Tapestry Poinsettia

Tapestry poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Tapestry') is the variegated form, and it earns its place for eleven months of the year rather than one. The leaves are marbled cream, gold and green on a shrub reaching about 900mm tall and 700mm wide, so it holds interest long before the red bracts colour up. It is frost tender, which makes it a pot plant across most of the country and a garden shrub in the warm north.

Why you'll love it

• Variegated foliage, not just bracts. Cream, gold and green marbling carries the plant through the year, unlike a plain green poinsettia out of season.
• Red bracts through winter. Long nights trigger the colour, so in an Australian garden the display arrives around June and July rather than December.
• A real shrub, not a gift pot. Grown properly it makes a 900mm shrub that returns year after year.
• Heat and humidity are no problem. It is at home in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens where summer runs hot and sticky.

Where it works best

Indoors and in courtyards. A bright position near a window suits it, and a balcony or courtyard with overhead cover works better again. Indoors it needs strong light.

Pots and containers. A pot 350mm or wider gives it room for a season or two, and a potted plant can be shifted into shelter when the weather turns.

Feature planting in warm gardens. In tropical and subtropical gardens it goes straight into the ground, reaching its full 900mm by 700mm and colouring each winter.

Growing Tapestry poinsettia in Australia

Position and climate. Bright light with protection from harsh afternoon sun, which scorches the pale variegation. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates and is frost tender: any frost will damage or kill it, so in cool temperate districts keep it potted and under cover through winter.

Soil. Free draining, and that is the main requirement. Use a good potting mix in containers, or a bed improved with compost and raised if the ground is heavy. Waterlogged roots are the fastest way to lose it.

Water and feed. Moderate water. Keep the mix evenly moist through the growing season, letting the top few centimetres dry between waterings, then ease off in winter. A liquid feed monthly from spring to late summer supports the winter display.

Pruning. Cut back by about a third in early spring once the bracts fade, which keeps the plant bushy rather than leggy. Wear gloves, because cut stems bleed a milky sap that irritates skin and eyes.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tubestock. Tubes are young single stemmed plants that need a season in a pot before they look like anything: you are buying a plant to grow on, not an instant display. Pot up on arrival into a 200mm container, then move it to its final 350mm pot or garden position.

Expect bract colour in the second winter rather than the first, and some leaf drop in transit, which is common with poinsettia. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read variegated plants explained for how to keep the marbling strong.
• Browse the wider variegated plant collection.
• See our guide to keeping indoor plants alive.
• Compare other indoor flowering plants for a bright room.

Common questions

When will it turn red?

In winter, usually June and July across most of Australia. Poinsettias colour in response to long nights, so the Christmas display in shops is the result of growers manipulating light, not the plant's natural timing here.

Is it safe around pets and children?

Treat it with care. All euphorbias carry a milky sap that irritates skin, eyes and mouths, so keep it away from pets and small children. Wear gloves when pruning.

Can I grow it outdoors in a cold climate?

Not in the ground. It is frost tender, so in cool temperate and frost prone inland gardens it needs a pot that can move under cover until the risk passes.