Instead of throwing out your poinsettia, keep it growing and learn how to turn the leaves red every Christmas! As daylight hours decrease, poinsettias go through a physiological change that shifts them into a flowering state. The red color comes from specialized leaves called bracts that surround the tiny yellow flowers in the center of the plant. Getting poinsettias to turn red again involves replicating those short daylength conditions.
When to Start To force your poinsettia to turn red, you need to. The answer to this question is yes, poinsettias do change color! These plants can be found in a range of vibrant colors, from the classic red to vibrant pink, white, and even yellow. This means there's no reason to dump the plant after the holidays.
Instead, with proper poinsettia care, you can get it to bloom again. How do you get a poinsettia to rebloom? Keep reading to learn how to make a poinsettia flower. In this guide, I will thoroughly explain the reasons why poinsettias don't turn red and the methods to make them red.
If you're worried that making a poinsettia red is something only a professional can do, fear not. While it does take some effort, even beginners can turn a poinsettia red with a little preparation in advance. Understanding the Science Behind Poinsettia Color Change Poinsettias are known for their vibrant red color, which is a result of a complex process involving light, temperature, and plant hormones.
To understand how to turn your poinsettia red, it's essential to grasp the underlying factors that affect the color of this popular holiday plant. Restoring a healthy green Poinsettia plant from last year back to its original red color is no problem if you follow a few simple rules. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) need total darkness, for 14 hours each day, starting about eight weeks before you want to display them.
The poinsettia comes in a dizzying array of colors, more than roses or daisies or virtually anything else. So how do poinsettias get their crazy colors, like blue and purple? What Makes Poinsettia Red? Unlike other plants that need good long hours of sunlight and a big day to get bright colors on their leaves and flowers, poinsettias are strongly photoperiodic, meaning they need long and daily dark periods to initiate flower buds and the coloring of the upper leaves or bracts. Poinsettias need a specific amount of water and to be placed in a cool area for them to turn red.
Bright light during the day is necessary for color production in poinsettias. Poinsettias need 10 hours of light and ideally 14 hours of darkness to rebloom. Poinsettias require the right amount of light, darkness, water, and temperature to turn red.