Can I keep it alive?

I have one that is over 3 years old - I cut it right back a year ago and have just left it on my kitchen and windowsill, watering occasionally once it completely dries out. It has a few small red leaves each yea. I keep threatening to throw it on the compost but then feel sorry for it so it stays ?

Poinsettias are plants with leaves that photosynthesise. Keeping them in he dark is equivalent to starving your pet. Please stop cruelty to poinsettias.

The way to have good looking house plants if you are not good with them is to look up which indoor plants are fairly idiot proof and grow them.

I have a Clivia Miniata lovely shiny green leaves and if they are tight enough in their pot the have a lovely flower.

Christmas or easter cactus is pretty tough and has nice flowers when it gets going.
Aspidistra is known as a "cast iron plant".

I have done well with simple Orchids, the Phaleonopsis type. For a coming up three years now. Look up what conditions it like. You can buy those for about a £7 in most supermarkets. Please don't but the ghastly dyed
ones.

My daughter kept hers for a year once, she's not into plants so I guess it was not looking after it that did it. Lost the 'flowers' but was a healthy plant. I think the secret is managed neglect. I had a stunning pair of cream ones this year, just lightly brushed with pink. However one died very quickly, I stopped bothering about the other and it is still going! Just water when really dry and it seems OK.

Nooo! Watering not wayfaring!

I love them and always have one for christmas. They usually last till Easter when I throw them out. I do nothing but occasional wayfaring. They thrive on neglect!
.

Mine's on the compost heap

I bought my MIL one (fake) from Bloom as a Christmas present a few years ago thinking she could pack it away with the decorations, it's flipping amazing, so realistic she loved it and keeps it out all year

Our lovely neighbours bought us one 2 weeks before Christmas. I've never had one before because I've always had cats and they're poisonous. Still, I decided to keep it and found a place out of harms way and it's still going strong.

I have the opposite to green fingers and have never been able to keep house plants alive for long. So I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts and try not to get too big headed that I haven't managed to kill it off, yet!!

(I can't stand the things)

What LyndaW said . They need to be carefully managed as to the amount of light they get at the right time so they flower for Christmas .

I would suggest it is not worth trying .
They are fussy about water. They are tropical plants who prefer equatorial regions.

This on tinternet.
When fall temperatures begin to drop, bring the plant indoors. From October 1 to December 1, (or for at least 40 days) a poinsettia will need a strict light / dark regimen to produce color. Provide 13 to 16 hours of complete and uninterrupted darkness daily.
Make a Poinsettia Bloom Year After Year - Lowe's
www.lowes.com/projects/decorate-and-entertain/make-a-poinsettia.../project

I CBA at that.

There is a danger of over watering. They must dry out almost completely and then given a thorough dousing.Even if they flop a bit and lose some leaves,they will perk up.

Years ago when I was working, our service was re-organised and in our opinion in a ridiculously inefficient way. Our new manager gave us all a poinsettia. They all died within a few days. The new service didn't last long either!

It all sounds like too much hassle to me.

kept one alive for 3 years ,we put a plastic black bin bag over it so it was always in the dark .

I once managed to keep one going, but we lived in a basement flat and I put it outside in the spring and forgot about it. Lovely red leaves following year!

Oh, they need to be kept in the dark... Thanks for the tips. I'll report back if I have any success.

Can I take cuttings from a poinsettias?

We've never been able to keep one alive either. They always drop their leaves after a couple of weeks.

I am no expert but I have had a certain success with these.The first year I followed advice and kept it in a dark store cupboard where it died within weeks.The second year I made no attempt to keep it but enjoyed it on my kitchen window ledge where it survived for eighteen months.New leaves grew which although were much smaller did in fact turn red. This year I wasn't given one but my daughter bought me one reduced to 8p after Christmas at Morrison's.It is still remarkably surviving in the lounge.My daughter has had similar success and keeps hers on her dining room window ledge.I have to say that none of these rooms get much sun but they are very light and so I would question the reasoning for putting them in the dark.

Our friends gave us a poinsettia when they came for a meal just before Christmas. It was dead within 2 days. We don't have much luck with them!

They discussed this on Gardner's Question Time. It needs to be kept at a constant temperature of 18 degrees and have 12 hours of darkness each day. Not worth the bother!

I have, but I couldn’t get the bracts to go red again, although I tried putting it into the dark the following Autumn.