The holiday season is not over yet!  I’m keeping the merriment around and making this weeks plant of the week holiday themed, with the poinsettia!  One of the most popular holiday flowers, poinsettia originated from Central America and were used by the Aztecs for dyes and medicines.  Today the poinsettia are named after the man who first brought them back to America, Joel Roberts Poinsett.  He was enthralled by the bright red flowers, which are actually special leaves called bracts, and sent some back to his home in South Carolina where he gave them away as gifts to his friends and relatives.

Many people wonder how they can save their poinsettia and make it bloom the following year.  Though this can be done, it is a daunting process and with poinsettia being fairly cheap, it may be in your best interest to just buy a new one each year.  For this blog I will keep things simple and instead give you some pointers on how to keep your poinsettia looking great through the holiday season.  If however you are up for a challenge you can find instructions on post Christmas poinsettia care here.

For holiday care, keep your poinsettia in a sunny window with as much direct sunlight as it can get.  Maintain a room temperature of 65-75 to ensure long bloom life.  If leaves touch a cold window they will die and fall off, so keep some space between this plants and the Indiana elements.  Remember this is a tropical plant!  Water the plant frequently, keeping the soil moist, but not sitting in water.  Watering every day is not uncommon, especially if you have a dry household.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!