Native Plants
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Friday - October 28, 2005
From: TULSA, OK
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Hours of darkness for non-native poinsettia to bloom
Answered by: Joe Marcus and Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a poinsettia from last Christmas still alive. I was told to get it so many hours of darkness. Do you know how many hours? When would be the best time to start displaying the plant again?ANSWER:
The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is native to southern Mexico. They are "short-day" plants which means that flowering is in response to long nights. It varies among cultivars, but 16 hours of uninterrupted darkness per night for several weeks is sufficient to induce the flowering response in any poinsettia. Any light at all will delay or stop the flowering response. There are classic stories about automobile lights from nearby highways and even flashlights from night watchmen delaying flowering on greenhouse grown poinsettias. People commonly put their plants in a dark closet each night for a few weeks in the fall to induce flowering and the red bract development (they bring them out each day). It is a little late to get your plant to flower by Christmas, but you can still get it to turn red just the same. If you start now, it may be red in time for St. Valentines Day! You can read more about the care of poinsettias.More Non-Natives Questions
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Beans growing under artificial light from Vernon CT
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Dying branches on non-native buddleias in Horseshoe Bend TX
September 19, 2010 - Our Black Knight buddleias are developing branches that die. The leaves just turn brown and the whole branch dies then another and finally the whole plant dies.
Do you know what could be causing this...
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Non-native invasive Siebold viburnum from Isleboro ME
June 17, 2012 - I was given several small Siebold Viburnum for planting on my Maine property. Even though it is often for sale in nurseries, I'm aware it is listed as invasive in several eastern states. Shouldn't I...
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