With proper selection and care, a beautiful, traditional holiday plant may last long past the holidays. The colorful parts of the poinsettia are actually modified leaves known as bracts. Look for plants with fully mature, thoroughly colored and expanded bracts with small green flower buds. Some of the new variety of poinsettias include Pepride and Freedom. With dark green leaves and deep red bracts, Pepride is eye-catching.
Freedom is also dark red with dark green leaves.
One variety has variegated, silver and green foliage and dark red bracts. This type is called Silver Star. Sonora Jingle Bells has a peppermint look because of its dark red bracts with white flecks. Monet has bracts that are pink with drifts of darker pink or burgundy. One of the pink variety has a creamy white variegation that is the reason it is named Marble Star.