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Most leaves on my Euphorbia pulcherrima falled down, there are only left on the top of plant. It now looks a bit odd

Euphorbia pulcherrima

I'd like to ask what to do with it. Can I cut the top (will the top grow if I plant it?)? If I can cut it, where / when? Thank you for your help.

DropDropped
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  • While I don't know what causes it, I saw this plant often enough in restaurants in Bolivia with stalks more than 15' long - growing almost like a vine tacked to the wall and around the ceiling with foliage just at the tips. – That Idiot Dec 09 '16 at 12:15

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I am pretty sure this is good old Poinsettia. Great when young but I've never seen OLD lush plants. Here is a link;poinsettia care

Another link to go along with my propagation comment. There is an explanation how to force your plant to color up using light/dark cycles with your grow light. How to get your poinsetta to last for months

I have to add, your plant is probably the BEST I've seen at this age indoors!!

By now you probably see that planning to purchase a new fresh plant for the holidays makes far more sense. Otherwise this plant will keep trying to find the light by lengthening its internodes and looking like a sick, vine thing. Oh it will survive but like I said I'VE never seen one of these things EVER look the way they looked fresh out of their nursery. Not even if one has a climate controlled greenhouse, great lights...they are still surviving and wimpy.

stormy
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  • @DropDropped These plants should be considered a short term novelty plant. I am sure that you might be able to propagate vegetatively (young leaf planted end down) using bagged propagation soil. Moisten the soil, don't soak. Cover with a plastic dome or plastic wrap until rooted in its little pot (2"X2"). To do this you are going to need a grow light preferably one that puts off heat. Keep it a few feet above the starts that are under plastic. Too close you'll cook them. Once roots come out of the bottom hole you can then up pot to a 4"X4" and continue up potting to 6". – stormy Dec 11 '16 at 20:37
  • You can rejuvenate these perennials yearly, and get good growth, but they require special treatment to produce bracts. – J. Musser Dec 13 '16 at 18:01
  • @J.Musser Can they be rejuvenated to looking close to their newbie lushness? The cost and energy aside, just keeping them alive is like torture somehow, grins. Does vegetative propagation work well? – stormy Dec 14 '16 at 02:12
  • Yes they can,. Someone I know does this every year, repotting the same crown, flushing it out, and bringing it to bract each year. Of course the internodal spaces will be elongated compared to what you are used to, it you don't apply a growth regulator such as Cycocel. All commercial poinsettias are treated with growth regulators, sometimes even 3 or 4. – J. Musser Dec 14 '16 at 03:22
  • So the growth regular keeps the internodes short, bright light keeps plant lush? 3 or 4 APPLICATIONS? Go buy that someone a fresh new poinsettia!! Grins. They probably are genius botanists enjoying their power and have the time to play with plants. They should do an article for the internet. Otherwise, to expect a poinsettia to last more than a few months is sigh gonna be a disappointment. I have a hard time killing plants unless I'm gonna eat them. So I just don't buy them anymore. Can't eat THIS one!! – stormy Dec 14 '16 at 22:32