I always get poinsettias for the holidays, but I cannot get them to last very long. How do I take care of them?

If you are giving poinsettias away for the holidays, be sure the plant is well-wrapped when you take it outside because exposure to low temperatures for even a short time can injure leaves and bracts (bracts are the colored portions of the plant, while the actual flowers are the yellow centers). Unwrap the plant as soon as possible because the petioles (stems of the leaves and bracts) can droop and twist if the plant is left wrapped for too long.

For maximum plant life, place your poinsettia near a sunny window or some other well lighted area. Do not let any part of the plant touch cold windowpanes. Poinsettias are tropical plants and are usually grown at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees in greenhouses, so this temperature range in the home is best for long plant life. High temperatures will shorten the life of the bracts. Poinsettias do not tolerate warm or cold drafts so keep them away from radiators, air registers, and fans as well as open windows or doors. Place your poinsettia in a cooler room at night (55 to 60 degrees is ideal) to extend blooming time.

Examine the soil daily and water only when it feels dry. Always water enough to soak the soil to the bottom of the pot and discard the excess water. If you don’t water enough, the plant will wilt and the lower leaves will drop. If you water too much the lower leaves will yellow and then drop. If you keep your plant for several months, apply a soluble houseplant fertilizer, once or twice a month according to the manufacturers recommendations. Do not fertilize when it is in bloom.

Poinsettias can be re-flowered the following Christmas, but unless a yearlong schedule of care is observed, the results usually are not good. If anyone would like the instructions on how to re-flower their poinsettias, they can be obtained by calling the Macomb County Michigan State University Extension Service at 586-469-5063. Ask for Extension Bulletin E-2243.

Various reports over the years have led the general public to believe poinsettias are toxic to humans; however, this has not been authenticated. Research conducted at The Ohio State University and other institutions has proved the old wives' tale that poinsettias are poisonous to be false.