Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Botanical Name
Euphorbia pulcherrima '490'( FREEDOM™ RED, FREEDOM™ SERIES) PP7825
Plant Common Name
Freedom™ Red Poinsettia, Poinsettia
General Description
One of several cultivars in the popular Freedom™ series of poinsettias, this 1990 introduction is noted for it scarlet flower bracts, deep green leaves, compact multi-branched habit, and early bloom. Plants in the Freedom™ series were developed and introduced by Paul Ecke Ranch of Encinitas, California. Like all modern selections of Euphorbia pulcherrima, Freedom™ cultivars were developed to meet the massive holiday demand for bushy, compact, greenhouse-produced poinsettias. Their wild ancestors in western Mexico are leggy, medium-sized deciduous shrubs that often shed their leaves before blooming.
All poinsettias have upright woody stems with large, slightly lobed leaves and milky sap. As nights lengthen in fall, clusters of inconspicuous yellow blooms with showy petal-like bracts develop at the stem tips. Freedom™ Red bears numerous dull orange-red flower bracts from late fall to midwinter. The well-branched plants grow to 16 inches (40 cm) their first year. They retain their leaves through much of winter in mild sunny locations.
Poinsettias require full to partial sun and average to fertile well-drained soil. Purchased poinsettias can be moved to a sunny window or a frost-free garden niche after they bloom. These "saved" poinsettias will eventually grow far beyond their first-year size.
These tender ornamentals can be reluctant to rebloom because flowering is triggered by long nights. The best method is to site plants in natural daylight, where they will experience shortening days. Professional growers shade their plants at night starting around the autumnal equinox to ensure full bract coloration 6 to 8 weeks later.
Poinsettia is sometimes the subject of health concerns. See http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Euphopu.htm
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 10
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USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 15
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Shrub
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
16"-20" / 40.6cm - 50.8cm
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Width
16"-24" / 40.6cm - 61.0cm
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Bloom Time
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
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Native To
Mexico
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange Red
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Dark Green
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Bark Color
Green, Tan
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
No
