Is there any more cheerful sight during the holiday season than the poinsettia’s bright red bloom? And after a couple of months, long after the tree is down and the ornaments packed away for next year, is there any sadder sight than that same poinsettia with fading flowers and drooping leaves? We’ve got some ideas on what to do with this floral ghost of Christmas past.
Cut It
Before your poinsettia completely loses its blooms, snip off its signature red flowers and use them as accent pieces in Valentine’s or Presidents’ Day bouquets.
Recycle It
The poinsettia’s flower, roots and soil can go straight into the compost pile. Shake the dirt from the decorative foil around the flower’s plastic pot and add it to the recycling bin with the aluminum cans. Clean the plastic pot and save it for spring seed starting and transplanting.
Grow It
Poinsettias are member of the hearty euphorbia genus and can be grown year-round as houseplants. Give your plant a sunny window, lightly moist soil and above freezing temperatures. In USDA zones 11 and 12, you can even plant your poinsettia in your garden. And you can get your plant, whether inside or out, to bloom year after year by taking a few easy steps.
The poinsettia is more than just a pretty face that shows up around the holidays. It has a real story, as this history of the poinsettia shows.
