Poinsettias come in a wide range of colors. You can find reds, marbles, whites, and even pinks. Whichever color you choose, the care is the same for a long lasting poinsettia.
1) The actual flower of a poinsettia is directly in the center. The leaves, the colored portions, are actually leaves that have colored up. They will start as a green leaf and turn red, pink, or white as it grows and matures. When selecting your poinsettias, pick ones that have the flowers in the center that aren’t open, this way the whole plant will last a lot longer for you.
2) Place poinsettias in a sunny area away from drafts – this is very important to keep the plant growing and thriving. You want to maintain the plant in a temperature of 65 – 75 degrees F.
3) Keep a poinsettia moist, but not soaking wet (if you need a refresher on overwatering, check out our blog 4 Signs of Overwatering Plants). If you have a pot cover, make sure to drain the water to avoid plant rot.
4) Poinsettias are very susceptible to carbon monoxide. If your poinsettia is constantly wilted, you might want to check your monitoring systems to make sure you don’t have high levels of carbon monoxide at your property.
5) If you really want them to last longer than 6-8 weeks, consider fertilizing them after the leaves fully bloom. You may get a few more weeks out of them!
In conclusion, give it sun, keep it warm, keep it well-watered (not soaked), and enjoy the holiday season a little bit longer with your Poinsettia this year!