This website was recommended to me. I fear most may shrug or laugh, but here is my topic (with a little history first): I live at the end of the road in Wyoming. 2, coming 3, years ago my husband came home with an honestly lovely, little $5 poinsettia from the grocery store. After Christmas I thought I'd see what the plant needs to prosper indoors. Basically, all sites assumed I just wanted the plant to bloom again. There are monthly requisites and, living in a funky trailer while we slowly build our house, are pretty impossible to provide. BUT, first we built a very nice, thick-walled adobe shop, which never freezes in Wyoming winters. I put it in the shop as it is seldom we are out there after dark and thus don't disturb it's photo-period requirements. ANYway, I did a little pruning the first spring, repotted the poinsettia, added some organic fertilizer and have watered more and less, depending on the time of year. It has put out gorgeous red leaves, I believe no real blossoms, twice now. The plant still lives in the shop where, because of the lovely overhang, it gets no real sun, just plenty of light, in the summer and some nice sun in the winter. The poinsettia is now two feet tall, two feet wide, not leggy, full (Full) of leaves. We laughingly, lovingly, hope to have this poinsettia bush when we move into the house. If it never blooms again, it will be fine with us. Anyone know how to keep it healthy and happy and as gorgeous as it is today? Thank you for your patience and possible interest. sarah
Hello Krallsa, It sounds like what you have been doing has been good and you should keep on. They like bright light. They do not want to be cold, dry or wet. I have never had such success with them. Seems like the best care for them is to keep them from any extremes. Good luck when you move in.
Thank you, Eric. What you write is what I'm thinking. I know it sounds goofy, but when I gave it some water today, I was simply enthralled by how gorgeous and fully leafed it is. Since I don't know poo about it all, I can't take any credit. I'll just keep plugging away at trying to keep it happy. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
These can grow to 4m (~12 ft.) in the wild. As Eric noted, sounds like you are doing everything right--recreating an environment similar to the seasonally dry tropical forests it is native to: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science
Thank you for your time and response, Daniel. And the link as well. The map is curious to me as I saw poinsettia trees in Ecuador. High altitude, in Quito. It must have been a different species. In any case, I'll keep trying my best. Wyoming is a silly place for this, but, indoors, well, who knows what fortune I may have?
