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7 Joyous Christmas Flowers

Today we’re looking at seven wonderful plants that will brighten your holidays. Some are used as cuttings and some can be kept for years.

Amaryllis

The Amaryllis is a tall, elegant flower that serves well as a centerpiece. It is favored as a Christmas flower due to its vibrant red flowers. There are also variations of white, pink or orange. The flowers will bloom with solid shades and some are striped or speckled.

The bulb can be planted in soil, pebbles, rocks or glass beads. It will bloom about six to eight weeks from planting, so early to mid-November is your best bet to get beautiful flowers for Christmastime. The plant enjoys bright light, so try to keep it near a window rather than in the middle of the room or on a shelf. Turn the planter periodically to ensure that it grows straight upward rather than leaning toward the sun.

You can move it to a shady spot outside in late May after the last frost and keep it there until late Summer or early Fall. Cut it back to the bulb and place it in a dark location such as the basement or the back of the garage where it can go dormant until the second week of November and begin the growth cycle again.

Christmas Cactus

The Christmas Cactus is a lovely succulent with festive red blooms that will keep year after year. The plant can also produce flowers of white, pink, gold, orange or even a vibrant purple. If you live in an area that freezes in the winter, you want to keep the plant potted and safely indoors.

It doesn’t like to be too wet. This will cause the buds to fall off before flowering. Allow the water in the pot to drain to at least halfway down the soil before watering.

You can put your potted Christmas Cactus outside for about three weeks in the late Summer sun. Blooming will begin again in time for the holidays.

Holly

Holly is an evergreen with vibrant red berries. This plant has been associated with the Winter holidays since before Christianity came to Europe. The pointy leaves were associated with Christ’s crown of thorns and the berries the drops of blood shed for sinners. In holiday decor, Holly is usually used as a decorative cutting. It can be added to wreaths, garland, flower arrangement or even stuck on top of a Plum Pudding.

Holly can be kept as a tree or as an impenetrable hedge outside that can provide decorative cuttings for the holidays. Festive though it is, the leaves and berries are toxic and can lead to vomiting and diarrhea if eaten by children or pets. 20 berries can be a fatal dose for small children who may find the bright red color enticing.

Ivy

Ivy is another evergreen that was associated with the holidays even before the arrival of Christianity. As the Druids had associated with femininity, the early Christian missionaries associated it with the Virgin Mary. Ivy can be used as a decorative clipping to add to wreaths and floral arrangements. The foliage can cause inflammation of the skin and the dark blue berries are also moderately toxic.

Ivy can be found as a decorative ground cover for yards, growing under Holly bushes as well as climbing trees and walls. Boston Ivy can climb walls without doing damage to the structure. English Ivy has been thought to cause damage to brick and wood buildings due to the invasive roots, but more recent studies show that the plant serves as a thermal shield and protection against pollutants in the environment. However, if the structure already has cracks, the hardy roots will burrow in and increase the damage.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant with white berries that was also associated with the holidays before the arrival of Christianity. The berries are toxic to humans but actually very good for birds. The birds usually wind up spreading the seeds of the host trees which leads to more robust health of a forest.

The plant was thought to have powers of fertility and as an aphrodisiac, Mistletoe was also hung to ward off the effects of poison, evil spirits and witchcraft. The tradition of kissing under a sprig of Mistletoe is well known. What is not as well known is that the tradition also held that a man was supposed to pull off one berry each time a kiss is requested. Once the berries are gone, the sprig is no longer lucky for kissing under.

Poinsettia

This well known holiday plant was named after Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. This is a tropical plant. Like the Christmas Cactus, it should remain potted and be kept inside.

The funny thing about the Poinsettia is that what looks like a flower is actually just the leaves of the plant. The actual flower is the tiny yellow cyathia in the middle. When buying a Poinsettia, you want one with the cyathia intact or else it won’t last until Christmastime. The leaves of the Poinsettia can be the rich red color we usually envision, but they also come in white or pink. They can have solid colored leaves or speckled.

Rosemary

This evergreen aromatic herb was associated with the Virgin Mary from the earliest days of the church. The legend has it that during the Flight to Egypt, Mary laid her cloak on a Rosemary bush to dry. Henceforth, the flowers of the plant bloomed a delicate blue to match her garb.

Nowadays, Rosemary bushes are trimmed into Christmas tree-shaped topiaries that can be transplanted outside in late May after the last frost. Plant it in the bright sunlight and keep it well watered. It should be brought back inside before Winter. Some variations bloom in November and December, bringing the heavenly perfume that so pleased the Virgin Mary all those years ago.

We hope you enjoyed this collection of marvellous holiday flowers and the decorating ideas in the video above. Let us know what your favorite Christmas floral decor is.