How to Care and Decorate with Poinsettias This Christmas

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

The weather is cold, and we can hear the lovely music of our beloved holiday icon, Jose Marie Chan, partnered with a couple of holiday-themed memes. These are the telltale signs that the Philippines are now in the middle of preparing for the holidays. Everyone is getting their Christmas decorations out. And of course, who can forget about the seasonal beauty that is the poinsettia?

Poinsettia: The Christmas Star

The poinsettia is known for its bright red and green colors, which makes it the best plant to decorate with during the holidays. Though it is a flowering plant, don’t mistake its colorful leaves for petals. Its flowers are the yellow parts of the plant. It’s very tiny and takes on a berry-like appearance.

This lovely houseplant is a native to Mexico. It is also where the flower’s association with Christmas is first known.

The story starts with a poor child that didn’t have any means to buy a grand gift to the Christ Child. She was upset that her family did not have anything prepared for Him. However, she quickly learned that any gift is beautiful as it is given. So she gathered an armful of green weeds and offers it as a gift. A miracle had happened, and all the green weeds had transformed into what is known as the poinsettia today.

Decoration Ideas

Poinsettia is the definite go-to plant when you want to decorate your home with the holidays. Here are a few design ideas that you can do with your poinsettia plants:

Check Out Varying Types of Poinsettia

Classic red poinsettias will always be a top seller in the market. However, if you’re thinking about upping your game with your decorating, try to explore different poinsettia in the market. Poinsettias can come in different shades of red, white, pink, and coral colors.

Feel free to mix and match color combinations and variegation. It will all depend on your taste and style. A classic combination is white poinsettias with red as accents. For something a little more fun and youthful, try combining an ice punch poinsettia with a beautiful pink poinsettia.

A Christmas Tree of Poinsettia

If you happen to walk around public areas, you might find one of these beautiful poinsettia displays arranged like a tree. If you’d like to change up your Christmas decorations this year, why not re-create a small one in your very own home?

You can try this by getting tree-shaped shelvings. Or if you'd like something a little smaller, you can try this will small 3 to 4 ladder type shelves.

Poinsettia By The Window Sill

These plants love a lot of bright light so putting them on the windowsill is one of the best ways to decorate with poinsettias. When placing your plants in your window, try to keep in mind the rule of odds. Place around three or five poinsettias right by your windowsill. Add a few green garlands and decorate to your heart’s content.

If you would prefer, you can invest in a rectangular planter and plant a few poinsettias there. For an added effect, combine different variegations for added variety to your arrangement. Also, make sure that no part of the plant is touching a cold windowpane. That may lead to injury on the plant.

  

Hanging Poinsettias

Do you have a flair for the dramatic? Try planting your poinsettias in hanging baskets and put them in the empty corner of your home. This is sure to liven up those dead spaces and fill it with holiday cheer. It's also a great way to save on floor space and make the room look spacious. To give it a bit of pizazz, use a combination of white and red poinsettias.

Use the Best Pots

A plant's container is just as important as the plant itself. Play around with your pots and see what works best for your poinsettia. You can choose from a range of beautiful white ceramics or something as down to earth as a decorative basket pot. Choose something that would look best for your chosen theme this holiday season.

A gold-colored pot is perfect for a warmer color scheme. Pair this with a classic red poinsettia. If you want to go for a cooler tone, go with a silver-colored pot paired with white poinsettias.

Poinsettia Care Tips

Now, even though they’re considered decorative plants, these flowering plants can be a bit tricky when it comes to caring for it. If you want them to survive all through and beyond the holidays, make sure to take note of these tips:

Give It Enough Light

Poinsettias enjoy being under the sun! Make sure to keep them near a window where there's a lot of light. According to Philstar Global, placing the plant under low light will result in the shedding of lower leaves. If there’s not enough light coming through your home, you can make up for it with soft grow lights.

Careful with The Watering

Now poinsettias are considered sub-tropical plants. This means that they prefer to keep their soil moist and not wet. What you want to do is to water it runs out the drainage hole. Allow the pot to drain out its excess water. To help maintain its moisture, you might want to pot your poinsettias in non-porous containers like fiberglass pots. I recommend these sorts of planters because they're known to be durable and lightweight.

Do NOT feed a poinsettia in bloom as it may do some damage to its roots. If your poinsettia was recently repotted or newly bought, the soil will have enough nutrients to sustain them through Christmas.

Temperature Management is Key

Avoid placing your poinsettias in an air-conditioned area. You’ll want to maintain the temperature at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. This is crucial for them to maintain their blooming.

Caution: Poinsettia’s Toxicity

Contrary to popular belief, no known evidence points to poinsettias being poisonous. However, according to WebMD, that doesn't mean that they're harmless. If a child eats enough poinsettia leaves, he might become nauseated and may vomit.

It's not lethal enough to kill your child or your pet.  It's always better to keep these beauties out of reach to avoid any accidents. Teach your kids and train your pets to stay away from the plant.