Poinsettia

Not my favourite plants, but they do certainly make a splash at this time of year. They come originally from Mexico where they grow really large, but they tend to remain quite small when they are grown as houseplants. The bright red leaves are often mistakenly thought to be flowers, but the flowers are, in fact, the small insignificant looking yellow buds in the centre. If you want to look after your Poinsettia, keep the compost just moist and place it in a warm brightly lit room to ensure the brightest leaf colours. If the room is too cold the plants will discolour and start to drop their leaves, so make sure you keep them nice and warm but don't over water them!