Family
Euphorbiaceae
Botanical Name
Euphorbia pulcherrima 'Renate'(PLUM PUDDING) PP12770
Plant Common Name
Plum Pudding Poinsettia, Poinsettia
General Description
A new color in poinsettias, this 2001 introduction from Paul Ecke Ranch of Encinitas, California, is noted for its purple flower bracts and low spreading habit. Like all modern selections of Euphorbia pulcherrima, it was developed to meet the massive holiday demand for bushy, showy-flowered, greenhouse-produced poinsettias. In the wild, Euphorbia pulcherrima is a leggy, medium-sized deciduous shrub that inhabits mountains of western Mexico.
All poinsettias have upright woody stems with large, slightly lobed leaves and milky sap. The leaves of Plum Pudding™ are dark green with burgundy-purple stems ("petioles"). As nights lengthen in fall, clusters of inconspicuous yellow blooms with showy petal-like bracts develop at the branch tips. Plum Pudding™ bears about 20 large red-purple flower bracts per stem in late fall and early winter. The well-branched plants grow to 12 inches (30 cm) tall and nearly twice as wide 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
-
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 10
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 15
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Plant Type
Shrub
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Height
12"-16" / 30.5cm - 40.6cm
-
Width
20"-26" / 50.8cm - 66.0cm
-
Bloom Time
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
-
Native To
Mexico
Ornamental Features
-
Flower Interest
Showy
-
Flower Color
Yellow, Purple, Burgundy, Dark Red
-
Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
-
Foliage Color (Summer)
Dark Green, Burgundy
-
Foliage Color (Fall)
Dark Green, Burgundy
-
Foliage Color (Winter)
Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
-
Bark Color
Green, Tan
-
Fragrant Flowers
No
-
Fragrant Fruit
No
-
Fragrant Foliage
No
-
Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Repeat Bloomer
No
-
Showy Fruit
No
-
Edible Fruit
No
-
Showy Foliage
No
-
Foliage Texture
Coarse
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
-
Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
-
Bark Texture
Smooth
-
Usage
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
-
Sharp or Has Thorns
No
-
Invasive
No
-
Self-Sowing
No
