Holiday Favorites: Christmas Cactus, Poinsettias, And More
Holiday Classics, From Christmas Cactus to Poinsettias
Winter-blooming plants like poinsettias and Christmas cactus are holiday staples that will never go out of style. While many of our favorite tropical exotics and heat-loving plants are pretty much in hibernation mode, we can count on Christmas plants to bring us pops of color through the drab winter months. Plus, they make an easy gift that pretty much anyone will appreciate. I mean, you’d have to be a total Grinch to actually go through the effort of returning a poinsettia. Who does that?!
While there are a few plants on this list that you’ll probably recognize, there are a couple of other Christmas flowers that don’t get quite as much attention but are no less spectacular. If you’re looking to deck the halls in your home with some fresh winter flowers, or make gift-giving easy as pie by getting everyone Christmas plants, check out our list of holiday faves that will please even the Scroogiest of Scrooges on your list.
Holiday Classics, From Christmas Cactus to Poinsettias
Make your holiday shopping as fuss-free as possible by sticking with Christmas plants! You can decorate with them, gift them, or do both! If only you could eat them, too. Houston Christmas Cactus, Poinsettias, and more can be found here at Plants for All Seasons, so swing by the nursery, and we’ll get you all set up for the holidays.
The bold, star-shaped poinsettia has pretty much become a symbol of the holiday season—particularly the classic red variety. While the white and pink poinsettias are pretty popular too, there are a few lesser-known varieties with cool patterns like variegated stripes of color or sunset ombré tones.
When picking out your poinsettia, make sure it still has its tiny little yellow flowers in the center. If those have withered up or fallen off, your poinsettia is on its last legs. Fun fact: the colorful petals on your poinsettia aren’t actually petals at all! They’re bracts, or in other words, fancy leaves that surround the true flowers.
Contrary to popular belief, they aren’t actually super-duper poisonous, so if you have any fur babies at home, you should be fine bringing in a poinsettia. Now, if your cat goes hog wild and eats an entire poinsettia, they might end up getting a bit of tummy trouble, but nothing major.
We love this fast-growing bulb plant because it seems to rocket up from the soil in a matter of weeks, making it a fun starter-project for kids interested in plants and gardening. Their tall stems will eventually bear several lily-like flowers at the very top, in all sorts of colors like red, coral, white, purple, and even some multi-colored striped patterns too.
Try to plant it as soon as you buy them—the less time your bulbs spend out in the open air, the better. Now, this one is a bit more toxic than the poinsettia, so if you have pets at home, you’ll want to keep it out of reach. While the stems and flowers don’t pose much of a threat, the bulbs are pretty poisonous, so put them up on a high shelf if possible.
This cool cactus doesn’t look like the spiky, cylindrical ones we see in the desert. Christmas cactus kind of looks like a cross between a fern and a cactus, with slightly serrated edges along its segmented foliage. It spills over like a fountain of greenery and produces bright, showy blossoms, usually in red or pink.
Unlike annuals like the amaryllis and poinsettia, your cactus will be easy to maintain for several years, so you can enjoy it for at least a few more holidays. Try to keep it in indirect sunlight, as too much light can burn its leaves, whereas too much shade will keep it from blooming at its best. Unlike most cactus types, it should be watered generously, but make sure that the soil dries out before you water again.
Essentially the wintery white version of the daffodil, this adorable flower is easily grown indoors from a bulb and produces a powerful but delightful scent. When you plant the bulb, let the container sit in a dark, cool room until you start to see a hint of green poking up. Once it’s actively growing, bring it out to a sunny location and watch it burst into bloom over the next few weeks.
To prevent your paperwhites from getting too tall and flopping over, crack open the liquor cabinet and pour them a little nightcap. No, seriously—a splash of vodka in your watering can will help to toughen them up a bit!
Poinsettias and all the other Christmas classics are now in-stock and ready to brighten up your holiday with their gorgeous winter blossoms. Come visit us at Plants For All Seasons, and we will gladly help you pick out a few for all the friends and fam on your gift list this year.
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