What is a Poinsettia?

Poinsettia, also known as ivory red, old beauty, Christmas flower, Christmas red, and poinsettia, is a plant of the genus Euphorbia in the Euphorbiaceae family.

Poinsettia is native to the Taxco region of Mexico and is a red flower used for Christmas decorations. Poinsettia has bright and warm colors, which is very suitable for the festive atmosphere of the festival. It is often used as cut flowers or potted plants for ornamental purposes. In recent years, many new varieties of poinsettia have been cultivated, and the colors are more colorful.

Picture appreciation

Main varieties

1. Ecke's White, bracts are milky white.

2. Rosea, bracts are pink.

3. Lutea, bracts are light yellow.

4. Crimson Poinsettia (Annette Hegg), the bracts are crimson.

5. Triploid poinsettia (Eckespointc-1), bracts are leaf-shaped and bright red.

6. Double poinsettia (Plenissima), with gray-green leaves, red bracts and double petals.

7. Henrietta Ecke, the bracts are bright red, double, the outer bracts are flat, and the inner bracts are upright, which is very beautiful.

8. Plenissima Ecke's Flaming Sphere, with blood-red bracts, double petals, bracts curled up and down into a ball, and slow growth.

9. Variegata, the leaves are light gray-green with white markings and the bracts are bright red.

10. Mrs. Paul Ecke, the leaves are broad and leaf-shaped, and the bracts are blood red.

11. Festival Red, dwarf, with large, bright red bracts.

12. Petoy Red, the bracts are broad and dark red.

13. Success Red, the leaves are leaf-shaped and the bracts are red.

14. Orange Red Lilo, large bracts, orange-red.

15. Pearl, bracts are yellow-white.

16. Pichacho is a dwarf species with dark green leaves and dark red bracts. It does not require hormone treatment.

Flower Language

Poinsettia is the birthday flower for December 25, the flower of Christ’s birth. Its flower language is oasis. In the severe winter when the leaves and fruits of other trees have fallen, only this tree remains lush and bears red fruits.

Anyone born under the blessing of this flower has a kind heart that comforts others. It is said that if you direct this heart towards a specific person, he or she will immediately become your captive.

How to raise

Poinsettia likes warmth, humidity and plenty of light. It is not resistant to low temperatures and is a typical short-day plant. Both strong direct sunlight and insufficient light are not conducive to its growth.

Avoid waterlogging, just keep the soil in the pot moist.

Short-day treatment can advance flowering.

It has weak cold resistance. When cultivated in greenhouses in East China and North China, it must be moved into the greenhouse before frost. Otherwise, the temperature will be low and the leaves will easily turn yellow or fall off.

The room temperature in winter should not be lower than 5℃, and 16-18℃ is appropriate.

It has strict requirements on water. If the soil is too wet, it will easily cause root rot, leaf fall, etc.