Instructions for getting your poinsettias to rebloom are typically arduous. How does this regimen possibly exist in the plant’s natural native environment?
(I am not looking for information about how to do this, because there is no way I’m going to bother. I’m just curious as to why it’s so complicated.)
Doesn’t seem that arduous. The key factor with poinsettias is the long night darkness that leads to their brightly colored blooms that would occur naturally in the fall and winter months. I know that the instructions describe procedures similar to commercial poinsettia farming, largely done indoors. I assume that nature doesn’t produce the bright and consistent coloration we see in commercially prepared plants.
There are other ornamentals that require short days/long nights to bloom, like Kalanchoe and Christmas cactus.
The poinsettia in its natural setting would see the proper number of darkness hours to form colorful bracts, just nothing like what modern hybrids display.
A big reason not to bother shuffling your poinsettia in and out of a dark closet is that it won’t look remotely as good the second time.
Look for large-flowered Thai Giant euphorbias for a dependable flowering show that can go year-round in good lighting indoors.