Poinsettia ‘Red Glitter’

Poinsettia 'Red Glitter' (Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Red Glitter') is the Christmas poinsettia with a difference: red bracts flecked and splashed with cream, so no two heads are quite alike. Left to grow in a frost free garden it becomes a 2.5m by 1.5m shrub, though in a pot it stays far smaller.

Why you'll love it

• Marbled colour, not flat red. Cream flecks over deep red give a livelier effect than the standard glasshouse poinsettia.
• Colour when it counts. The bracts turn as day length shortens in early summer and hold for weeks, right through the Christmas season.
• Fast growing. It puts on real size in a season, so a small plant becomes a proper shrub or a full pot quickly.
• Works inside or out. A garden shrub in warm frost free areas, or a potted feature on a balcony, in a courtyard or indoors by a bright window.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A 300mm to 400mm pot holds it at roughly knee to hip height, which is how most people grow it, and lets you move it under cover before winter.

Feature planting. In tropical and subtropical gardens it goes straight into a bed as a 2.5m shrub, giving a bank of colour when little else is performing.

Indoors and balconies. It holds colour indoors for weeks in a bright, draught free spot, then goes back outside once the bracts drop.

Growing Poinsettia 'Red Glitter' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to partial shade outdoors, bright indirect light indoors. It is frost tender, so only tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens can grow it permanently in the ground. In cool temperate and inland frost districts, grow it in a pot and shift it to a sheltered position or indoors for winter.

Soil. Free draining soil or a quality potting mix. It will not tolerate wet roots, so drainage matters more than richness, and pots need working drainage holes.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the growing season, letting the top of the mix dry between drinks. It is drought tolerant once established but sheds leaves if it dries out badly. Liquid feed monthly from spring to late summer.

Pruning. Cut back by roughly half in early autumn once the bracts have faded, which is what keeps it bushy rather than leggy. To colour up on time it needs long uninterrupted nights, so keep it away from streetlights and porch lights.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown here as tube stock, so it arrives as a small young plant rather than a coloured up specimen in a decorative sleeve. Tubes establish faster and let you grow it into the pot or position you want. Expect a season before the first real display of bracts.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Some leaf drop after transit is normal for a soft stemmed plant and new growth follows within a few weeks in warm weather. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plant gift ideas for Christmas
• Browse indoor flowering plants
• How to keep indoor plants alive
• Plants suited to balconies and courtyards

Common questions

Is it safe around pets?

No. Like all euphorbias it bleeds a milky sap when cut or broken, and that sap is toxic to cats and dogs and irritating to skin and eyes. Keep it out of reach and wear gloves when pruning.

Why did it not turn red this year?

Almost always light at night. The bracts colour only after a run of long, genuinely dark nights, so a plant near a streetlight or an indoor lamp stays green.

How big will it get in a pot?

Usually knee to hip height in a 300mm to 400mm pot, well short of the 2.5m it reaches in open ground. An annual prune keeps it compact.

Can I grow it in a cold climate?

In a pot, yes. It is frost tender, so cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens need to move it to a sheltered spot or indoors before winter.