Poinsettia flowers again 5 months later

[Shelagh]

Hi: I was given a red poinsettia last December and it is now flowering again in May. It has new true flowers, and new red bracts are unfurling. There are several new flower heads on a plant in a four inch pot. I have kept it in a sunny window and watered and fed normally. The old bracts never did fall off.

I have never heard of this happening before and can find nothing on the Web. Can anyone comment if they have heard of, or had a similar experience?

[Raakel]

Hello Shelagh,

Pointesttias are short day plants in which the red bracts are initiated as a result of increasingly shorter days. In the northern hemisphere this conveniently occurs close to Christmas. Greenhouses often artificially control the light conditions in order initiate bract formation for a specific date. It is unusual due to have bract formation at this time of the year as the days get longer. However, day and night temperatures have an affect of bract formation as well. Growers aim for a temperature of 27 degreee Celcius during the day and 18 degres Celcius during the night. Your sunny window sill may provide these conditions. Also, pointsettias require a lot of fertilizer. Regular feeding may have also initiated bract development.

Raakel

[Shelagh]

Thanks, Raakel, for your helpful and complete analysis. Has anyone else experienced this event, or is it really rare?