Poinsettia, the December Flower

Each year more than 150 million Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) in every size, shape, and color are sold in more than 40 countries around the world. The plant, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is a native of Central America and Mexico. 

Plant Facts:

Common Name:   Poinsettia

Botanical Name:   Euphorbia pulcherrima

Family:  Euphorbiaceae

Plant Type:  Evergreen shrub

Origin: Central America and Mexico

Zones: 9 - 11

Height:  12'

Rate of Growth: Fast

Salt Tolerance: None

Soil Requirements:  Most any well drained soil

Water Requirements: Moderately drought tolerant, but look better and hold leaves longer with an adequate supply of water

Nutritional Requirements: Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly

Light Requirements: Full sun

Form:  Upright to sprawling shrub

Leaves:  Simple, alternate, ovate to fiddle-shaped, 7" long, entire or lobed, prominent veins, milky sap.

Flowers: Inconspicuous yellow and green flowers known as cyathia surrounded by colored bracts -- colors run from bright to blood red, white, vermillion, apricot, salmon, lemon-yellow, pink, pink and white, marbled, spotted, and variegated.  

Fruits: 3-celled capsule

Pests or diseases:  Mites, scale, thrips, caterpillars, root rot

Uses:  Specimen plant

Bad Habits: Must have a period of dark rest before leaves will change in winter. Despite the common belief to the contrary, Poinsettias are not poisonous.

Cost:  $$ -- Very reasonable

Propagation:  Cuttings

Sources: Poinsettias: Myth & Legend - History & Botanical Fact, Landscape Plants For Subtropical Climates