Poinsettia Day 2024 is on Thursday, December 12, 2024: Facts about Poinsettias?

Thursday, December 12, 2024 is Poinsettia Day 2024.

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The Poinsettia is discovered in Southern Mexico by American botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, whose dying is commemorated by Poinsettia Day. The scientific reputation for the Poinsettia is Euphorbia Pulcherrima.

Poinsettias are short day plants. Meaning the shorter day period is what triggers them to bloom. Artificial light can hinder the blooming process. The red or coloration are brackets not flowers as most think. They are toxic if ingested. They emit a white sticky latex like substance if the stem is broken.

is poinsettia plant affected by the amount of sunlight they receive?

Poinsettia blooms in short days of winter, but you can determine it to bloom any time of year through light manipulation. You cover the plant with a black bag or a bucket to stop completely the light - for 14 hours/day. The rest of 10 hours/day you expose the plant to moderate light.

After the bloom period, the plant needs 2 months of resting, when all the leafes are changing the colour in the initial green or fall. Poinsettia needs a light spot, but without direct sunlight, temperatures 18-20 grade Celsius.

How do you take care of Poinsettias???

Put your poinsettias in a place protected from both warm and cold drafts. Your plants need indirect sunlight for at least six hours per day; if direct sun can't be avoided, diffuse the light with a shade or sheer curtain. Ideally poinsettias thrive at a daytime temperature between 60 and 70 degrees. Nighttime temperature of about 55 degrees is ideal. Keeping the temperature low at night will lengthen the plant’s life, but don't expose the plant to temperature below 50 degrees.

To prolong the bright color of the bracts, temperatures should not exceed 72°F. during the day or 60°F. at night.

Check the soil daily and keep the plant in a well-drained pot. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch, but

make sure you drain excess water from the saucer. Always remove a plant from any decorative container before watering and allow to drain completely before replacing it.

Avoid under- and overwatering. "If you don’t water enough, the plant will wilt and the lower leaves will drop off. Overwatering will cause the roots to rot and the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Root rot is likely if the pot has no drainage holes in the bottom. If it has no holes, make some... If it has holes but they’re covered by foil, either poke holes in the foil or remove it."

I can't find any source that advocates putting sugar in water for poinsettias, so I wouldn't.

Good Luck! Merry Christmas! Hope this is helpful.