Poinsettia Advance Buy Timing and How to Pick a Healthy Plant

The best window to buy poinsettias is late November into the first days of December, within a week or two of a store's fresh delivery. Plants bought then have had the least time under dim store lights, in cold entryways, or packed in plastic sleeves, and a well chosen plant will hold its color for four to six weeks or longer at home. Buy too late in December and you are often picking through plants that have already started dropping leaves.

Poinsettias are grown in greenhouses on a strict short-day schedule so their bracts color up on cue. Growers ship to garden centers and big box stores starting in early to mid November, and the freshest stock usually turns over through late November. Plan backward from the date you want the plant to look its best.

Plan your timing

• For a late November table, buy the same week, after fresh stock arrives.
• For a December gathering, buy in late November or the first week of December, then give it a bright, steady spot at home.
• For the widest color choice, call a local greenhouse in October or early November. Many take reservations for specialty colors, marbled types, and large or tree form plants.
• Ordering online: choose a seller that ships only in mild weather or packs with insulation, and open the box the moment it arrives. Poinsettias damage quickly in a cold truck or on a cold porch.

What to check at the store

1. Look at the true flowers. The small yellow and green buds (cyathia) in the center of each bract cluster should be tight and present. If they are shedding yellow pollen or are missing, the plant is older and will fade sooner.
2. Check the bracts. Color should be full, with no green blotches around the edges unless the variety is meant to be marbled or speckled.
3. Inspect the leaves. Look for dark green foliage all the way down to the soil. Bare lower stems or yellow leaves on the floor of the display mean stress from overwatering, drying out, or low light.
4. Feel the soil. It should be lightly moist, not soggy and not bone dry. Skip any plant sitting in water inside foil.
5. Look under the leaves for whiteflies, which flutter up when you brush the plant.
6. Pick a balanced plant. A good rule is a plant roughly two to three times as tall as the pot is wide, with stiff stems that do not flop.

Skip plants that are drooping in their sleeves, displayed outdoors in front of the store, or parked by automatic doors that blast cold air all day.

Getting it home warm

Poinsettias are tropical. Temperatures below about 50°F injure leaves and bracts, and even a few minutes near freezing can cause damage that shows up days later.

• Have it sleeved or bagged for the trip on any cold day.
• Warm the car first and make the poinsettia your last stop. Never leave it in a parked car while you run other errands.
• Remove the sleeve as soon as you are home. Plants left sleeved for more than a few hours start to droop, a reaction called epinasty.

The first week at home

• Light: bright, indirect light near a sunny window for at least six hours, without leaves touching cold glass.
• Temperature: about 60 to 70°F by day and no lower than 55°F at night. Keep it away from heating vents, fireplaces, and drafty doors.
• Water: check every few days. Water when the surface feels dry, until it drains, and empty the saucer. Poke holes in decorative foil or remove it so water does not pool around the roots.
• No fertilizer while it is in color.

A soil moisture meter takes the guesswork out of watering, and a simple thermometer shows whether that window ledge is colder than you think.

Handling the sap

Poinsettias bleed a milky sap when a stem or leaf breaks. It can irritate skin and eyes, and people with a latex allergy may react to it. Wear gloves if you are repotting or moving several plants, wash your hands afterward, and keep sap away from your eyes.

Pet notes

Poinsettia is listed as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses by the ASPCA, but its effects are usually mild. The milky sap irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause drooling or vomiting; its reputation as a deadly plant is exaggerated. Still, set plants on a table or shelf out of reach of curious pets and sweep up dropped leaves. If a pet chews one and seems unwell, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. See what to do if a dog eats a plant and what to do if a cat eats a plant.

Bottom line

Buy poinsettias in late November or the first days of December, soon after fresh stock arrives. Pick a plant with tight centers, full bract color, and green leaves to the soil line, get it home warm and unsleeved, and give it a bright spot away from drafts. A plant chosen that way lasts well past the date you bought it for.

Related reading

• Indoor cyclamen care
• Christmas cactus bloom care
• Forced amaryllis bulbs for indoor winter bloom
• Paperwhite narcissus for indoor forcing
• Poinsettia care after purchase