Poinsettia ‘Polar’

Poinsettia 'Polar' (Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Polar') is the white bracted form of a plant most Australians only ever meet in a foil wrapped pot in December. Grown properly it becomes a shrub about 800mm tall and 600mm wide, and the cream to white bracts hold for months rather than weeks. In a frost free garden it is a genuine perennial.

Why you'll love it

• White instead of the usual red. The bracts open cream and age to a clean white, which sits far more comfortably in a modern interior than traditional scarlet.
• Months of colour, not weeks. Bracts are modified leaves rather than petals, so the display holds long after a flowering pot plant would be finished.
• A manageable size. At roughly 800mm by 600mm it works as a potted feature indoors or a low shrub in a warm garden.
• Heat and humidity are no obstacle. It is heat tolerant and humidity tolerant, so it performs through a subtropical summer.

Where it works best

Indoors as a seasonal feature. A bright room with plenty of indirect light suits it, and inside your climate stops mattering, which makes it workable in cool southern homes.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 300mm or wider holds it for two or three years. On a balcony give it shelter from wind, which tatters the bracts faster than anything else.

Feature planting in warm gardens. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it can go in the ground, in a sheltered spot with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Growing Poinsettia in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, or partial shade outside with protection from harsh afternoon sun. It is frost tender, so outdoor planting is limited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. Anywhere colder, keep it under cover.

Soil and water. Free draining potting mix in a pot with a drainage hole, and empty the saucer. Water once the top of the mix has dried, then soak it through and let it drain. Erratic watering causes the sudden leaf drop poinsettias are known for.

Feed, pruning and colour. A balanced liquid fertiliser monthly from spring until the bracts colour, then stop. Cut back by half once the bracts fade in late summer. Bracts colour in response to long nights, so for about ten weeks beforehand the plant needs fourteen hours of unbroken darkness each night: an evening lamp will keep it green.

Sap. All euphorbias bleed a milky latex when cut. It irritates skin and eyes and is toxic if eaten, so wear gloves when pruning and keep it away from pets and children.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is sold as tube stock: a young plant, generally 100mm to 200mm of growth, and it will not arrive carrying coloured bracts. Pot it on into a 200mm container, grow it through a warm season, and the first real display comes the following summer.

Some leaf drop in the first fortnight is normal and not a fault, so settle it somewhere bright and water evenly. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the rest of our indoor flowering plants
• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Find companions among plants that suit pots

Common questions

Why did my poinsettia drop all its leaves?

Nearly always a sudden change: a cold draught, a hot window, or soil that swung between bone dry and saturated. Keep it in one stable, bright position and water evenly.

How do I get the white bracts back next year?

Cut it back by half after the bracts fade, feed through spring and summer, then give it fourteen hours of complete darkness every night for about ten weeks.

Is it poisonous to cats and dogs?

The milky sap is an irritant and is toxic if eaten, causing drooling, vomiting and skin or eye irritation. Serious poisoning is rare, but keep it out of reach of pets and children.