Choose a plant with sturdy branches, dark green leaves and young flower buds that haven’t opened. The flower buds are the little green and yellow structures in the center of the colored bracts (leaves). Poinsettias with open, mature flowers won’t keep their good looks for as long.

Protect your poinsettia from freezing weather while you take it home. If your plant is in a plastic sleeve, leave the sleeve on until you get home. The sleeve will give a little protection from cold temperatures and breakage. If there isn’t a plastic sleeve, tuck your plant into one or two shopping bags if the weather is cold or windy.

I want to put a large poinsettia on each side of my fireplace, but there isn’t much natural light in that room. How much light do poinsettias need?

A healthy poinsettia will do fine in low light for a few weeks, but if you want it to look good for the entire holiday season it will need to spend an occasional day in a room with bright, indirect light. One warning with the fireplace display, though. You must move your poinsettias away from the fireplace whenever you want to enjoy a crackling fire; otherwise, you’ll find your plants wilted or crispy on one side afterward.

Photo by Meredith Seaver

There are other hazards besides fireplaces to keep in mind when deciding where to display a poinsettia. The warm air from a nearby heater vent can dry out the foliage on any indoor plant, including your poinsettia. Cold windows and drafty doors can chill poinsettias and affect their health.

Poinsettias are brittle and their branches can easily break away when brushed against or jostled, so a location away from frequent foot traffic is a good choice.

How much water and fertilizer do poinsettias need?

Poinsettias don’t need any fertilizer during the holiday season. They also don’t need frequent watering. Poinsettias don’t like to dry down completely, but they also won’t tolerate overwatering. Thorough, less frequent watering is better than adding a little water to the pot every day or two.

When the plant feels a little lightweight and the upper half inch or so of the soil is dry, it’s time to water. Water thoroughly so the pot feels heavy again and some water comes out of the bottom of the pot. It’s best to remove your poinsettia pot from the decorative pot cover when you water so that there is never standing water in the pot cover. If that isn’t practical, you’ll need remove any standing water from the pot cover after the potting soil has had several minutes to drain. Poinsettias are susceptible to root rot, and standing water contributes to this problem.

Photo by Meredith Seaver

I felt a little guilty about throwing away my poinsettias after the holidays last year. What should I do to keep them looking good for at least a few more months?

There’s no shame in tossing out a poinsettia at the end of the holiday season! Your poinsettias were grown as decorative accents for the holiday season. Keeping them beyond that is the exception. But you can certainly keep them as houseplants for many months beyond that if you’d like.

Poinsettias kept as houseplants will need to be kept somewhere in your home where there is very bright indirect light. They’ll also need regular inspections for pest problems. Follow the watering guidelines mentioned above and fertilize at one-half or one-quarter strength with every few waterings. Once the overnight low temperatures stay above 50 degrees, you can transition your poinsettias outdoors into morning sun or bright dappled shade.

Meredith Seaver is a USU Extension horticulture assistant.