsettias that have been displayed orgrown too close together may have some yellow or damaged leaves on the lower portion of the plant. Avoid buying plants that are wilted, as this stress can shorten the display time of the plant. If the plants are wilted and the growing medium is moist, there may be a problem with root rot. Look for insects under the leaves. Check the maturity of the poinsettia by looking at the flowers (which are located above the colored bracts). If the flowers are green or red-tipped and fresh looking, the plants will hold color longer than if yellow pollen is covering the flowers.
Be sure to cover your new poinsettia before taking it home, especially if temperatures outside are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Exposure to low temperatures for even a few minutes can chill or freeze the plants, causing the leaves to droop and fall off. A sleeve will also protect the plant from breaking while it is being transported. Take the plants straight home after purchasing and avoid leaving them in a cold vehicle if you are running more errands. Once you get the plants home, promptly remove the protective covering that can damage the plants if it is left on too long.
Poinsettias like lots of bright, indirect sunlight. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so keep them away from cold drafts and heat vents. The foliage should not touch cold windows. Your poinsettias will not do well if placed near a busy entrance where doors are opening and closing. Daytime temperatures of 65 degrees work well for prolonging the display of the colored bracts, though this is not practical in most homes. Water the plants thoroughly when the growing medium is dry to the touch. If the pot is wrapped in foil or sits in a decorative container without a drainage hole, remove it before watering. Make sure that your poinsettia never stands in water. There is no need to fertilize them during the holiday season.
Poinsettias contain a white, milky sap that is mildly toxic to cats and dogs and can cause nausea and vomiting (or rarely, diarrhea) if enough leaves are eaten. It is unlikely that a pet or child will end up being poisoned because of the large amount of plant material that would need to be consumed. The sap has an irritating taste and effect on the tissues of the mouth, which makes eating a large volume of foliage unlikely. Frequent contact with the latex sap of poinsettias may cause a mild, short-lasting skin irritation and some people are sensitive to it. I used to have a cat that chewed on the leaves of any poinsettia I brought home. She never got sick, but she did enough damage to the plants that I decided to stop buying poinsettias. Cleaning up the sap that dripped on the counter was another problem after she chewed on the leaves. Our dachshunds, on the other hand, pay poinsettias no attention.
For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org.Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
