Arty's Garden: Poinsettias Just One Plant to Brighten the Holidays

Originally published in the Dec. 11, 2013, issue

 

No plant is better at delivering loads of flamboyant color during the darkest days of the year than the poinsettia. Unfortunately, every year some misguided individual reports that poinsettias are poisonous.

 

Poinsettias are not poisonous and are not dangerous to have around the house. You can buy poinsettias and enjoy their beauty without worrying about them harming you or your pets. Place them wherever you need floral holiday cheer: churches, schools, kindergartens, nursing homes – even use them as the centerpiece on your dining room table.

 

Here’s another bit of good news. There are more varieties than ever. If you only know red poinsettias, open your mind – and your home – to pink, hot pink, salmon, white, cream and some that could be described as orange. Some have variegated leaves or speckled or marbled bracts (the colorful structures that look like petals). Others have serrated bracts that resemble a coleus or curled bracts that make them look like a giant rose or chrysanthemum.

 

If you want even more variety, visit a Georgia nursery or garden center. Here are a few other holiday options you may find:

• Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus: These can be long-lived and durable houseplants that provide blooms of red, pink, white, peach and apricot just as the holidays begin.
• Florist cyclamen: White, pink or red flowers rise above beautifully marbled leaves of celadon and deep green.
• Kalanchoe: A succulent plant with clusters of white, pink or red flowers.
• Phalaenopsis orchid: Also known as the moth orchid because of the shape of the flowers. One of the easiest orchids to grow. Long-lasting flowers. The most commonly available varieties are white or magenta.
• Paperwhites: A type of fragrant narcissus with pure white flowers. Easy to grow. Paperwhites and amaryllises may be sold as individual bulbs, as boxed kits or potted and ready to bloom.
• Amaryllis: A rival to poinsettias in making a big show. Large, striking flowers usually in red, pink, white or scarlet. Easy to grow and to get to bloom again year after year. Especially regal displayed on a buffet or in a church window.
• Norfolk Island Pine: Noted for its distinctive tiered branches, this conifer, originally from the South Pacific, is found in homes around the world due to its beauty and durability. Often decorated as a miniature Christmas tree.

 

Many garden centers convert themselves into Christmas shops with a wide selection of bows, ornaments and garden gifts. With foil and ribbon they will probably be able to transform almost any plant into a holiday display or suitable gift.   

 

Arty Schronce is the Department’s resident gardening expert. He’s a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who wishes all Market Bulletin readers a happy and horticultural Christmas!