Use the festive poinsettia as part of your holiday decor.
A symbol of the holidays, poinsettias seem to say “Christmas is here.” This is the most popular potted plant in America. Gardeners will find these holiday plants fit into any holiday decorating scheme.
Choosing a Color and Style of Poinsettia
Whatever color scheme you’ve selected for the holidays, suitably colored poinsettias are available. In addition to the traditional red, the color palette includes bicolors of all sorts, and various shades of yellow as well as cream, pink, and purple. Within the last few years nurseries have resorted to magic in a can—spray paints and dyes designed specifically for live plants. These are combined with glitter to create a winter wonderland of impressionistic, painted poinsettias. If you shop carefully, you’ll even find painted ones with striped leaves.
Depending on your needs, a single-stemmed plant or a large pot containing several branching plants may be most suitable. It depends on the amount of space you have available, the style of plant you prefer, and the amount of money you want to spend.
Displaying Poinsettias
For the best effect, treat these plants as you would any other decorating accessory. For example, display three or four pots of poinsettias en masse on a long table or mantle. As an accent, coordinate the color of the plant with that of your Christmas décor.
Don’t forget that the texture of a poinsettia can lend a rich touch to a room. For decorating purposes, choose varieties with crinkled bracts.
Choosing a Container for your Poinsettia
As with the color of the poinsettia, the pot or planter should be carefully coordinated with the room’s other holiday furnishings. Premium quality poinsettias are often sold in large, attractively decorated containers, mixed planters, or hanging baskets. Some greenhouses also have them in two-tiered, topiary-like planters.
Depending on your needs, the containers can be plain or decorative. An ordinary terra cotta pot can be stenciled with suitable holiday motifs.
Cache pots and colorful woven baskets are excellent choices for poinsettias. When using these, just leave the plants in their original plastic pot.
Finishing Touches for a Poinsettia Display
There are quick and easy ways to draw attention to your poinsettias. Add holiday ribbons and bows to the pots. Dress up plain plastic pots by wrapping them in Christmas fabric or gift wrap. Just remove this wrapping before you water the plant.
For large planters, place glass baubles, shiny Christmas ornaments, or painted, glittery pine cones around the base of the plants.
Display pots of poinsettias on a colorful, seasonal table topper or miniature quilt.
