Mark A. Miller
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Botanical Name
EUPHORBIA pulcherrima 'Ice Punch' PP19504
Plant Common Name
Ice Punch Poinsettia, Poinsettia
General Description
Ice Punch poinsettia bears showy red and white flower bracts on bushy compact plants. This sport of 'Eckabish' was discovered by Marita von Danwitz in Tönisvorst, Germany, and introduced by Paul Ecke Ranch of Encinitas, California. Like all modern selections of Euphorbia pulcherrima, it was developed to meet the massive holiday demand for greenhouse-produced poinsettias. These selections grow from unrooted cuttings to bushy, leafy, heavily blooming potted plants in a matter of months. In contrast, their wild ancestors in western Mexico are leggy, medium-sized deciduous shrubs that often shed their leaves before blooming. Plant characteristics cited below are for first-year greenhouse-grown plants. Older plants attain much greater size.
All poinsettias have upright woody stems with large, slightly lobed leaves and milky sap. The leaves of 'Ice Punch' are medium- to dark-green. As nights lengthen, clusters of inconspicuous yellow blooms with large oval petal-like bracts develop at the stem tips. This cultivar bears cherry-red flower bracts with irregular creamy-white to pale-pink central blotches. The dense, well-branched, 10-inch (25-cm) plants bloom from late fall to midwinter, retaining their leaves into late winter if grown in favorable conditions.
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 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
10"-12" / 25.4cm - 30.5cm
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Width
12"-16" / 30.5cm - 40.6cm
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Bloom Time
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
Red, Light Pink, Ivory
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Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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Foliage Color (Spring)
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)
Green, 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
