The Euphorbia pulcherrima was discovered growing in Mexico by our first American Ambassador to that country, John Poinsett. After he brought it back to the United States, a horticulturist by the name of William Prescott renamed the plant poinsettia in honor of the ambassador. It is the most popular Christmas plant and only sold during that season.  The poinsettia is the best selling potted plant in the United States. 85% of all flowers sold at Christmas are poinsettias.

TURN A POINSETTIA RED (AGAIN)

Let me start by saying, after Christmas I throw my poinsettias away and buy new ones the next year. However, if you like the challenge of trying to turn a poinsettia red (or white or pink) the following year, here are the steps you need to follow.

1. After the holiday season, when your poinsettia has started to lose its leaves, cut the plant back to a height of about 4"- 6". Move the poinsettia to a warm location that gets bright indirect light. The plant will develop new green leaves and hopefully become bushy and attractive. The white sap of a poinsettia may irritate your skin, so be careful when cutting back the plant.

2. In late May or June, repot your poinsettia into a container a few inches wider and a few inches deeper than its original pot. Start to pinch back the new growth to encourage a sturdy bushy plant. Fertilize every two weeks beginning in the late spring and continuing through the end of the summer with a basic houseplant food.

3. The large colorful parts of a poinsettia that most people call the flower are the leaf bracts. The real "flowers" are yellow, very small, and appear in the center of these colorful leaf bracts. Flowering and the attractive colors of the leaves are "photo periodically" induced. So starting in October, the plant needs at least 12 hours of total darkness. Without these long nights and short days, the bracts will not turn color nor the flowers develop. It will take between 65-80 days of this kind of lighting for a poinsettia to develop any color.

4. Once the leaves start to show good color, you can move your plant back to its original location and enjoy it for another season.