Christmas plants
What do a fern, a cactus, a euphorbia, and Ivanka Trump have in common? (not much)
Christmas makes for strange bedfellows; certainly this is true on red-eye flights and for all-things-plants. Ivy, holly, and pine boughs nestle up to tropical cactus and tinsel-wrapped poinsettias, native to Mexico. But, in the spirit of flying reindeer, why not go with it? Here are 4 plants to put you in the mood for all things merry and bright.
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
This fern is the opposite of Christmas — it’s easy-going, will thrive in most conditions except the super dry. If you have a semi-shaded spot in your garden or patio, and have had rotten luck with ferns, then, well, shucks. Get yourself some Christmas! If the Internets is to be believed (and why would it lie) this fern got its name because it’s one of the few outdoor plants that still manages to look great at this time of year. Once established in your garden, you can deck the walls, your halls, your boughs, with splendid fresh fronds.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)
There’s a strong possibility that your mom, your roommate, or your local hardware store has one of these plants on hand, right now. Which is bananas, botanically speaking, because Christmas cactus is native to a tiny coastal region of Brazil and if it didn’t happen to bloom its head off at a time when plant people are desperately seeking flowers and hostess gifts, we may never have met this tropical wonder. That would have been a shame, because they really make great houseplants. Keep it just lightly moist, in a bright room but out of direct south-facing light. Feliz Natal!
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
This holiday staple is actually a small shrub native to Mexico, with a bit of a “Little Match Girl” story to boot. Those colored leaves are the thing — triggered by 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of bright light — which is nature’s way of saying “Christmas time at the equator!” They come in all colors of Christmas joy: pink, red, white, and all the swirly shades between.
Love ’em or hate ’em, poinsettias are a marvel of marketing. What started in LA with a mom-pop growing operation went national when 3rd-generation owner-breeder Paul Ecke Jr started promoting the plants on Bob Hope’s Christmas Specials. They’ve been famous ever since.
And, famously sensitive! These touchy plants tend to drop at least 30% of their leaves at just a hint of a draft, or if allowed dry out, or stay too wet. A milky latex sap oozes from broken leaves or stems and there is much ado about its toxicity. Ok ok ok. Here’s the deal: euphorbia sap can irritate very sensitive skin, it’s probably not what you want to get in your eyes, and you should definitely keep it away from kids and cats. But, it’s more likely to induce a round of queasiness should you accidentally add those fallen leaves to your salad (please don’t do this) than kill you. So, it’s basically the plant kingdom’s version of eggnog. With a shorter shelf life.
Amaryllis
I’ll be honest, of all the classic Christmas flora, this is the plant I have a deep love-hate relationship with. The frosty perfection of the lily-shaped blooms skews a little too Ivanka for my tastes.
But, the process of growing amaryllis thrills my inner plant nerd to the core. There’s something about getting such an enormous bulb, and watching the stem and blossom emerge in about 4 weeks. The plant’s got hustle!
Ok, there’s a lot to love about it. And, about all the weird plant traditions of this season, even at their most commercial. I’ll take a bit of plant glitz during these brown, short days.
Biophilia is a collective of plant professionals. It is also a publication. We publish new articles, photos, and how-to’s here several times a week. We welcome submissions, feedback, seed packets and dandelion fluff. Kindly address all those things to >> plantsvnature@gmail.com.
