Posted on 12/06/2022 7:01:04 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Holiday horticulture tends to revolve around the same handful of plants. So if you don’t already have any or all of these five holiday plants, now is the time to get them:
PAPERWHITES
The bulbs of these daffodil family members are pre-chilled so they can be planted now and produce flowers in a month to six weeks. If you find them for sale, by all means buy as many as you can. The only caveat is that some family members may object to the unbelievably sweet smell of their blooms.
POINSETTIAS
Poinsettias, of course, are for sale in all manner of venues this time of year. Many of us buy them, keep them for the next few weeks and then toss them. The trick is to keep them alive for the holiday season.
CHRISTMAS TREES
These, too, are their own gardening activity. Make sure your tree is kept in plenty of water and pay the strictest attention to safety rules if you use lights.
AMARYLLIS
These are the easiest and showiest bulbs you can buy, and they produce the largest flowers you are ever likely to grow. They are usually sold together with pot and soil, and all you need to do is ensure yours is planted so that 1/3 of the top of the bulb is above the soil line.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS
Christmas cactuses, Schlumbergeras, are another great plant that blooms during the mid-winter holidays. They will live for dozens of holiday seasons (some are passed on from one generation to the next) and bloom each year if exposed to shortening days. Rooting cuttings is easy using just a leaf, so it is not uncommon for a clone of the same plant to be in more than one family member’s home.
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These are all CHRISTMAS plants. No Hannukah bushes. No Kwanzaa jungle vines. Why call them “Holiday” plants?!
Pretty soon they will have to add canibis plants to that list
I’ve seen Christmas cacti also referred to as Thanksgiving cacti.
Poinsettias will last year-round but getting them to bloom again requires putting them in a dark space while still providing water. They are a nice green plant and can even be planted outside in summer. After all, they’re easy enough to find again with the red bracts showing off for Christmas.
Our Christmas Cactus is in full bloom!
It would not bloom indoors. Must have it where the sunlight will be shaded and 12 hours of darkness is recommended ...............
I have a Christmas cactus that blooms every year at Thanksgiving.
My plants just say, “You _______, you haven’t watered me for weeks.”
I truly dislike poinsettias, but my Christmas cactus is blooming!
I notice a lot of cypress and Norwegian pines in the grocery stores this year.
Maybe they were always there. The difference now is that I have a house to totally relandscape in the spring, so I’m noticing trees and shrubs more in general.
One store had a Christmas rosemary bush. Another had a Christmas fern. These just may be my day after Christmas bargain pickups.
My daughter has a poinsettia that she’s kept alive for 5 years now. It always has a red leaf or two throughout the year, then blooms during Christmas.
Maybe you would consider watering once a week? It’s not that hard or time consuming. Beautiful results for many indoor plants.
My Christmas cactus is 4 years old now. It’s still in a dark room, but should be coming out soon. Very soon!
I buy plastic plants.
They just need to be dusted once in a while.
My Christmas cactus’ bloom at Thanksgiving. I can never prolong it to Christmas so I go buy more. I have white, pink, red and a reddish purple. And they love to go dry in the winter when I bring them in and forget to water them regularly. I’ve killed many houseplants but these are so easy and forgiving.
I believe they are slightly different varieties with the Thanksgiving strain blooming a bit earlier.
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