- The poinsettia and its blossom
- Why does the poinsettia have the conspicuous bracts?
- Flowering time of the poinsettia
The poinsettia is one of the most popular indoor plants because of its striking bracts. The flowering period falls in winter. The colored leaves, which are arranged in a star shape, are often mistakenly referred to as flowers. The actual flower is rather inconspicuous.
The actual flower of the poinsettia is very inconspicuous
The poinsettia and its blossom
The bracts of the poinsettia are the most striking. The flower itself can be found above the bracts. It consists of a single female flower surrounded by a ring of male flowers.
It is so inconspicuous that you only notice it on closer inspection.
Why does the poinsettia have the conspicuous bracts?
The bracts, botanically known as bracts, are used in nature to attract insects. They fertilize the flowers so that seeds can form in them. When cultivated as a houseplant, germinable seeds are almost never produced. That is why offshoots of the poinsettia are grown from cuttings.
Flowering time of the poinsettia
The small flowers appear shortly after the bracts have sprout from November. The poinsettia will bloom well into February if properly cared for.
If you want a poinsettia to bloom at a different time of year, that's easily possible.
You just have to ensure that the poinsettia gets less than twelve hours of light a day for six to eight weeks beforehand. This can be achieved by a location in complete darkness as well as by briefly covering it with an opaque paper bag.
tips
There are different types of poinsettias. Species with bright red bracts are the most common. But there are also cream, yellow, orange and variegated leaf colors.