Poinsettia for Christmas

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

This is one of the celebrated plants used during the Christmas festive season. 

We don't have winter growing plants like mistletoe and holly. 

I guess this is the next best deal after the Evergreen Trees (Juniper, Cypress & Tuja) 

It is interesting to note to see this particular plant is making a comeback, years back these plants were a rare sight and highly sought after only to last for few months and eventually dies for no apparent reason. Like most plants that comes from Cameron Highlands - these don't last for more than few months.

And so, 

These are to be considered like temporary plants as they don't last very long here in the tropics. Something like a cut flowers in a vase, it is commonly considered as a short lifespan plant here.

The brilliance of the red petals like foliage is so unreal like plastic. I have actually touched and feel the soft smooth petal like foliage when these were adorned in a shopping mall as Christmas decorations.

How to Care & Maintain Poinsettia 

Few Basic pointers: 

1) Do not put them in hot direct sun. It is best to keep them in bright shaded area with light & moderate watering. Too much water can cause leaf drop. So do take measure not to spray water on the red foliage rather water carefully from the bottom only to wet the medium and not the plant.

2) After few months the plant will revert to total green, do care for it become stable and have good strong roots. They can succumb to root rot and easily face mealybug attacks. Do care for it until the plant stabilize.

3) I had read about it where it grows well into a tall big shrub in Mexico and Hawaii. Once pruned the flowers appear together with the red bracts. As these are also considered a tropical plant yet I had not found anyone cultivated them here in the lowland hot climate.

The red flowers are actually modified leaves and the actual true flowers are the ones in yellow.

Eventually the red colored leaves will turn back to green over time.

Naturally the red pigmentation happens in the parts of the world where the days are shorter and the nights are long but here these requires an artificial conditioning to turn them into red.

These had recently arrived from Cameron Highlands and well packed with plastic covers to minimize the damage against the foliage. All of them are sold in this particular medium size.

I had a chat with few of the nursery vendors and they are actually very much eager to let this one go as fast of possible as they are intuitively know that the faster you get them out of your hands - the better as these are sold for quick profit. If they are not sold, these plants will eventually lose the red luster and they are stuck with the plant.

As you can note the foliage has the same appearance of the red petal like leaves. These are healthy looking due to good foliar fertilizer applied to them.

I had noticed the white version is now making appearance in the market which I would consider them a rare sight. Truly a beauty to behold to see there is a new variety apart from the red version.

I had found these at the back corners in one of the nursery. I believe this one was from last year stock which didn't get managed to be sold during the festive season. This is how it is going to be after a year's time.

The appearance is very saddening and I think there is much to learn and understand in cultivating this properly in the lowland climate. I have not purchased this one as my garden is very much suitable for shaded and high humidity plants.

If you had cultivated Poinsettias for years in your garden.
Do share your thoughts and experience. I would love to know about it.