What are some christmas flowers
11 Popular Christmas Flowers and Plants for the Holidays
Around Christmas, a variety of flowers, bushes, trees, and other plants are frequently given as gifts. The looks and maintenance needs of these seasonal plants differ greatly. While some are little and can be kept indoors in pots, others are big trees and shrubs that need a large garden area. These are eleven popular Christmas flowers and plants that exude a festive atmosphere during the winter as living ornaments.
Here are eleven plants to help you enjoy the holiday season and some tips about their care. One thing's for sure... they will add just the right amount of joy, brightness, and holly jolly Christmas vibes to your spaces. Take note!
1. Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima)
Because of their cheery red and green coloring, poinsettias are subtropical plants that are native to Mexico. Additionally, it is thought that the poinsettia flower's form represents the star of Bethlehem. Poinsettias can be prone to root rot, so be careful not to overwater them. To know more about this Christmas plant, make sure to also read the article 'How the Poinsettia Became an Indispensable Part of Christmas'.
Poinsettia, AKA Christmas Star
Make sure the container has enough drainage and water when the top 2 inches of the soil feel dry. Poinsettias also require a lot of bright, filtered sunshine in order to avoid growing leggy. But overall, this is the most popular and known Christmas plant in the world! You're sure to see it around everywhere, in every single shop as well. See also 'Poinsettia - The Popular Christmas Plant You Need to Know About'.
2. Holly (Ilex Opaca)
Even in the coldest winters, holly bushes remain green and require little to no upkeep. Around the Christmas season, its branches are brimming with vivid red berries, ideal for decorating the halls. Holly was often thought to bring good luck because it never withered, therefore people would present holly wreaths to loved ones.
Photo: Van Den Berk
Just be sure to plant it in soil that drains well, as holly doesn't accept standing water.
Additionally, the soil needs to be acidic because an alkaline soil pH might turn the leaves yellow. PS: This plant gives the perfect Christmas vibe, don't you think?
3. Mistletoe (Phoradendron Leucarpum)
It's customary to share a holiday kiss under the mistletoe. Natural interactions between mistletoe and other plants occur. The female plants will yield numerous white berries, while the foliage is evergreen. Very little maintenance is required for mistletoe plants, but you must start with a strong, mature host tree. This is one of the eight most popular Christmas plants in the world as well. Did you know historically, the mistletoe represents romance, fertility, and vitality?
Photo: Plantura
4. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii)
A Douglas fir is a popular choice for Christmas trees. These dark green-needled evergreens, which have cones that are about 5 inches long, can reach amusing heights. They can tuck neatly into a corner like a Christmas tree because of their rather compact pyramidal structure.
However, while planting, be careful to leave plenty of room and make sure the soil is still damp but not drenched. This will give you the best results and let you enjoy your douglas fir plant for Christmas.
Photo: Gardening Know How
5. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Amaryllis flowers are commonly grown as winter houseplants to add a pop of color to gray winter days. The plants take about six weeks after the bulbs are planted to flower. So plant in November if you want blooms around Christmastime. The trumpet-shaped blooms come in reds, pinks, and whites. As the plant is growing and flowering, water whenever the top 2 inches of soil become dry. One of the 11 most popular Christmas flowers without a doubt!
Photo: The Spruce
6. Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus)
Another popular Christmas flower grown indoors during the winter is the paperwhite. They have tall green stalks covered in clusters of tiny, fragrant, dazzling white blossoms. You just need to wait for the bulbs to sprout after placing them in a container with water and gravel.
Plan to start them in November for a Christmas bloom because it takes them four to six weeks from planting to bloom. Transplant the pot to a sunny window when the roots start to grow for the best results.
Photo: White Flower Farm
7. Juniper (Juniperus)
Because of their evergreen needles, juniper bushes are connected to Christmas. They also have a nice scent. Juniper comes in a variety of forms, from small shrubs and trees to low-growing ground coverings. They're even used as Christmas trees by some.
Photo: Plantura
Juniper requires very little maintenance, making it one of the 11 most popular Christmas plants in the world. Young plants may need to be staked until they are established to ensure they grow upright and need soil that is consistently moist but not waterlogged. However, mature plants mainly look after themselves.
8. Cyclamen (Cyclamen Persicum)
Because of their lovely blooms that appear around the holidays, cyclamen are common holiday plants.
They make excellent plant arrangements for tables. This plant likes lower temperatures to blossom its white, pink, or red petals, which resemble butterflies. They can bloom for up to six months if kept cool. It has leaves that are silver-frosted. It becomes dormant in the summer because it cannot tolerate warmer temperatures. This perennial returns every year with a profusion of blossoms.
Photo: Jardineria On
9. Helleborus Niger
Commonly known as the 'Christmas Rose', the Helleborus niger bears large, round, white flat-faced flowers above low-growing mounds of leathery, deep green foliage. As the weather warms, it produces large masses of bright white flowers on short stems. As with many landscaping plants, it should be noted that all parts of the Helleborus plant are toxic to both humans and pets, but that doesn't take away the fact it's a stunning popular Christmas choice.
Helleborus Niger
10. Cymbidium
Cymbidium orchids are a highly decorative variety of orchids that can often be seen in homes during the Christmas season.
The plant has beautiful flower spikes and is relatively easy to look after. These orchids are also known as 'boat orchids' and are the oldest cultivated orchid with evidence that they were grown in China 2,500 years ago. Make sure to get your hands on these splendid orchids to know what one of the most popular Christmas plants will look like in your home.
Cymbidium
11. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera x Buckleyi)
Schlumbergera x buckleyi, commonly called Christmas cactus, is a hybrid, flat-stemmed, frost-intolerant, winter-flowering, epiphytic perennial cactus that is typically grown indoors as a container plant for the enjoyment of its colorful flowers which bloom during and after the Christmas season.
Photo: UC ANR Blog
Truth is, there are many other Christmas flowers and plants, but these are indeed some of the most popular for the season. You'll be seeing lots of them even when you go for an afternoon stroll through town. Most flower and plant shops will have all of these around!
14 Best Christmas Plants - Popular Christmas Flowers to Gift
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Gorgeous blooms that are perfect to gift during the winter season.
By Olivia Muenter
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Traditionally, it might be more common to associate the holiday season with Christmas trees than Christmas flowers, but just like fall flowers, spring flowers, and summer flowers, there are season-specific blooms and plants to keep in mind this December when sending someone a bouquet or looking for decor to make your house extra festive. Plus, there is a whole history of Christmas flowers that you might not have known about. Poinsettias, for example, have an entire history and culture that goes beyond the United States. In fact, according to Reader's Digest, the blooms are associated with Christmas because of a Mexican legend.
As the Roader's Digest article goes on to explain, the story states that a young girl didn't have a gift to leave for baby Jesus at the Christmas Even services. Eventually, she decided to give a gift of weeds from outside the church. Those weeds then magically turned into bright red poinsettias. But there's more: The flower didn't even have the name "poinsettia" until later, when the US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, brought them back to the United States — hence, the name we now call the famous Christmas flower.
The winter season might not ever be as associated with flowers as spring or summer is, but there's still a lot to learn about the seasonal blooms. Here are the very best Christmas flowers and plants to brighten anyone's day.
Editor's note: Some of these can be toxic to pets. It's best to keep your Christmas flowers and plants in a closed-off room if you're afraid your furry friend might try to eat at them.
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Mistletoe
Mistletoe is one of the most charming plants of the winter season, for obvious reasons.
Still, it's important to know that though kissing under it is perfectly fine, you should make sure you (or your pets) don't ingest any of it, because all parts of the plant (leaves, stem, and berries) are actually poisonous.
Shòu Min Jí Cun / EyeEmGetty Images
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Christmas Rose
The Christmas rose can bloom anywhere from late fall to early spring (meaning, yes, it could indeed bloom around Christmas), but is actually not even technically a rose. Instead, it's a member of the buttercup family.
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Bleeding Heart Vine
You may not have heard of this vining plant, but its deep white and red petals create the most gorgeous contrast. When planted in a well-drained, sunny location, it can grow quite quickly and be a beautiful addition to any garden.
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Primrose
In addition to having a lovely name, the primrose is a great flower if you're looking for something that will begin bloom around winter.
According to Southern Living, they do best with a cool, humid climate.
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Anthurium
Anthurium's deep red, shiny petals make it a great choice for any Christmas-themed display. If you have a warm, moist location inside (or a greenhouse) to display them in, then that's even better.
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Snowball Hydrangea
Though hydrangeas are typically associated with spring and summer, the snowball hydrangea (named for its blooms, which appear to be covered in snow). Plus, these can grow in colder climates so they are a good Christmas flower.
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Glory-Of-The-Snow
If you've ever spotted these flowers poking out of one of the last snows of winter, then you know exactly where they get their name. Though they're probably more of a spring flower than a winter or Christmas bloom, their charming name still gets them a spot on this list.
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Cyclamen
Cyclamen are a species of flower that actually go dormant during the summer, meaning Christmas and winter time is when they shine. Plus, their vibrant blooms make a big impact.
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Juniper Berries
Much like mistletoe and holly, juniper branches and berries are often associated with the holiday season and look great in wreaths, bouquets, and other seasonal arrangements.
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Holly
Though technically not a flower, holly has to be included in its list for its classic Christmas-y nature. You'll find it mixed in with many seasonal bouquets (and mentioned in Christmas songs, too), as well. Keep in mind, though, that the holly plants berries are poisonous, so be careful where you put it around your home.
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Paperwhites
When it comes to gifting a flower for Christmas, paperwhites are one of the most thoughtful options.
Not only are they gorgeous (the lily white blooms even look a little bit like snow), but they are incredibly easy to grow — one simply puts the bulb in water, and it grows.
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Christmas Cactus
According to Gardening in The Know, the Christmas cactus got its name because it was said to bloom at Christmastime each year (though, apparently, it's more like Thanksgiving, usually).
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Amaryllis
Amaryllis is another common flower in the holiday season because of its vibrant red and green colors and its dramatic height. Just a few of these blooms in a vase can be a real statement. Make sure to keep them in warm temperatures, though, as they don't do well in cooler climates, or any weather below 70 degrees.
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Poinsettias
The most recognizably "Christmas" flower of all is, of course, the poinsettia, which usually comes in red and green, with a variety of patterns.
Just be sure to keep the plant in mild temperatures (indoors, ideally) to keep it as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
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30 Easy Christmas Mantel Decoration Ideas
Olivia Muenter Olivia Muenter is a freelance writer and former fashion and beauty editor who writes about fashion, beauty, lifestyle, relationships, travel, home decor, and more for Woman's Day and beyond.
Christmas Flowers. 6 Best (Red) Christmas Plants
By Oksana Jeter 12/21/2014 Winter at home, Calendar, Indoor plants, New year and Christmas, Lifestyle 22 comments
Photo. Christmas flowers. The poinsettia is the Christmas star. During the winter holidays, we traditionally decorate our houses and apartments with Christmas flowers and New Year's plants. Often these are plants with red flowers or berries, because red is the color of Christmas. Favorite flowers of Christmas and New Year are poinsettia 'Christmas star', gaultheria 'Christmas berries', white mistletoe, holly (holly), Decembrist 'Christmas cactus', as well as cyclamens, red hippeastrums and hyacinths specially expelled for the holidays.
Some Christmas flowers are only available for purchase, and some are quite suitable for growing at home and forcing for the holidays. Read about them in our special articles, as well as their maintenance at home before and after flowering.
Poinsettia - Christmas star
Poinsettia: care, reproduction, forcing. This article will be of interest to those who grow poinsettia as a houseplant. In order for the flowers (bracts) of poinsettia to turn bright at home by December, lovers of indoor floriculture will have to work hard.
Poinsettia is a Christmas star. The history of the poinsettia. How the poinsettia became a modern symbol of Christmas.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen. Cyclamens are considered capricious flowers and keeping them at home is not easy for everyone. Read about how to care for cyclamen, transplanting and propagating cyclamen, and why cyclamen leaves turn yellow and fall off. 51 comments.
Photo.
Cyclamen Persian En Vogue Purple. Bulbs for the winter holidays
Forcing bulbs for the holidays. For the winter and spring holidays, bulbs of hyacinths, daffodils, snowdrops and other spring-flowering plants are traditionally driven out. Read about the rules for home distillation of these and other beautiful flowers in our article.
Decembrist - Christmas cactus
Decembrist (Schlumbergera) - Christmas cactus. Growing a Decembrist-zygocactus at home is usually not difficult. Read more in our article.
Hippeastrum (amaryllis) - Christmas flower
Hippeastrum (amaryllis). Forcing graceful hippeastrum flowers does not always go smoothly. Read why hippeastrums do not bloom, as well as how to correctly calculate the forcing time and care for the plant after flowering.
Wintergreen (pernettia) - Christmas berries. Wintergreen
Dancing Queen Amaryllis
Winterberry – Christmas Berries
Wintergreen is a low berry shrub that is called ‘Christmas berries’.
By the winter holidays, this wonderful plant from the Heather family is covered with large bright berries, which are red, pink, raspberry and purple.
Holly (holly) - Christmas tree
Holly (holly) is indispensable during the winter holidays for home decoration and New Year's table setting, as an accent for festive dishes, as a material for making a Christmas wreath and other crafts.
Mistletoe, white mistletoe (Mistletoe). Lovers kiss under the mistletoe at ChristmasWhite mistletoe for kisses at Christmas and New Year
Mistletoe under which they kiss at Christmas. Mistletoe is a magical Christmas plant. Mistletoe is famous not for flowers, but for berries. Read about how this parasitic plant attaches itself to a host plant in nature. And also about why mistletoe is hung from a chandelier at Christmas.
Christmas tree
Live tree in a tub. A growing Christmas tree or other coniferous plant in a tub is an increasingly popular trend among lovers of everything natural and connoisseurs of wildlife.
Also read about how to care for a natural cut Christmas tree at home.
Tags: hippeastrum, decembrist, Bulb flowers, mistletoe, poinsettia, cyclamen
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Top 5 Christmas Plants
Decorating your home for Christmas with natural flowers is an age-old tradition. It is customary to buy flowers not only for decorative purposes, but also as a gift to relatives and friends. This is due to the fact that the traditional color scheme of Christmas includes red and green colors, and with the very symbolism of flowering plants: love and prosperity.
In our article we will talk about 5 Christmas plants that have long become symbols of the bright holiday of Christmas.
Poinsettia, or scientifically the most beautiful Euphorbia, has been one of the most popular Christmas plants for more than two centuries. In the west and in Europe, a full-blown poinsettia is a sure sign of the coming Christmas holidays and is widely used to decorate shopping centers, temples, apartments and houses.
The most popular is considered to be a variety with a combination of red and green colors, which are traditional for Western Christmas.
Fact
Poinsettia got its name in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first Minister of the United States in Mexico, who, being a botanist, was the first to introduce cuttings of this plant into the United States.
Poinsettia care tips:
- It is important to protect the plant from the cold when transporting it, as it is a tropical plant and cannot tolerate even short-term exposure to cold. For the same reason, the leaves of the Christmas star must not touch the cold glass
- Optimum temperature for poinsettia is +18°С-+22°С, if the temperature is too low or high, the plant may drop leaves completely
- Poinsettia needs moderate regular watering and responds well to water sprays. For irrigation it is necessary to use warm soft water, wet the clod of earth completely, and the rest of the water from the pan must be drained
- In an apartment, the Christmas star is best kept in a sunny place, without drafts and away from radiators
Mistletoe is an elegant plant that is associated with many Christmas traditions, one of which is kissing under a hanging mistletoe sprig.
This original tradition originates in Norse mythology, where mistletoe was subordinate to Freya, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. It is believed that mistletoe reveals its magical properties precisely under
Christmas bringing health, love and prosperity to the house. On Christmas Eve, mistletoe sprigs decorate the entrance to the house, decorate lighting fixtures and Christmas wreaths, and are also used in serving the festive table.
In nature, mistletoe lives, or better to say - parasitizes, on the branches of trees and shrubs, where it grows into spherical bushes and takes moisture and nutrients from the inside of the tree on which they grow.
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Hippeastrum is an indoor bulb flower with huge red, pink and pale yellow flowers. In many Western countries, it is customary to give this flower for the Christmas holidays, adding notes of warmth and hospitality to the interior of the house. Hippeastrum flowers are used in Christmas bouquets, in interior design, and also decorate the flower itself directly, making it a miniature Christmas "tree".
Hippeastrum care tips:
- Before planting, the lower part of the bulb is soaked in water at room temperature for 5-6 hours, after which the bulb is planted in a pot with well-fertilized soil. The hippeastrum bulb should be halfway out of the ground
- After the first arrows appear from the bulb, the plant should be transferred to a warm place with a temperature of +18°С-+20°С and the hippeastrum should be watered a little more actively, in addition, you can spray the peduncle with soft warm water
- 6-8 weeks after planting, bright large flowers bloom and leaves begin to develop
- As soon as the hippeastrum has finished blooming, the peduncles are cut off about halfway, and the plant begins its growing season. During this period, it is moderately watered and fertilized 2-3 times a month
- When the bulb gains strength, it goes into a state of "rest" for 2-3 months, after which it begins to bloom again
Schlumbergera, also known as the Decembrist or Christmas cactus, got its names due to its flowering period: from the beginning of November to the end of January.
Due to its unpretentiousness and long flowering, zygocactus is popular with many lovers of indoor plants, especially during the festive winter period, when it is so nice to add bright colors to the interior of the house.
Schlumbergera care tips
- Christmas cactus prefers partial shade and diffused light and does not tolerate bright sunlight
- Watering should be uniform without excessive waterlogging or drying out. For irrigation, it is best to use soft settled or boiled water
- Optimal temperatures for keeping a Christmas tree: +18°С-20°С degrees in summer and +13°С-15°С in winter
The holly is a genus of shrubs and trees closely associated with Christmas thanks to its bright green leaves and eye-catching red berries. As with mistletoe, holly was used in ancient Rome during the winter festivities, which were later replaced by Christmas. Today, holly sprigs are widely used in the decoration of the festive Christmas table, the room, as a material for a Christmas wreath, decorative compositions, and sometimes even as a replacement for the traditional Christmas tree.
