- 30.10.2024 /
- Care

Poinsettias are considered difficult to care for. If you don’t have green fingers, you might prefer to keep your hands off these colourful houseplants. Wrongly so, because if you follow a few simple tips and tricks, you can enjoy your poinsettia for many months to come. The experts at Stars for Europe (SfE) know the risks when handling poinsettias and how to avoid them so your plants stay looking their best for longer.
Protect from cold and draughts
Poinsettias, which grace our homes in the darkest and coldest months of the year, are tropical plants. Their ancestors come from Mexico. There they grow into metre-high bushes in mild temperatures all year round. No wonder they can’t cope with cold, wet winter weather. To stay healthy, the plants musn’t be exposed to temperatures below 12°C or draughts.
They will react to even a short stay in a cold or draughty spot by losing their leaves, often not until a few days later. This means you should never buy poinsettias displayed outside a shop or in a draughty entrance area. The plants must be wrapped up warmly for transport and brought home by the shortest route.
Once there, poinsettias need a warm spot away from open windows and doors. In some circumstances, it may be advisable to place them in a slightly cooler room for a few hours to acclimatise before bringing them into a warm living room. If the surface is cold, a saucer will ensure they don’t get cold feet. The ideal temperature for these beautiful exotic plants is 15-22°C.

Provide enough sunlight
Poinsettias not only like it warm, but also bright. Darkness is poison for these plants. That’s why experts advise against buying poinsettias that have been placed in a dim corner in the shop. They also recommend placing the plants in a bright spot at home. Contrary to popular belief, a place in a south-facing window with direct sunlight in winter is no problem at all in central European latitudes, as the radiation is far too weak to cause any damage.
Keep away from intense heat sources
Poinsettias like it warm, but not too hot. They thrive much better at temperatures of 18-20°C than in very hot rooms. This is why you shouldn’t place a poinsettia in the immediate vicinity of a warm radiator, fireplace or stove. In rooms with underfloor heating, the plants are better off on a table, sideboard or shelf than on the floor. The warmer it is, the more water the plant needs.
Find the right balance when watering
Excessive watering is one of the most common care mistakes made with poinsettias. The plants cope better with slight dryness than with heavy moisture. However, they shouldn’t dry out completely. Check the moisture of the compost before buying. It should be neither dust-dry nor dripping wet. Experts advise waiting to water until the compost feels dry to a depth of 2-3cm or the pot appears light when lifted. How often a poinsettia needs water depends, among other things, on the ambient temperature, humidity and pot size.
Mini plants in 6cm pots need water more often than larger poinsettias, due to the small volume of soil. Ideally, use soft water at room temperature for watering. Warm rainwater is ideal. In regions with hard tap water, it is advisable to filter the water. Poinsettias can be watered from above, below or by immersion. When immersed, the entire soil ball becomes saturated.
As a result, it generally doesn’t need watering again as quickly as with the other watering methods. It’s important to drain excess water from the drip tray or planter at least 15 minutes after irrigation to prevent waterlogging.

If you follow these tips, not much can go wrong. Provided you’ve chosen a good quality, fresh poinsettia when buying. You can spot one by its dense, healthy foliage and because the small buds in the centre of the colourful bracts are still closed.