Yes...they will do great outside. Wait till the temps hit about mid 50's though. Prune them back kinda like you would a rose bush.....to about 4-5 main branches. Don't water till you see some new growth. And full sun is how they like it!

Maybe full sun in oregon, but in general no more than about six or seven hours of full sun to prevent sunburn. In new hampshire though, maybe they would be just fine with the full sun. play around with it I guess.

Many thanks for the scoop.
Peter

One of my Hort. professors has a picture of a Poinsettia that he took somewhere in Mexico that is three stories high. It receives direct sunlight in Mexico. I think it can handle your direct sun too. You just need to acclimate it slowly and make sure you don't let it dry out too much. Good luck!

You don't want to put a plant that has been growing indoors outside in the sun. It will definately sunburn. That's the good thing about cutting the plant way back.....all the new growth will be acclimated to full sun as long as you put it outside right away. I have an 8 year old plant that gets a buzz-job every spring before it goes outside. You'll notice that the leaves and plant are more compact when grown ouside. Once the temps hit about 50 in the fall, it comes inside to be placed in a south window.

Gamekeeper, through the holidays you enjoyed what the poinsettia did for your rooms/home and you're right, the plant makes for a fine plant for out-of-doors when the sun and warmth of late spring/summer gives it.
But---being a semi-tropical plant it wouldn't survive outside in New Hampshire winter.

Why not, instead, think of it as a houseplant that can go outside when temperatures warrant--much like what annuals do. Cut it back as suggested, make it want to regrow new leaves.
In the warm sun, it will do that and given good sunlight, it may produce one or two of the leaves turning color--but don't count on that.
But I suggest you keep it as a potted plant or put the pot into the ground and water it accordingiy. In the fall, you dig it up and take it back indoors to a sunny window and treat it as a houseplant again until the next spring.

Who knows, you might be successful keeping it for 3, 4 or more years.

I just gave a couple of Poinsettias to a friend who was visiting from New Hampshire. He is wondering how to care for it in his climate up there. I told him I would ask on the forums. If anyone is familiar with poinsettias in New England, please let us know!

Thanks in advance!

Bright, indirect light. Water and let get nearly dry between waterings. Have them Google poinsettia care, tons of info!