Scientific Name:
Euphorbia pulcherrima
Pronunciation:
you-FOR-bee-uh pull-KAIR-ih-muh
Common Name:
poinsettia
Family Name:
Euphorbiaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering cut plant, Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Widely sold and used indoors during winter; stem exudes white sap when broken; leaves alternate, most blades ovate, 6-8cm long x 5-8cm wide, cymose inflorecence about 2cm wide of cyathia with yellow nectaries and stamens, encircled with 5-7 coloured leaflike bracts that are commonly red (white or pink cvs.).
Habit:
Irregular, Spreading, Stiffly upright, Twiggy
Form:
Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
3 - 5m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Central America, Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glandular hairs
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire, Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Cyathium
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jan, Nov, Dec
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Feb, Mar
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Mericarps (3) split open to release a single seed
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Abiotic disorder, Aphids or adelgids, Mealybugs, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Nematodes, Root rot, Scale insects, Thrips, Virus, Whitefly or psyllids
Specific Pests:
