# Will A  Planted  Pointsettia produce Red Leaves?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-planted-pointsettia-produce-red-leaves/666739>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-planted-pointsettia-produce-red-leaves/666739 "2013-08-20T19:43:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-planted-pointsettia-produce-red-leaves/666739/1 "2013-08-20T19:43:58Z")

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I was given a nice pointsettia plant last Christmas-I nursed it though the winter (in its pot), and planted it outside this spring. It is doing well, with lots of new growth-but it isn’t putting out red leaves-will it do so? Also, if I re-pot it 9before the cold weather comes) is it likely to survive?

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**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-planted-pointsettia-produce-red-leaves/666739/2 "2013-08-20T20:21:40Z")

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In San Diego there are quite a few people who plant poinsettia plants outside. They are green most of the year then they get the red flowers around December. I see several of these plants in my neighborhood and they are just green short tree looking plants until around December when the red flowers show.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-planted-pointsettia-produce-red-leaves/666739/3 "2013-08-20T21:18:40Z")

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Poinsettias produce colored bracts in response to short day lengths. This will occur naturally in places warm enough for them to overwinter outdoors. Indoors, you’re supposed to seal them in a dark closet or other space for part of the day over a period of weeks in order to get bloom. If there’s even a small amount of light getting in, they won’t flower.