It is called Christmas flower or poinsettia for its beautiful green and red leaves that we like to use to decorate our tables or homes at this time of year. But the real name of this plant is poinsettia, and we will tell you everything so that you can preserve it and keep it healthy even after the Christmas holidays.
The poinsettia is a very beautiful exotic plant most of the time with bright red leaves and it is not that complicated to maintain. Although it only invades stores and florists at Christmas time and is chosen for its decorative appearance, you can grow it indoors and keep it all year long if you learn to grow and care for it properly.
Beautiful flowers – Source: spm
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 if all the necessary care is taken. 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.
Decorative plants – Source: spm
This flower can be found in different 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 take on 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 popping the poinsettia and be careful your pets don’t eat it, it’s not toxic to the point of being lethal. , but is not. neither edible.
To grow this plant indoors, 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 preserve the poinsettia?
Houseplant – Source: spm
If you want to grow this flower indoors, it is recommended to plant it in good 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 a hole in the bottom, as this is necessary to prevent the roots from getting too wet in the water. If it is not perforated, you can put clay balls.
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 create beautiful colored leaves. Discover other easy-care flowers and plants for your garden.
Poinsettia care is not very complicated, but you should avoid overwatering as the roots can rot. Water your plant once a week with room temperature water, as cold water can kill poinsettias. When the flowering period has passed and the leaves lose their color, watering should be reduced. You can transplant during this time, around April, and prune 5 to 10 centimeters from the stems to encourage new growth and re-blooming.
For the poinsettia to flower during the Christmas period, it is necessary to put it in complete darkness for more than 12 hours a day for at least 20 days, since this is its period of rest. In summer, place your plant outdoors so it can enjoy good light.
If you follow these tips for growing and caring for this plant, you’ll have no trouble getting your poinsettia to bloom again and you’ll be ready to decorate your home this holiday season with its magnificent foliage.
