Poinsettia ‘Frozen’

Poinsettia 'Frozen' (Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Frozen') is a compact white bracted selection grown for colour indoors at the end of the year. It holds to about 600mm tall and 500mm wide in a pot, which is a manageable size for a table, a bench or a bright entry. The cream white bracts sit against deep green leaves and hold for weeks, far longer than any cut flower.

Why you'll love it

• Colour that lasts weeks. The display comes from bracts, which are modified leaves, so it stays fresh long after a bunch of flowers would be finished.
• A softer look. Cream and white reads calmer than traditional red and suits any room scheme.
• Compact by nature. At 600mm it stays a pot plant rather than sprawling into the shrub poinsettias become in warm gardens.
• Heat and humidity are fine. It handles warm Australian summers indoors and out.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright spot with plenty of indirect light, out of draughts and away from heating or cooling vents. Direct hot sun through glass burns the bracts.

Pots and balconies. A 250mm to 300mm pot suits a single plant on a sheltered balcony or courtyard in a frost free climate. Bring it under cover in cold or wet weather.

Feature planting. In tropical and subtropical gardens it can go into a warm sheltered bed, where it grows on as a small soft shrub.

Growing Poinsettia 'Frozen' in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, or a warm sheltered position outdoors in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so anywhere with cold winters it needs to live inside or in a pot that can be moved.

Soil. A quality free draining potting mix. The pot needs a drainage hole and the saucer emptied: standing water kills more poinsettias than neglect.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, then let it drain right through. Feed with a liquid fertiliser fortnightly through spring and summer, and stop while it is in colour.

Pruning and recolouring. Cut it back by about half in early spring to keep it compact. To colour again it needs roughly 14 hours of complete darkness for six to eight weeks in autumn, so a room with a lamp on each evening will stay green.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as tube stock, so you are buying a young plant, not the fully coloured plant sold in florists at Christmas. Expect a small rooted plant with green leaves that needs potting up and a season of growth before it makes a display.

Pot it into a 200mm container first, then a 250mm to 300mm pot as it fills out. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive covers light and watering basics.
• Compare other indoor flowering plants for year round colour.
• Find a plant suited to a pot to sit alongside it.
• See what else suits balconies and small spaces.

Common questions

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. The milky sap is toxic and irritates skin, eyes and mouths, so we do not list it as pet friendly. Keep it out of reach of pets and children, and wash your hands after pruning.

Why did my plant stay green?

Light at night. The bracts only colour after about six to eight weeks of long, completely dark nights, and even a hallway lamp or streetlight through a window is enough to stop it.

Can I plant it in the garden?

Only in a frost free climate. Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens suit it in a sheltered bed. Elsewhere keep it potted and movable.

Why are the leaves dropping?

Usually a sudden change: cold draughts, a hot vent, or roots sitting in water. Settle it in one bright position and empty the saucer after watering.