13 Dec Holiday Home Tip: Poinsettia Care
There’s no question that the poinsettia is the quintessential holiday plant, but do you know its ties to the Upstate?
An amateur horticulturalist and native South Carolinian, Joel Poinsett was appointed the first U.S. minister to Mexico in 1825 and sent the first poinsettia to Philadelphia in 1828. You’ve probably seen Poinsett’s statue on Main Street in downtown Greenville, as the historic Poinsett Hotel is named after him! In 2015, Dr. Jim Faust from Clemson University brought back the first truly wild poinsettia from Mexico to the U.S. and placed it, appropriately, in the Poinsett Hotel. Faust and his colleagues are now working to create a genetic family tree of old and new poinsettia varieties.
Faust has shared his tips and tricks to keep your poinsettia looking great throughout the holidays and well into the new year.
Holiday Upkeep
- Light: Poinsettias should receive as much light as possible.
- Temperature: Between 60 and 75 degrees is ideal, and avoid drafts.
- Water: Keep moist, but don’t overwater.
Spring and Beyond
- In the spring, summer and fall, fertilize every two to three weeks.
- Come March or April, cut it down to about eight inches tall.
- Once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees, move it outside.
- In early June, transplant into a bigger container using a soil mix.
- Stop pruning after August.
- Bring it back inside once nighttime temperatures drop to 55 to 60 degrees.
To learn even more about this festive plant, head over to Clemson’s website here.
