Poinsettia

The poinsettia, also known as euphorbia pulcherrima, is a small plant which is often referred to as a Christmas plant due to its bright red bracts.

Description
This stout shrub is characterised by its dark green leaves and red, white, pink, orange or red bracts. It generally grows to a height of 2 to 16ft. The colours of the bracts are caused by a process known as photoperiodism and the plant requires 12 hours of darkness for a minimum of 5 days in order for the bracts to change colour.

Habitat
Native to Mexico, the poinsettia thrives in humid environments and can be found growing wild at moderate altitudes in many of the tropical forests along the Pacific coast of South America. When kept as an indoor plant, the poinsettia will live longer with some sun exposure in the morning and shade as the days gets warmer. After the initial flowering, it will require an extended period of darkness for approximately 2 months in order to bloom again.

Availability
The poinsettia is most readily available in shops and garden centres during the Christmas period, although in the USA shops begin selling them during November, as they are often used as Thanksgiving decorations.

Species
The genus of this plant is euphorbia and the species is pulcherrimo. There are more than one hundred varieties of cultivated poinsettias.

Care Tips
When caring for your poinsettia plant, remember that it requires bright, but preferably not direct sunlight and should be kept away from draughts. The minimum temperature necessary to keep a poinsettia alive is between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius. They should be watered quite sparingly and will wilt if overwatered. A monthly feed with a fertiliser with a high-potassium, low-nitrogen ratio will help to keep the plant in bloom for longer.

Did You Know?
The Latin term, pulcherrima, given to this plant translates as ‘very beautiful’.

In the USA, a National Poinsettia day was declared because of the plants increasing popularity.

References
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=146
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm