Beginner Gardening: Poinsettia Problem, 1 by RedheadedPippi

RedheadedPippi wrote:
Hi! I am new(er) to gardening and new to the state of Tennessee, so I am unfamiliar with the weather and plants here. I came from a very tropical area, where I never had to deal with things like frost or drastic weather changes, etc. so this is a huge education!

A few weeks ago I bought a beautiful red poinsettia, brought it home, stuck it in a pot outside. I've kept the soil damp. It's looked great. I love it!

Two nights ago we had a lot of rain. Yesterday I didn't watch my daily dose of the Weather Channel, and last night we had an unexpected cold front. The combination of the wet and then cold over the last 2 nights has made my poinsettia looking very sad.

Droopy, damp leaves, that are now a dark burgundy color rather than a vibrant red. Some of the leaves that were hidden underneath or protected by the outer leaves are still more red and perky... but not many. (The picture that you see shows the droopy damp darker leaves next to one of the still-okay red ones.)

So, what do I do?
Is this frost?
If so, what can I do about it?
How can I avoid frost in the future?

I brought the plant inside the house, hoping that maybe the warmer temperature would help it out a bit, and then logged on and joined this website for all of your advice! :)

I really wanted the plant to look beautiful through the holidays. Is there any way it will get back to looking the way it did before?

I was actually about to go out and buy another one today because I've been loving the first one so much, but now I don't know what to do.

What temperatures are good for the poinsettia? We are supposed to have low 20s up to mid 50s all month. Should I bother with buying another one or not with that weather?

Thanks so much for all of your help!!! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond, especially for such a novice like me!!!