This Simple Secret will Get Your Poinsettia to Rebloom
Curious about how to encourage your Poinsettia to bloom again just in time for next Christmas?
This blog will explore the flowering nuances of these plants which are one of the characteristic symbols of the holiday season. Have your poinsettia looking beautiful again with my secret to getting them to rebloom.
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Poinsettias are Short-Day Plants
The secret to getting Poinsettias to rebloom is that the photoperiod influences their flowering process, which means that the right balance of light and darkness is essential for blooming.
Poinsettias are categorized as short-day plants, meaning that they require extended periods of darkness to activate their blooming process.
As we progress through the calendar year, the vibrantly coloured bracts will revert to green, and as the days grow shorter, they’ll regain their bright colour.
Poinsettias Belong to the Euphorbia Plant Family
Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbia family, a set of flowers that blooms slightly differently than other flower families.
Poinsettias are related to Euphorbia polychroma, a hardy early spring blooming prairie perennial with bright yellow bracts for zone 3-4 gardens, also known as a Cushion Spurge, or just plainly, Spurge.
The colours that we typically attribute to the Poinsettia flower are not the actual Poinsettia flower but coloured leaves, called bracts, that change colour to attract pollinators to the tiny true flower in the center of the bracts.
These leaves can be hues of white, coral, pink, or red. And now, with new hybridization, the bracts can be mixed, speckled, picotee, and ombre colours.
How to Achieve Poinsettia Bract Colour Transformation
To activate the flowering switch, a Poinsettia consistently needs 14 hours of complete darkness every night for at least 8 weeks prior to when you desire the colour change. For those of us living in North America, this routine should be started by mid-late September.
Poinsettias need to avoid any form of light, be it natural or artificial or the flowering will be delayed.
Poinsettias are so sensitive to this cycle being interrupted that atypical sources of light, such as light filtering through cracks under closed doors into a dark room or external streetlights streaming indoors from the outside will affect the flowering outcome.
You can find various strategies to accomplish this, along with additional care advice, on my blog called How to Get Your Poinsettia to Rebloom and Stay Beautiful Year-Round.
All you need to do now is keep your Poinsettia alive until September!
So keep this in mind, as September will arrive sooner than you think!
More to Explore
- How to Choose a Healthy Poinsettia
- How to Water Poinsettias
- How to Care for Your Poinsettia in 3 Simple Steps
- How to Select, Use, and Care for Live Christmas Greenery
- How to Make a Christmas Wreath
- How to Make an Evergreen Garland
- How to Choose and Care for a Real Christmas Tree
© Sharon Wallish Murphy © Gardening with Sharon
