Holiday plants care: poinsettia, amaryllis, Christmas cactus and cyclamen

Poinsettia, amaryllis, Christmas cactus and cyclamen fill shops every winter, and many of them are thrown away by January. With a few habits, they can look good for weeks and some will flower again next year. This guide covers picking a healthy plant, getting it home through the cold, daily care, what to do after flowering, how to make each one rebloom and which ones are risky for pets.

Poinsettia room: 60–70 °F, away from drafts
Poinsettia rebloom: Dark from 5 pm to 8 am, from early October
Amaryllis rest: 6–8 weeks at 40–50 °F
Pet-safe (ASPCA): Only the Christmas cactus; the other three are toxic

Choosing a healthy plant at the shop

A plant that leaves the shop in good shape is half the work done. Look closely before you pay:

Poinsettia: The coloured parts are bracts, a kind of leaf. The true flowers are the small yellow-green buttons in the centre (cyathia). Pick a plant whose buttons shed little or no pollen, with bright bracts and dark green leaves all the way down the stem. Pass on plants that are wilted, bare at the bottom, have broken stems or show insects.
Amaryllis: Usually sold as a dormant bulb, sometimes in a kit with a pot and mix, or already in bud. Choose a firm bulb with no soft or mouldy patches.
Christmas cactus: Look for plenty of buds and plump, firm stem segments rather than limp or wrinkled ones.
Cyclamen: Choose a plant with many buds that are only just opening, and sturdy leaves forming a neat mound up to about 8 in tall.

Getting it home through the cold

Holiday plants come from warm greenhouses, and the walk from the shop to the car is often the most dangerous moment of their life.

Make the plant your last purchase of the trip.
Have it wrapped or put in a paper or plastic sleeve before you step outside; if the shop does not wrap plants, ask for a sleeve.
Put it in a warmed car and drive straight home.
Indoors, take off the sleeve and place the plant away from doors and heaters.

⚠️ Even a few minutes of freezing air can blacken and drop poinsettia leaves and bracts. On frosty days, do not leave plants in a cold car while you run other errands.

Poinsettia: light, temperature and water

Light: A bright spot with about six hours of indirect light a day. Do not let leaves touch cold window glass.
Temperature: 60–70 °F by day suits it; a slightly cooler night, around 55 °F, is fine. Keep it away from heating vents, radiators and outside doors.
Water: Feel the soil every day and water when the surface is dry, until water runs out of the bottom. Decorative foil traps water: take the pot out and water it in the sink, or punch holes in the foil and empty the saucer afterwards.
Both extremes hurt: Soggy soil yellows the lower leaves and can rot the roots; drying out makes leaves curl and fall. A wilted plant also drops its bracts sooner.

With this care a poinsettia stays attractive for about 6–8 weeks, well beyond New Year.

Amaryllis: potting, light and flowering

Pot: Choose a pot with a drainage hole, only about 1 in wider than the bulb. Plant it pointed end up, leaving one third of the bulb above the mix.
Water: Keep the mix barely moist until shoots are 2–3 in tall, then keep it moist but not soggy, letting the top 1/2 in dry between waterings.
Light: A sunny window with some direct sun. Turn the pot a little at each watering so the stalk grows straight.
In flower: Move the plant out of hot sun and away from heaters; above 65 °F the flowers fade faster. Each stalk carries 2–4 flowers and each one lasts about two weeks.
Support: Tie a tall, top-heavy stalk loosely to a stake, without pushing the stake through the bulb.

Christmas cactus: keep it steady

Three close relatives are sold under similar names: Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), Christmas cactus (S. bridgesii) and Easter cactus (S. gaertneri). Care is almost the same; they simply flower at different times.

Light: Bright light, but not scorching summer sun.
Water: Let the soil dry between waterings. Too much water leads to bud drop, wilting and root rot.
Temperature: About 65–70 °F by day and 55–65 °F in the evening.
Do not move it while in bud: Drafts, heaters, vents, sudden changes in temperature or humidity, a new light direction or a move to a warmer room can all make buds fall.

Cyclamen: the cooler the better

Light: Bright, indirect light; an east-facing window often works well.
Temperature: 60–65 °F by day and about 50 °F at night. Cool rooms make each flower last longer and lengthen the whole season.
Water: When the surface looks and feels dry, water thoroughly, but never into the centre of the plant: the crown rots if it stays wet. Watering from below is easiest: stand the pot in water for 15 minutes, then let it drain. Let the mix nearly dry before the next watering.
Humidity: A tray of wet gravel under the pot helps.
Faded flowers: Twist the whole stem and pull it off sharply at the base; do not leave stubs.

In good conditions a cyclamen can keep flowering for up to three months.

After flowering: what each plant needs

Once the show is over, each plant takes a different path. None of them is "dead" just because the flowers are gone.

Poinsettia

Colour lasts about 6–8 weeks with good care.
When about half the bracts and leaves have dropped, water less until the soil dries.
Keep it cool and dark, giving only enough water to stop stems shrivelling.

Amaryllis

Cut off the faded flower stalk.
Keep the leaves: they feed the bulb for next year.
Keep it sunny and watered; outdoors after the last frost, back in before the first autumn frost.

Christmas cactus

Water less often after flowering, more again in spring or early summer.
Prune where two segments join; each cut gives 1–2 new segments.
Repot only about every three years.

Cyclamen

Flowering stops in late spring.
Yellowing, falling leaves mean summer rest, not death.
Reduce water; do not keep the mix wet while it has no leaves.

Making them flower again: a calendar

Reblooming takes patience, but it is free. The key for poinsettia and Christmas cactus is long, uninterrupted nights; for amaryllis and cyclamen it is a proper rest.

Poinsettia, winter to spring: After the bracts drop, keep the plant cool and dark with only a little water. When new growth starts, usually in early May, cut the stems back to 4–6 in above the soil and repot if needed.
Poinsettia, summer: Move it outdoors once nights stay above 50 °F, getting it used to the sun over one to two weeks; 6–8 hours of sun with afternoon shade suits it. Pinch the shoot tips every three to four weeks until mid-August. Bring it inside when nights cool to 55–60 °F.
Poinsettia, autumn: From the end of September or early October, keep it in complete darkness from 5 pm to 8 am every night (a closet or a large box works) and in a sunny window by day. Continue until the bracts are well coloured, usually in early to mid-December. Nights warmer than 70–75 °F can delay or prevent colour.
Amaryllis: In late summer or early autumn, move the pot to a cool, dry place and stop watering until the leaves yellow and wither. Let the bulb rest for about 6–8 weeks at 40–50 °F. When new growth appears, bring it back into light and start watering again.
Christmas cactus: In autumn give it at least 12 hours of total darkness every night for about 6 weeks, with nights at 60–65 °F and bright light by day. Nights around 55 °F often bring buds in 5–6 weeks whatever the day length; above 65 °F at night it is unlikely to bloom.
Cyclamen: When the leaves have withered, lift the tuber and store it in dry vermiculite at about 50 °F for 6–12 weeks. After the rest, replant it with the top half above the mix and start watering when new leaves appear. It needs cool air, humidity and evenly moist soil to bloom again, so success is not guaranteed.

Common problems and fixes

Poinsettia leaves suddenly blacken or dropUsually cold: a freezing trip home, a cold window or a draft. Soggy soil or completely dry soil can also cause leaf drop. Check the spot first, then the soil.

Poinsettia bracts stay green in autumnThe nights were not dark or long enough. Darkness from 5 pm to 8 am must not be broken; even a lamp switched on in the room can upset it.

Amaryllis leaves are long, thin and floppyToo little light. Give it the sunniest window you have; sun is the most important factor for flowering again.

Christmas cactus drops its budsIt was moved, sits in a draft or near a heater, or the soil stayed too wet. Choose a place and leave it there until it flowers.

Cyclamen leaves yellow in winterCheck that water has not collected in the centre of the plant and that the room is not too warm. In late spring, yellowing is normal rest.

Pet safety: what the ASPCA says

The following comes from the ASPCA plant pages for dogs, cats and horses:

Poinsettia: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The milky sap irritates the mouth and stomach and sometimes causes vomiting. The ASPCA also notes that its toxicity is generally overrated, but it is still not a plant for pets to chew.
Amaryllis: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (lycorine and other compounds). Signs include vomiting (not in horses), depression, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, drooling, loss of appetite and tremors.
Christmas cactus: Listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Cyclamen: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (terpenoid saponins). Drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea; after eating a large amount of tuber, heart rhythm problems, seizures and even death. Store resting tubers well out of reach.

⚠️ If your pet has chewed one of these plants, contact your vet right away. In the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is also available 24 hours a day.

Frequently asked questions

Is a poinsettia deadly for cats and dogs?

According to the ASPCA it is toxic but generally overrated: the sap mostly irritates the mouth and stomach and may cause vomiting. Keep it out of reach anyway and call your vet if your pet eats some.

Why is my poinsettia dropping leaves?

Most often because of cold (a freezing trip home, cold glass or drafts) or because of watering that is too much or too little. Find a stable spot between 60 and 70 °F and water only when the surface is dry.

Can I make my amaryllis flower again next year?

Yes. Keep the leaves growing in sun after flowering, then give the bulb a dry rest of about 6–8 weeks at 40–50 °F from late summer. It starts again when you bring it back into warmth and light.

Which holiday plant is safest for homes with pets?

Of these four, only the Christmas cactus is listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA. Poinsettia, amaryllis and cyclamen are toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

My cyclamen's leaves are yellowing in spring. Is it dying?

Probably not. Cyclamen stops flowering in late spring and rests for two to three months. Water less, keep the mix from staying wet and wait for new leaves.

Sources

Last updated: 7 November 2026