Poinsettias belong to the Euphorbiaceae family, which consists of almost 2,000 species commonly called "spurge." This is the sixth largest genus of flowering plants, with many varieties coming from tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Poinsettias have four stages in which fertilization needs vary. These stages are: propagation, initial growth stage, rapid growth stage and the flowering stage. Research shows the amount of fertilizer taken up by plants is higher when the crop's growth rate is rapid.

Fall Care and Re-blooming Phase To re-flower your poinsettia, you must keep the plant in complete darkness between 5pm and 8am daily from the end of September until color shows in the bracts (early to mid-December).

If properly cared for, poinsettias can retain their color for several months, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Once about half of the leaves and "flowers" have dropped, start to decrease watering until the soil is completely dry. This will cause the plant to go dormant.

Once introduced to the U.S., it quickly gained the common name poinsettia, but is also known by many other common names including Christmas flower, Christmas star, lobster plant, painted leaf, and Mexican flame leaf.

Indoor light: Put in a south, east or west window where the plant will receive bright daylight. Outdoor light: Part sun, 4 to 6 hours daily. Temperature: Indoor temperatures of 65-70 degrees F is ideal.