Houseplants for the Holidays

While Poinsettias are the most popular holiday choice, there are many other plants with vibrant flowers and colorful foliage that will add a festive mood to your holidays and beyond. Moreover, houseplants help clean the air we breathe and elevate our moods. Here are a just a few of our favorites. 

With its red flowers and dark green foliage, Anthurium delivers some of the best of holiday colors. Anthurium plants thrive when placed near a bright window. It will do okay in low light situations, but don't expect it to flower as well.  Allow the soil to dry slightly between each watering.  

Cyclamen and holiday cactus are very popular plants during the season.  

For outstanding foliage, Polka Dot and Mosaic are easy-to-grow houseplants and both offer outstanding color. Polka Dot plants prefer bright, indirect light, while Mosaic does well in lower light situations. 

If you’re looking for Christmas tree substitutes, Norfolk Island Pines are an excellent choice.  Originating from an island in the South Pacific, Norfolk Island Pines grow slowly and maintain their shape naturally. These pines like a location where they will receive bright light and high humidity. If your Norfolk Pine shows signs of stress, it’s most like a light or humidity problem. Creating a more humid environment can be accomplished by placing your plant on a tray that contains two to three inches of pebbles and about an inch of water. If you decide to use a pebble tray to increase the humidity, make sure the bottom of the pot your tree is planted in stays above the water line. Water your Norfolk pine when the top inch of soil feels dry. Water thoroughly, until water comes out the bottom of the pot. Feed Norfolk Island Pines with Super Thrive every two weeks.  When it comes to decorating, the branches of a Norfolk Island Pine are not as sturdy as those of a traditional pine tree, so use lightweight ornaments and garland.  

Dressing up a Lemon Cypress tree is another great plant choice for the holidays. Lemon Cypress have plume-like yellow-green foliage that maintains a conical growth pattern and releases a lemony fragrance to the touch. Lemon cypress trees prefer a location where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight and the temperature stays around sixty degrees.  Water whenever the soil is dry. 

To bring fragrance into your home during the holidays don’t forget herbs! Rosemary and lavender will add a delightful aroma to the home. As a rule, all these houseplants will do well when kept at normal room temperatures. You'll want to keep your houseplants healthy and growing by feeding them every two weeks with houseplant fertilizer. On the weeks you don’t fertilize, water with Super Thrive, a vitamin solution that includes Kelp. This supplement will help your plants thrive, especially during the winter months.  Houseplants make easy, beautiful gifts for teachers, co-workers and hostesses. They're a gift that will last long after the holidays are over. 

  

How to Care for Holiday Cactus

 

This time of year, you’ll find many holiday-specific plants, including Cyclamen, Poinsettia, Amaryllis and of course, holiday cactus. Each kind of holiday cactus typically flowers around the holiday it’s named for; Thanksgiving cactus is in bloom now, followed by the Christmas cactus later in the season. These plants belong to a group of mountain cactus which includes Easter cactus. Known collectively as holiday cactus, these plants are easy to grow and have similar care requirements. All three are native to Brazil, the Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are tropical rain forest plants, while the Easter cactus grows in Brazil’s natural forests. An easy way to identify each cactus type is to look at the end of the stem. 

Thanksgiving cactus leaves have claw-like edges while the Christmas is rounder. Thanksgiving cactus flowers tend to bend upward, while Christmas cactus flowers tend to hang down. The recent introduction of hybrid cactus tends to blur the line between Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus, but if you have a plant that came from a cutting of your grandmother’s fifty-year-old cactus, it’s most like likely one or the other. 

Holiday cactuses need bright, indirect light and will do best in a cool, bright spot out of direct sun. An east-facing window is ideal. Holiday cactus bloom on their own in response to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Daytime temperatures in the 70°s and nighttime temperatures in the 60°s will help promote blooming.  Holiday cactus don’t like drafts, so place them away from heating vents, fireplaces or doors that open to the outdoors. 

During the bloom season, feed your cactus every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer such as 15-30-15. When it comes to watering, holiday cactus plants prefer to be on the dry side. An easy way to tell if your plant needs watering is to stick your finger into the soil. If the top inch or so is dry, then it’s time to water. Holiday cactus like high humidity and an easy way to increase humidity is to place small rock in a saucer, add water and set the plant on the saucer. Make sure the pot is sitting on the rock, not in the water.  If the plant begins to drop buds, it’s a sign of overwatering, insufficient light or low humidity. Don’t be in a rush to repot holiday cactus. They prefer to be root-bound and can easily go three or four years without repotting. When you decide to repot, chose a pot one size larger and use a potting soil that drains well. Holiday cactus will stay green year-round. Continue to feed your cactus plant every two weeks with a 10-15-10 fertilizer. With a little care, your holiday cactus will produce beautiful blooms for many years to come.