If you’ve ever unwrapped a poinsettia full of hope only to watch it sulk a few days later, you’re not alone: the mistakes everyone makes with poinsettias are far more common than you’d think.
Before you even get it home, knowing how to choose a poinsettia is half the battle, especially when so many are already stressed before you’ve even swiped your card. It also helps to understand how to care for poinsettias properly once they’re through your front door, because these colourful bracts may be iconic, but they can be a bit… well, let’s just call them dramatic.
And if you’ve ever found yourself quietly wondering how long does a poinsettia last? Don’t worry; with the right fixes (and a bit of luck), yours can stay healthy and vibrant well into the new year. Just take care to avoid the following...
1. Buying a plant that’s already stressed
According to Morris Hankinson of Hopes Grove Nurseries, most problems start before you even get home.
‘Most poinsettias have already become stressed before you even take them home with you. They need specific conditions to thrive and will already be struggling after being packed, shipped and kept in shops with a draught or heat, under direct light or any other number of conditions they don’t like,’ he explains.
Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.
To avoid making this major poinsettia mistake, then, he advises you choose one that has deep green leaves and vibrant coloured bracts (these are the modified leaves with the colour).
‘Make sure there aren’t any yellow leaves, black leaves or broken stems,’ he adds, ‘and take care to confirm it’s been kept inside and away from doors or heaters. Plus, get it in a protective sleeve and home quickly!’
2. Letting it catch a chill (indoors or out)
Another of the most common mistakes everyone makes with poinsettias? Forgetting that poinsettias (which hail from Mexico!) hate the cold.
‘Even a few minutes of cold will cause shock,’ says Morris. ‘Wrap them well when transporting them home.’
Steven Bell, gardening enthusiast and founder of Paving Shopper, adds that in the UK, ‘cold draughts and sudden temperature drops are the number one reason for leaf drop.’
Steven Bell is an experienced landscaper, with years of experience owning paving and gardening companies. Combining hands-on expertise with a deep appreciation for sustainable landscaping practices, Steven enjoys sharing his insights with readers to inspire their own green-thumb adventures.
To fix this, Steven says you should aim to keep your poinsettia in that sweet spot between 15-22°C.
‘Avoid doors, windows, radiators and cold windowsills at night,’ he adds, ‘and move it away from glass once the heating goes off.’
3. Overwatering (the silent killer)
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; there’s nothing sadder than an overwatered plant, and poinsettias are often killed by kindness. You need, then, to learn how often to water a poinsettia if you want it to thrive.
An overwatered poinsettia looks as unlike the vibrant festive foliage we crave as possible; think yellowing leaves that drop off the lower parts of the plant.
‘Too much and wet soil will kill off the plant in no time,’ says Morris. ‘Most are sold with a foil pot cover that traps water and rots the roots.’
Steven agrees. ‘Little and often watering keeps the compost constantly damp, which is a fast track to root rot.’
'Water only when the surface of the compost is dry to the touch. Give it a good drink, let excess water drain, and never leave it sitting in water,' says Steven Bell of Paving Shopper.
To that end, then, make sure your poinsettia is in a pot with good drainage, take care to only water when the top inch of soil is dry, and try a pebble tray to maintain humidity without drowning the roots. To make a pebble tray, just fill a flat saucer with something like these clay pebbles from Amazon.
4. Giving it too little light
Many people treat poinsettias as low-light ornaments, but low light equals dull colour and leaf drop. ‘Place them near bright light but without direct sun,’ says Morris. ‘They’ll stay vibrant for longer.’
‘Bright, indirect light prevents legginess and keeps bracts vivid,’ adds Steven.
Choose a sunny room, then, but take care to keep your poinsettia out of the harsh midday sun. And don’t forget to rotate the plant weekly for even colouring.
If you're struggling to work out the best place for your plant, consider investing in the elho Smart Pebble from Amazon. It is £40, but it will monitor water, light, nutrients and temperature and send the information straight to an app.
5. Moving it around too much
FAQs
Why are poinsettias so hard to keep alive?
A lot of people think poinsettias are hard to keep alive, but Paving Shopper's Steven Bell is a little more optimistic. 'Poinsettias aren’t difficult; we simply tend to treat them in ways they dislike,' he points out.
Keep them away from draughts and the harsh midday sun, make sure they're in a spot that enjoys a balmy 15-22°C, and take care not to overwater yours, and your little 'Christmas in a pot' plant could last much longer than you think.
Will a poinsettia survive and turn red next year?
A common misconception: poinsettias don’t simply “turn red” again. Their colour change requires strict, controlled light-dark cycles, something growers manage with absolute precision.
‘If you want it red next Christmas, give it 14 hours of darkness every night for eight weeks from early autumn. A cupboard or blackout box works,’ says Steven.
Be patient; it’s a project!
Avoid making these common poinsettia mistakes, and yours should look perky long after the wrapping paper’s been cleared away. And if it still throws a bit of a diva strop? Don’t take it personally; poinsettias are the drama queens of the festive plant world.
At least now you’ll know exactly how to keep yours happy… or at the very least, how not to accidentally doom it before the nut roast is out the oven.
