Deck the halls with plants aplenty

Many plants have long been associated with Christmas, thanks to both Christian and pagan legends. Lovers of the holidays bring them into their homes even today because of not only their historic significance and tradition, but because their beautiful coloring brings joy during this festive season and during the dark months of winter that follow.

Some plants are well known for their relationship with the holidays and can be seen in abundance and easily purchased during the shopping season — specifically poinsettias, holly, amaryllis bulbs, Norfolk pine trees and Christmas cactuses. The connection of others, like paperwhites, laurel and rosemary, to the Christmas holiday is less known, but no less established.

Kathie Hayden, manager of the Chicago Botanic Garden's Plant Information Service, says maintenance of these holiday-related plants after the holidays can be tricky and virtually none of them do well in Chicago's tough climate, so they must live out their lives in pots inside the house. Some, however, will enjoy living on porches, patios or decks during the summer months.

Poinsettias

These are the most common of holiday plants and they come in deep, vibrant red, as well as pink, white, speckled and even marbled. The colorful portion of the plant is actually modified leaves or “bracts,” Hayden says. The flower is the tiny yellow or green part in the middle and if you want your poinsettia to last as long as possible, Hayden suggests choosing a plant that displays tightly closed yellow buds in the middle of all of that color. You should also keep them in a cooler area and only water them when the soil dries out.

Poinsettias come from Mexico where the Aztecs used the sap to control fevers and make red dye. It got its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s and a botanist. While wandering the Mexican countryside, he found a bush alongside a road that displayed colorful red blooms, so he took cuttings and transported them to his greenhouse in South Carolina where he cultivated them and gave them to family and friends as gifts.

Mexican legend says a young girl and her brother wanted to bring a gift to the church on Christmas Eve and, having nothing else, picked weeds from along the road and carried them to the service. They placed the green plants around the manger display and, miraculously, the green leaves on top turned bright red and the manger scene was surrounded by red glory.

Hayden said that while poinsettia lovers can keep them as greenhouse plants after the plants lose their color, trying to get them to bloom again is nearly impossible since even the light from a flashlight can disrupt their growing cycle.

“I just tell people to throw them away and buy a new one the following year,” she admits.

Holly

The Druids believed holly was sacred and especially favored by the sun since it stays green year-round. Consequently, it symbolized eternal life and good luck to those ancient people.

The Christian legend associated with holly is that one winter night, the holly grew leaves out of season in order to hide Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus from Herod's soldiers and as a token of Christ's gratitude, he imbued it with evergreen qualities.

Others say the sharply pointed leaves of holly symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries symbolize drops of his blood.

Either way, holly has become a Christmas tradition and it can be maintained throughout the year as long as plants are placed in direct sun, in a room kept 70 degrees or cooler, and watered once a week or so.

Amaryllis

The legend of the amaryllis is a part of Greek mythology. It seems it became associated with Christmas because of its bright color and the time of year it blooms.

According to legend, Amaryllis was a shy nymph who fell in love with a shepherd who had no interest in her. She sought to win him over by giving him a totally new and unique flower. She sought advice from the Oracle of Delphi and on the oracle's advice, appeared at the shepherd's door 30 nights in a row, each time piercing her heart with a golden arrow. When the shepherd finally opened the door, a striking crimson flower had sprung from the earth where Amaryllis' blood had fallen.

Amaryllis comes in many varieties including the bright crimson of the legend, candy stripes, white and more. Some grow taller and some have been bred to be shorter. Hayden says amaryllis should be planted low in a tall container that has tall sides to hold up the growing, top-heavy stalk. Clear cylinders work especially well and remember to leave the top one-third of the amaryllis bulb exposed above the soil.

“They don't take much maintenance and the blooms are very large, so they make a wonderful gift for anyone, but especially to an elderly person in a nursing home,” Hayden suggests.

After they are done blooming, she says amaryllis can be tricked into re-blooming the following year. When they are done, just cut off the heavy flowering stalk but leave the greens. After that, fertilize them every two weeks or so until August. If the greens have not turned brown, withhold water and fertilizer until they do. Then put them in a cool, dark place for three or four months; then bring them back out and resume watering. In most cases, they will bloom again.

Norfolk pine

More properly called a “Norfolk Island Pine,” this popular houseplant is a mini version of a Christmas tree. Captain James Cook discovered the island in the South Pacific and these trees (which can reach a height of 200 feet on that island) in 1774.

In addition to being popular houseplants in American homes, the wood from these trees is used extensively by Hawaiian craftspeople.

“Norfolk Island Pines appreciate bright light with a little direct sun (one or two hours per day) — no direct summer sun. During the winter, especially, they need daily misting with room temperature water because dry air is its enemy,” Hayden says. “In the summer they need good air ventilation and cool temperatures, as well as regular watering to keep the soil lightly moist at all times from spring to autumn. They can be fertilized monthly with a balanced fertilizer from spring to fall.”

Christmas cactus

This very popular succulent grows on the branches of trees in South America. Its connection to the holidays seems to stem from the time of year it blooms.

One legend about the plant comes from Bolivia, where a Jesuit missionary was long ago sent to convert the people to Christianity. As the story goes, he was alone in front of his crude altar on Christmas Eve, despairing that people did not seem to be responding to his efforts. Then a procession of children came singing a religious song he had taught them and carrying armfuls of blooming green branches they had gathered in the jungle, meant to be a gift to the Christ child.

Another legend, from Brazil, tells the story of a young boy who woke up on Christmas morning to find the jungle around him filled with flowers overnight and he took it as a sign of Christmas joy.

This plant features dark green stems that are segmented at 1- to 2-inch intervals. Satiny flowers dangle at the ends of the stems when in bloom for a graceful look. They are available today in shades of pink and red, lilac, salmon, white and red-orange and usually bloom from November to late December. They need well-drained, porous soil.

“I take my Christmas cactus outside on my deck during the summer where it gets natural rain but not much direct sun,” Hayden says. “During the growing season I regularly fertilize it with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 12-12-12 or 20-20-20) because if you just water it, the nutrients will leach from the soil.

“I leave it out on the deck as long as I can, bringing it in only when in danger of freezing at night,” she says. “This triggers the buds to form for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

If you keep your plant inside year-round, stop watering the plant during October and resume again in November, but don't overdo the water. Also try to keep it in a cool (but not cold) spot at night during October.

If you want the cactus to keep its blooms and color longer, Hayden suggests putting it in a location with a bit of a draft or some cooler air. After it blooms and during the long winter nights, the plant goes dormant. When it needs repotting, make sure you do that in the late winter or early spring. If you want to shape it up, pinch off the segmented tips of the stems. When this maintenance is done, resume fertilization.

Paperwhites

Paperwhites are a popular Christmas gift because they generally bloom during the winter and give people in the northern climes a hope spring is coming. They have a creamy white blossom and a powerfully sweet aroma. In fact, the scent of Paperwhites will permeate the room, giving it a springlike atmosphere.

Native to Europe and Asia, they are now grown around the world and are part of the daffodil family. However, Paperwhites are smaller in size, compared to other daffodils.

The Paperwhites bulbs bloom within two to three weeks of planting and grow very tall, to the point of being top heavy. Researchers from the Flowerbulb Research Program at Cornell University, however, have come up with a solution. Plant the bulbs in water and stones, as usual, but once the roots and stems begin to sprout, pour off the water and replace it with a mixture of water and less than 10 percent alcohol. That will stunt the growth, making them just as lush but shorter. For exact directions, visit www.gardening.about.com.

Paperwhites bloom once and then go dormant and are difficult, if not impossible, to get to re-bloom. So Hayden suggests they be discarded when they are no longer beautiful.

Bay Laurel

Laurel was the home decoration of choice for the first Christians in ancient Rome. Pagan Romans believed laurel was sacred to the sun god, Apollo. Eventually, it evolved into a symbol of Christmas and the triumph of humanity, so the Christian Romans decorated their homes with it.

“Laurel was used by our grandmothers in this country as an insect repellent in their kitchens. You can take it outside in a pot during the summer in this area and then bring it back inside during the cold months. It will not survive here if you try to plant it in your garden,” Hayden says.

Rosemary

Rosemary has been associated with Christmas for centuries. According to legend, during the Holy Family's flight to Egypt, rosemary's soft leaves muffled the noise of their escape and prevented their detection by Herod's soldiers. And later, when Mary washed Jesus' garments, she is said to have laid them on rosemary bushes to dry.

During the Middle Ages, women spread rosemary on their floors at Christmas because as people walked on it, a pleasant odor arose.

“Rosemary can be grown outside here during the warm months. People like it for its nice fragrance and many people cook with it,” Hayden says.

Which plants are a danger to pets?

<b>Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)</b>Its sap can irritate pets' mouths and stomachs, sometime causing vomiting, but its toxicity has been generally overrated.

<b>Amaryllis</b>Toxic to dogs and cats. Can cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hyper-salivation, anorexia and tremors.

<b>Paperwhites (Narcissus)</b>Toxic to dogs and cats. Can cause vomiting, salivation and diarrhea. Large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias. The bulbs are the most poisonous part.

<b>Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)</b>Nontoxic to dogs and cats.

<b>Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)</b>Toxic to dogs and cats. Can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Large ingestion of whole leaves can cause obstruction.

<b>Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)</b>Nontoxic to dogs and cats.

Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden and the ASPCA.