Poinsettia 'Winter Rose'
Photo: Paul Ecke Ranch

When you think "poinsettia," what comes to mind? A pretty red -- or perhaps white -- flower in a pot on the coffee table? If so, get ready for some pleasant surprises. This staple of the holiday gardening season has blossomed into a new range of colors. Even more exciting: It turns out that poinsettias make excellent cut flowers if you treat them right.

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Once a poinsettia leaves the pot, it's free to spread its wings in new places. For example, you can place several cuttings of various colors in a vase to make a colorful addition to a mantel. Or tuck the stems into floral picks -- those water-filled tubes that cut flowers come in -- and nestle them into holiday wreaths or Christmas trees.

Cuttings can last up to two weeks if you follow these simple steps:

• Start by cutting stems with bracts (the colorful modified leaves we think of as the poinsettia's flowers) to the desired length.
• Remove the lower leaves and stand the cutting in a vase of cool water for 30 minutes. Discard the cloudy water and replace it with fresh.
• If you will be inserting the stems into floral picks, check the water level each day -- they can dry out quickly.

If you're shopping for poinsettias in supermarkets and the like, you may not have encountered the wide range of colors and patterns found in modern varieties. A visit to a well-stocked florist or garden center will turn up poinsettias that are:

 

Poinsettia 'Jingle Bells'
has white-flecked bracts
that spice up any display.

• Red (of course), ranging from plain old fire-engine to bracts that look like red velvet
• White, or more accurately cream
• Pink, from pale to coral
• Purplish red (look for the variety 'Plum Pudding')
• Marbled, speckled, and splashed -- usually in shades of red, pink, and cream
• Variegated -- that is, the leaves are a mixture of green and cream
• In addition to new colors, you'll also find poinsettias with bracts that curve inward, creating a "flower" that resembles a rose (look for 'Winter Rose' in several shades of red, pink, and cream) and miniature poinsettias with smaller than usual bracts.

Related slide show: The Bright New Look of Poinsettias

Related article: Poinsettia Care Guide