Is your poinsettia blooming magnificently and bringing a cosy atmosphere to your home? That’s great! To keep it this way, it needs the perfect spot – because, with the right location, you can keep it looking beautiful for longer. Here are some tips from the experts at Stars for Europe.
In a nutshell: Tips for the right location
The poinsettia (bot. Euphorbia pulcherrima, also known as Christmas Star) needs a warm, bright location without draughts at temperatures between 15 and 22°C. In summer, you can place your plant in a sheltered spot outdoors on a balcony or in a garden. This is known as oversummering. For oversummered specimens to form new flowers and coloured bracts, they must be kept in complete darkness for at least 12 to 14 hours a day from the end of September.
Location factor 1: Light conditions
As tropical plants, poinsettias like bright light but poinsettia season, which peaks in mid-November, falls at the darkest time of the year in Europe. In December there are just under eight hours of sunlight between sunrise and sunset in the UK. In their native Mexico, however, there are more than 11 hours.
Poinsettias in the UK barely get enough sunlight in winter.
The best location for your poinsettia should be as bright as possible. A spot in or near a window is perfect. East- or west-facing windows are ideal, but even the low levels of sunlight in a south-facing one aren’t a problem in the UK’s winter months. They don’t need indirect light here during the classic poinsettia season.
Distance and light intensity
The distance from the window plays a crucial role in the intensity of light that reaches your plant. The further away your poinsettia is from the windowpane, the less light will reach it. Light intensity reduces to 50 percent at just one metre away. At a distance of 2m, there’s only around 25 percent of the original amount of light. From a distance of around 3m, less than 10 percent often arrives.
To make the most of the conditions, place your poinsettia as close as possible to the windowpane in winter – when natural light is already scarce – but without it touching the panes.
Light sources in winter: alternatives when there is little daylight
If your poinsettia starts shedding its beautiful bracts, despite an otherwise ideal location near a window, it could be a sign that it isn’t getting enough plant-available light.
What is plant available light?
Plants use certain spectrums of light for photosynthesis. This is known as plant available light or Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR). Normal daylight contains all of these spectrums. Artificial light sources don’t necessarily provide them.
Alternative light sources
To help your poinsettia in low-light conditions, you can use special plant lights, called grow lamps. These provide exactly the right spectrum of light your plant needs for growth. LED grow lights are energy efficient and can stay on for long periods of time without using too much electricity. They emit the correct ratio of blue, red and white light and work best when close to and above the plant and lit for 10 hours a day.
Location factor 2: Temperature
Poinsettias like consistently warm temperatures between 15 and 22°C.
This means they like neither cold nor extreme heat. In an overheated room it quickly becomes too warm for them. Above a radiator or next to a stove or fireplace, the temperatures are also higher than is good for poinsettias. At an ideal temperature of around 20°C, your poinsettia will do much better in winter than in very warm rooms.
Important: The warmer it is, the more often you’ll have to water. To find out if your poinsettia needs water, simply insert your finger gently into the soil. If it feels warm and dry, the plant needs water. Alternatively, you can lift the pot. If it is noticeably light, you should water. With peat-free compost, you need to be extra careful about watering.
➡️ You can find out more about watering in the article “Watering poinsettias correctly”.
Can poinsettias tolerate cold?
As heat-loving plants, poinsettias don’t like cold. They shouldn’t be exposed to temperatures below 15°C for long periods. If the thermometer shows less than 12°C, there is a risk of cold shock. As a result, they will drop their leaves. This can happen the day after, but sometimes it doesn’t happen until later.
Avoid cold windowpanes
Cold windowpanes in winter are bad news for poinsettias on a windowsill. Even with well-insulated windows, the glass can be significantly cooler and this cold spreads to the plants. Simply move your poinsettias slightly away from the window so neither the coloured bracts nor the green leaves come into direct contact with the cold surface
Poinsettias don’t like cold ‘feet’
Cold ‘feet’ are as unpleasant for tropical houseplants like poinsettias as they are for us humans. If your plant is placed on a cold surface at home, such as a tiled floor without underfloor heating or a windowsill made of cool stone, simply place the pot on a coaster (cork, for example) so the roots stay nice and warm.
Adjust watering for underfloor heating
Cold feet are harmful, but if the pot is placed on an underheated floor, the heat from below can also be problematic, as the soil dries out more quickly. In this case, place your poinsettia on a stool or on a carpet. This keeps the heat out a bit and can be an additional decorative touch. Make sure your poinsettia still gets enough light, even close to the ground.
Location factor 3: No draughts
Beware of draughts: To give your poinsettia a comfortable home, look for a place that’s sheltered from draughts. You should also temporarily move your plant to a different sheltered spot whenever you air a room. This will keep these popular houseplants healthy, allowing you to enjoy their bright colours for a long time to come!
What is a draught?
Draughts are a noticeable air movement that occurs when cold air enters a warm room. It can also occur when two opposite windows are open in a room, causing air to flow from one window to the other. This is equally unpleasant for poinsettias and people. Check the seals on your windows and doors are still good. Special draft excluders promise quick help against cold draughts too. How can you detect a draught? Light a candle. If the flame flickers or moves restlessly instead of burning calmly and evenly, there is a draught.
What to know when buying and transporting poinsettias
Poinsettias are one of the best-selling houseplants. No wonder, as they come in numerous colours, so everyone can find the right one for their individual festive decorations. They are an integral part of Christmastime.
A happy life with your poinsettia (also known as a Christmas star or Advent star), starts in the store. Only buy specimens housed in a bright, warm place sheltered from cold draughts. Avoid those displayed in a draughty entrance area or outside the store when temperatures are low.
Cold and draughts damage poinsettias and cause them to drop their leaves – often not until a few days later. A lack of light can have the same effect. That’s why poinsettias languishing in a dark corner of a store are not a good choice.
Well wrapped for home
To ensure your poinsettia arrives safely at your home, wrap it up well for transport. Local specialist shops and garden centres should offer suitable packaging material such as paper or cardboard. Bring your plant back home as soon as possible, unpack it and put it in a suitable place. You’ve just learned a lot about ideal conditions.
Poinsettias & location: Frequently asked questions
Can I put my poinsettia in the hallway?
A spot right next to your front door isn’t suitable. Draughts are poison for poinsettias. They react by shedding their leaves, just like in cold weather. Keep them away from open windows and doors and move them to a sheltered spot before airing the room they are in.
Can I put my poinsettia in the bathroom?
A bathroom isn’t really the best place because it frequently needs lots of ventilation, even on cold days. Your poinsettia won’t get enough light in a bathroom without a window.
Is a place in the kitchen or bedroom suitable?
Temperatures in the kitchen or bedroom are often more pleasant for poinsettias than in the living room. One thing remains important: There must be enough light and it shouldn’t be exposed to cold draughts.
In the kitchen, don’t place your poinsettia next to a bowl of fruit. Certain fruits, such as apples or bananas, emit the ripening gas ethylene, which causes plants to age more quickly.
Can I put my poinsettia outside?
It depends on the outside temperature. On Tenerife, for example, poinsettias are popular bedding and balcony plants during the festive season. Further north in the UK, this is unthinkable. Temperatures below 12°C are bad for poinsettias, especially if they are taken outside from a warm indoor room into the cold.
It’s different in summer. If you want to continue cultivating your faded poinsettia, place it in a sheltered spot in the garden during the summer months, preferably without direct midday sun. Feel free to take it outside! With the right treatment, it can flower again next winter. Look here if you want to find out more about the right care:
What to do if no location is right?
Want to decorate a spot with poinsettias that isn’t suitable for these plants? No problem. Nobody has to miss out on the magic of a flowering poinsettia, even if they don’t have the right location. Cut poinsettias will brighten up any room.
➡️ You can find out more in this blog ‘Poinsettias as cut flowers’.
Can you combine poinsettias with other plants?
Yes, they are one of the most popular plants and go wonderfully well with other plants. They can become a real showstopper in your home. Poinsettias pair well with plants that have similar growing conditions – in other words, they need bright spots without draughts and moderate temperatures between 15 and 22°C.
Foliage plants such as ivy or indoor ferns are a great addition, as they create a lush green base that highlights the colourful bracts of the poinsettia. Marantas (Prayer plant) and mini monstera also like bright locations and do well with the same care.
Want to find out more about poinsettias and get some great ideas to inspire you? Just take a look at these care instructions and decorating tips and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube!