- Not petals: The colorful red, pink, or white parts are actually modified leaves called bracts, not flower petals.
- Real flowers: The actual flowers are the tiny yellow clusters nestled right in the center of the bracts.
- Tree-sized in the wild: While grown as compact indoor pots in the U.S., they are native to Mexico and Central America, where they grow into woody shrubs or trees up to 10 to 15 feet tall.
- Darkness needed to change color: Bracts turn color through photoperiodism, meaning they need about 12 to 14 hours of total, uninterrupted darkness every night for several weeks to trigger color changes.
- Over 100 varieties: Beyond classic red, you can find them in white, pink, burgundy, marbled, and speckled varieties.