Pick Perfect Poinsettias for the Holidays!

While fall’s chrysanthemums may be fading away, poinsettias will be popping up with their stunning red, pink, white, variegated, and green foliage to festively herald in the holidays.

Staff at Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery & Garden Center in Elburn have been tending to their greenhouse-grown poinsettia crop for weeks, timing the plants to be bountiful for purchase in November.

To choose the perfect poinsettia, Countryside experts advise selecting plants with dark green leaves and vibrant “flower petals,” which are technically modified leaves called bracts. The “flower” is the collection of small buds in the center. Avoid plants with yellowing, drooping leaves, which can indicate stress or poor health.

As tropical plants, poinsettias love humidity and warmth, so water-mist your plants and keep them in temperatures between 65-70 degrees during the day, ideally in bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch leaves. Freezing temperatures will kill your poinsettias, so don’t leave them unprotected in a chilly car. Request plastic sleeves for transporting your poinsettias home.

Countryside Flower Shop experts advise watering poinsettias when the top soil feels slightly dry to the touch. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage, so the roots don’t drown and rot.

Remove any decorative foil from the pot before watering, so the water inside isn’t trapped. Keeping your poinsettias watered appropriately will prevent leaves from dropping, which is a sign of distress.

After the holidays, your poinsettias can continue to flourish with an application of a balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks to encourage new growth. If your plant becomes spindly, cut it back to about five inches to encourage more growth.

And good news: contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous. The National Capital Poison Center states that poinsettias can be irritating, but are not fatal if eaten — this holds true for both people and pets.

For more information, please contact:

Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery & Garden Center

42W075 IL Rt. 38

Elburn, IL

Phone: 630-365-5665

www.countrysideflowershop.com