When Should I Put my Poinsettia in the Dark?

Poinsettias are ubiquitous holiday plants. I always feel like I need at least one to complete my Christmas decorating. Some years I go for the traditional red hue, others I opt for something more unique, like variegated leaves or bright pink bracts. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America, so these tropical plants often don’t last in a home beyond the holidays. However, if they survived, it is possible to keep them for the following year and, after a period of darkness, get them to rebloom for you. So, if you’re wondering, when should I put my poinsettia in the dark, I will explain how to care for your plant throughout the year, until it’s time to display it once again for the holidays.

Trendy houseplants, like Monstera and Pilea may be popular, but the poinsettia is still the number one potted plant in America. Every year at my local nurseries, there are rows upon rows of poinsettias in different colors and shades of red. I’m willing to bet that a great deal of the 65 to 80 million (depending on which reports you read) that are sold each year end up in the landfill. So if you’re up for the challenge, why not try keeping yours around until next December.

What look like majestic petals on a poinsettia, are actually colorful bracts. Bracts are modified leaves that protect flower buds. On a poinsettia, you have to get really up close and personal to see the flower part of the plant. These little yellow and green spheres lie in the center of a bract and often look as though someone has added little flecks of gold to them as they open.

Like a kalanchoe or Thanksgiving cactus, poinsettias are what’s referred to as a “short-day plant.” The plant needs lower