The poinsettia is one of the most popular houseplants because of its eye-catching 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.
What does the flower of a poinsettia look like?
The poinsettia flower consists of inconspicuous female flowers surrounded by male flowers and showy bracts. The flowering period ranges from November to February and can be adjusted as desired by reducing the light.
The poinsettia and its flowers
The poinsettia's bracts are most striking. The flower itself can be found above the bracts. It consists of a single female flower surrounded by a wreath of male flowers.
It is so inconspicuous that you only notice it upon closer inspection.
Why does the poinsettia have the striking bracts?
The bracts, botanically known as bracts, serve in nature to attract insects. They fertilize the flowers so that seeds can form in them. Growing as a houseplant almost never produces germinable seeds. That's why offshoots of the poinsettia are grown from cuttings.
Flowering time of the poinsettia
The small flowers appear shortly after the bracts emerge in November. The poinsettia blooms into February if it is well cared for.
If you want to get 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 per day for six to eight weeks. This can be achieved by a location in complete darkness as well as by briefly covering it with an opaque paper bag (€29.00 on Amazon).
Tip
Poinsettias come in different varieties. The most common species are those with bright red bracts. There are also cream, yellow, orange and variegated leaf colors.