Christmas Flowers and Their Cultivation

Christmas Flowers and Their Cultivation

Whether we're experienced growers or just occasional ones, we all love Christmas without exception. And let's be honest, every home has some houseplant symbolizing the upcoming season at Christmas - a poinsettia or Christmas cactus, or holly. Whether somewhat forgotten in a corner on the windowsill or on a hallway cabinet, or in a more dignified spot. However, at Christmas, we place them front and center with their abundant blooms so they too can contribute to the Christmas decoration.

TIP: Purchasing a decorative pot cover will also contribute to a very nice presentation of Christmas flowers and overall decoration. Choose pot covers from our e-shop in Christmas colors - red, gold, and silver.

Poinsettia

The poinsettia (Latin: Euphorbia pulcherrima) - is a perfect Christmas symbol. You can have a miniature plant on your Christmas table, or a large bushy plant up to 50cm tall. Immediately after purchase, wrap the plant in paper and don't let it get cold. The poinsettia is a heat-loving plant. It thrives at a constant temperature above 20°C.

The poinsettia belongs to the spurge family, originating from Mexico and Central America. The plant was brought to the United States in 1825 by Ambassador Poinsett, after whom it's known by its second name Poinsettia. Or also Bent El Concul - "The Consul's Daughter". It became a Christmas symbol thanks to its green and red colored leaves. Green and red are traditional Christmas colors.

Growing Poinsettias

The poinsettia is a commonly available plant. Usually, you buy a new one each year and the old one dries out or rots. If you wish to keep your plant, try our guide:

• do not overwater your purchased plant. Always wait with new watering until the substrate dries out slightly. The Christmas star (Poinsettia) does not tolerate waterlogging well and is thus more susceptible to fungal diseases.
• cut off the red leaves after flowering
• after the first frosts (in spring) take the plant outside
• let it grow in fresh air or indoors, but keep in mind the temperature, which should not drop below 20°C. Fertilize regularly with fertilizer for houseplants
• Before the first autumn frosts, move it to a room where no light should enter after sunset. Do not shine even artificial light on the plant during this time.
• for 2 months, it is necessary to simulate uninterrupted long nights (the night should be 12 hours long)
• accidental light during this period will interrupt flower formation. If you do not have a dark room, make a paper cap for the plant that you will put on it to prevent light from reaching it during its "night".

The Christmas star has very inconspicuous yellow flowers that do not attract pollinators' attention. The red leaves are not the petals of these small flower clusters in the middle of the leaf cluster. The red-colored leaves can also have other colors. Known examples include orange, marbled, light green, pink, cream or white.

The Christmas star tends to grow wildly. For a bushier appearance of the plant, two are grafted together. If you leave the plant without maintenance, it will spread like a weed. Its stems will thin out, and the leaves will become smaller. After flowering, always trim the plant and remove the stems with red leaves.

Christmas Cactus

Christmas cactus - Schlumbergera - belongs to the genus of epiphytic plants. These are plants that grow on other plants but feed separately. They do not parasitize them. The first species were imported in 1819 and cultivated in the Kew Botanical Garden in London. Various species were bred through crossing, and by 1860 several cultivars of different colors and leaf shapes were known. The Christmas cactus thus gained popularity. Individual cultivars differed in leaf shape and flower color and size.

In the wild, the Christmas cactus grows at the foot of coastal mountains in southeastern Brazil, for example in the state of Rio de Janeiro. They thrive in sufficiently humid air, adequate rainfall, and the fact that the average daily temperature does not drop below 15°C.

The Christmas cactus forms hanging shrubs consisting of successive branching segments. The segments are either flattened or of succulent shape. Older segments become woody. The flowers grow symmetrically on the sides of the segments. The flowers consist of two successive rows of petals.

Growing Christmas Cactus

The Christmas cactus goes through several periods in its growth cycle, read through their sequence and try to follow it. Christmas cactus:

• flowering period ends in January, after which let the cactus rest for 2 months with minimal watering
• grows from April to August (in summer you can place the cactus on the terrace or outside - but in partial shade). During this period, provide more generous watering. Don't overwater. The Christmas cactus should be fertilized regularly.
• from mid-September to November, introduce a dormant period again. Reduce daylight exposure and watering. Increase air humidity. The temperature in the growing room should be between 12-15°C. At normal room temperature of around 20°C, your Christmas cactus will not bloom.
• from late November comes the flowering period. Once the cactus sets buds - fertilize it. It prefers slightly acidic soil. Don't forget to mist the cactus and increase air humidity.

Warning - don't move a blooming Christmas cactus from a cold hallway into a warm room. Both flowers and buds will drop.

You can have Christmas cactus in several color cultivars - white, yellow, pink, red, orange, or dark pink (fuchsia).

Holly

Holly (lat. Ilex) - belongs to the genus of higher dicotyledonous plants, to the family Aquifoliaceae. Hollies are commonly growing shrubs that occur throughout the world. However, holly doesn't grow wild in the Czech Republic. Among hollies, there are both evergreen and deciduous shrubs. You may be surprised - holly grows in 600 species. The stiff, dark green and thorny leaves of holly and clusters of red berries evoke the magic of Christmas.

Red decorative berries remain on the holly from September to March. It is therefore suitable for garden decoration. Thanks to its thorns, it's also suitable for ornamental hedges. If you cut branches with red berries, they make beautiful decorations for Christmas wreaths. They also adorn the Christmas table, bouquets, or these decorative elements can be attached with wire to the Christmas tree.

Growing Holly

Holly is an undemanding plant to grow. It prefers slightly acidic soil. Therefore, use substrate mixed with peat. It can also be grown in pure peat. It thrives in partial shade. Choose a shaded and sheltered location for it. Especially in winter, it shouldn't be exposed to harsh sun and winds.

Holly has slow growth. In warmer areas, it grows faster. Don't overdo it with watering and don't overwater the plant.

Winterizing the plant - although holly handles frosts very well, you can insulate it with non-woven fabric and add a higher layer of mulch around its roots. Before this winterizing, provide it with generous watering.

Recommendation - do you expect lots of flowers on the plant so you have plenty to cut for winter decoration? Then check how heavily the holly branches are laden with buds. Cut off those that won't have flowers.

To get flowers and berries, you need to plant both male and female plants. The plants don't need to be planted next to each other. However, the distance between them shouldn't be longer than 20 metres.

Holly tolerates pruning well. Some species grow up to 5 metres tall in the wild. With proper pruning, you can maintain the holly you grow yourself at a height that suits you.

Warning - Holly is a poisonous plant. Be careful. Keep holly decorations out of children's reach. The exception is Paraguayan Holly (seeds available in our e-shop), whose leaves are used to prepare the traditional tea - maté. Maté tea is a traditional beverage originating from South America. It has strong stimulating effects. It also suppresses hunger, supports kidney function and improves metabolism.

Growing Christmas plants is therefore easier than it seemed. Don't forget to put one of these beautiful living Christmas symbols on your Christmas table this year.

What plants are Christmas symbols for you?

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Author: Hana Michalíková