Poinsettia ‘Premium Ice Crystal’

Poinsettia 'Premium Ice Crystal' (Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Premium Ice Crystal') is the marbled form, with red bracts broken by irregular cream and white variegation rather than the flat scarlet of the standard poinsettia. Grown as an indoor pot plant it sits around 60cm tall and 50cm across, and the bracts hold for weeks once they colour. In a frost free garden it becomes a much larger shrub.

Why you'll love it

• Marbled bracts, not plain red. Cream and white feathering through the red gives it more depth than a standard poinsettia at the same size.
• Long lasting colour. The bracts are modified leaves rather than petals, so once they colour up they hold for weeks indoors.
• Compact indoors. Around 60cm by 50cm in a pot, which suits a table, a bench or a sheltered balcony.
• Heat and humidity are no problem. It is a tropical plant, so a warm Australian summer suits it far better than a cold room.

Where it works best

Indoors in a bright room. A position near a window with plenty of indirect light is ideal, away from air conditioning vents and draughts, which are the usual cause of leaf drop.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 300mm or wider on a sheltered verandah works well in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens.

Feature planting in warm gardens. Planted out where frost never reaches it grows into a shrub of 2m or more, colouring naturally in winter: a very different plant from the compact pot version.

Growing Poinsettia in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, or a warm sheltered position with morning sun outside. It is frost tender, so it belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, or in a pot that moves indoors in cooler districts.

Soil. Free draining potting mix in a pot with a working drainage hole, or improved free draining soil in the ground. Wet roots cause more losses than anything else.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, then empty the saucer. Feed a liquid fertiliser fortnightly through spring and summer, and stop once the bracts colour.

Pruning and colouring up. Cut back by about half in early spring to keep it bushy. Bracts colour only in response to long nights, which is why an indoor plant near evening lighting often stays green.

What to expect when it arrives

This poinsettia is sold as tube stock. Your plant arrives young and green, a small rooted cutting rather than the fully coloured pot plant sold in shops before Christmas. That is worth knowing before you order: the coloured version is forced under controlled light, and yours will colour in its own time, usually in its second winter.

Handle it with care, because the milky sap is an irritant. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse other indoor flowering plants
• Choosing the right size pot for your plant
• Compare the wider indoor plant range

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Treat it as unsafe. The milky sap of all euphorbias irritates skin, eyes and mouths, and a chewing pet will usually drool and be off its food. Keep it out of reach and wear gloves when pruning.

Why are the bracts still green?

Poinsettias colour in response to long nights. From autumn the plant needs about 14 hours of complete darkness each night for six to eight weeks, so a lamp or a streetlight nearby will keep it green.

Why is it dropping leaves?

Usually cold draughts, a heating or cooling vent, or roots sitting in water. Move it away from the airflow, check the drainage, and let the top of the mix dry between waterings.

Can I plant it in the garden?

Yes, in a frost free garden with free draining soil. Expect a much bigger plant, often 2m or more, colouring naturally in winter and needing a hard prune each spring.