Help make your poinsettias last longer

FALLBROOK – Poinsettias are synonymous with the holiday season. These colorful plants brighten up homes with their vibrant hues in variations of red, white and pink, making them a holiday decoration many people cannot live without.

While they're most visible during the often chilly holiday season, poinsettias prefer warm weather. Poinsettias are native to Central America and originally flourished in an area of southern Mexico. The Aztecs used the plant for decorative and medicinal purposes.

The poinsettia may have remained a regional plant if not for the efforts of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who w...