Holiday Houseplants

Giving and receiving plants The Thanksgiving during the holidays, especially cactus typically Thanksgiving and Christmas, is blooms early in the a common practice. To keep the holiday season, from beauty of these plants through the Thanksgiving through holidays and beyond, you must Christmas. The leaf understand their needs. margins on this cactus Here are some plants typically have two to four available during the holidays. sawtoothed projections pointing upward on Poinsettia the sides of the stem. This cactus comes in several flower Euphorbia pulcherrima colors, ranging from red and lavender to salmon-orange The poinsettia is the classic and white. Christmas plant. It is possible The Christmas cactus blooms later in the season, from to enjoy your poinsettia many Christmas through March. The leaf margins usually have weeks into the New Year. To four rounded scallops along the edges of the stem. The prolong the bracts’ color, keep flower colors are usually red and white. daytime temperatures between Although not a winter holiday plant, the Easter cactus 68 and 72 degrees and nighttime temperatures about 60 is a great plant to give in the spring. The Easter cactus degrees. Place the plant in a bright location. To increase the generally blooms from March to May. It may bloom again humidity around the plant, in the fall. Flowers are usually pink or red. Leaf margins place the poinsettia on a are smoother than the other seasonal cacti and have saucer filled with gravel brownish, hair-like bristles at their tips. and water. Poinsettias do Caring for holiday cacti is not difficult. They prefer not like drastic temperature high humidity. They will not bloom if kept too warm, so changes, so keep them keep them in cooler parts of the house, away from heat away from vents, radiators, sources such as vents, televisions, and refrigerators. A and space heaters. For coarse soil mix (high humus, sharp sand) that provides information on continued drainage is important. Keep the soil medium moist, not growth after Christmas wet. Holiday cacti can easily be overwatered and are and reflowering, see Extension Publication 2573 Home susceptible to root rot. Horticulture: Selecting and Maintaining Poinsettias. For repeat flowering, place cacti in a room with cool temperatures (60 to 65 degrees), stop fertilizing, allow Note: Although research has shown the poinsettia to be the soil to become dry between waterings, and provide nontoxic, it is not recommended for consumption by 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness every night for 5 to humans or animals. Some individuals may develop skin 6 weeks. Once flower buds appear, move the plants to a irritation when exposed to the milky sap. bright-light location and resume normal watering and fertilizing. Maintain cool temperatures (60 to 70 degrees) Holiday Cacti to avoid bud drop. Cacti are easy to propagate by making The main types of holiday cacti are Thanksgiving cuttings of stem sections. Propagation works best when cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), Christmas cactus done in early spring or summer. (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), and Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri). Norfolk Island Pine After the fruits have dropped, cut the plant back Araucaria heterophylla drastically and place it outside. Do not put the plant outside Norfolk Island pines if temperatures are below 41 degrees. You may plant the are very common during Jerusalem cherry outside in a part-sun location. If you wish the holiday season. They to bring it back in for the holidays, do so before the first are typically sold as living frost. If the plant is still in flower when you bring it inside, Christmas trees. Three to four be sure to tap or shake the plant to ensure pollination and small trees may be in one later fruit formation. Keep the soil moist while the plant is container. Although many actively growing, but do not overwater it. people think the Norfolk Note: All parts of the Jerusalem cherry, especially the Island pine is a cold-weather fruit, are toxic and may be fatal if eaten. Keep out of plant, it is actually a tropical reach of children. plant native to the southern hemisphere in Australia and the Norfolk Islands. This plant, though often used as a compact houseplant, can grow up to 200 feet in its native Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum habitat. The cyclamen is another Norfolk Island pines prefer high to medium light (an holiday favorite. Cyclamen east- or west-facing window) and cool day temperatures flowers come in white, pink, (50 to 70 degrees) and night temperatures (45 to 65 magenta, red, lavender, degrees). Temperatures below 45 degrees can damage the and deep purple. During growing tips of the branches. blooming, keep the plant Provide high humidity and good ventilation for the cool (55 to 60 degrees) plant. Age and lack of humidity cause needles on the trunk and in a room with bright, to fall off. Water the plant on a regular basis. Dry and indirect light. To provide needed humidity around a brown lower branches indicate the plant is dehydrated. cyclamen, set the bare pot on a saucer filled with gravel Norfolk Island pines do not tolerate wet soil, however. and water. You don’t need to do this if you keep it cool. Sporadic yellow needle clusters indicate the plant has been Keep the soil moist while the plant is in bloom. Do not let it overwatered. Fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks during its active dry out. When watering a cyclamen, use lukewarm water growing season (March through September). and avoid dampening the crown. Water all around the Jerusalem Cherry inside of the pot instead of directly over it. Remove faded blooms at their starting point. When the Solanum pseudocapsicum flowers have faded, pull them out of the corm and begin Another common fertilizing with a diluted solution until new leaves appear. holiday plant is the When leaves begin to fade, stop fertilizing, and gradually Jerusalem cherry, also reduce the water, allowing the corm to go dormant. When known as the Christmas the soil has become completely dry and all leaves have cherry or winter cherry. died down, allow the plant to rest for 6 to 12 weeks in a This bushy evergreen shrub cool, dark place. Ideally, you should allow the plant to stay produces white flowers in dormant during the warmest weather; then it will flower in the summer that give rise winter and spring. to small, round, reddish- Remove the corm from the pot and replant in fresh orange fruit in the winter, potting soil, with one-third to one-half of the corm’s top usually around Christmas. portion sticking out above the soil’s surface. When a new As a houseplant, Jerusalem cherry requires bright light leaf forms, begin watering again, and fertilize once a or full sun to thrive. Mist the plant often. Lack of humidity month until flower buds form. causes the plant to lose its leaves, blooms, or fruit. Keep the plant in a room with temperatures below 70 degrees. Higher temperatures may cause leaf, flower, or fruit drop. Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Fertilize the plant with a basic houseplant fertilizer while it Kalanchoe plants are native to Africa and Madagascar. is actively growing. Stop fertilizer treatment after the plant Flower colors include red, yellow, orange, and pink. has finished blooming. Kalanchoe flowers have been bred to last a long time.

2 While the kalanchoe is in soil dry between waterings. Plants remain more compact flower, water it thoroughly, if the soil is kept on the dry side. Ornamental peppers letting the soil dry between do not like wet soil. Actively growing plants need light waterings. Do not keep fertilization. While peppers are inside your home, keep the soil dry for too long, them in a room that stays between 50 and 70 degrees. You or the flowers will drop can eat these peppers if they have not been treated with prematurely. Usually the pesticides. They may be extremely hot and bitter. soil takes 1 to 2 weeks to dry out, depending on Rosemary the size of the pot and the Rosmarinus officinalis temperature. Kalanchoes Rosemary topiaries are do not like wet feet, so do not overwater them. Give new popular during the holiday plants enough fertilizer to promote growth through their season because they are first flowering. If you have an older plant, fertilize it every often shaped like Christmas 3 weeks while it is in flower. Kalanchoes tolerate most trees and are very fragrant. light levels, but they prefer medium light. The best room With proper care, these temperature is 50 to 70 degrees during the day and 40 to 65 topiaries can be kept alive degrees at night. long after the holiday After the plant has flowered, cut the flower stems season. back to the second or third leaf below the old flowers. Rosemary prefers a sunny location in the home. You may use a standard houseplant fertilizer every 2 to 4 Watering rosemary can be tricky. Rosemary does not like weeks after new growth appears. For your kalanchoe to to have wet feet (roots), so make sure the plant is in well- flower again, it needs short days, or days with fewer than drained soil. Water rosemary thoroughly but not often, 11 hours of sunlight. Getting a kalanchoe to reflower can based on the soil moisture level. be tricky. To flower, the plant needs 14 hours per day of After the holiday season, you may move your uninterrupted darkness for 8 weeks. A small amount of rosemary plant outside and either keep it in the pot light (room lights, street lamps) during this 14 hours can or plant it in your garden. Rosemary is a perennial in keep it from flowering. Do not place a kalanchoe in a dark Mississippi and prefers full sun, but it will tolerate some room that does not receive any light. The more light the shade. If you wish to keep the topiary’s shape, you will plant receives during the short day, the faster it will flower. need to prune it often. Don’t discard the pruned pieces. An easy way to provide uninterrupted darkness is to cover Use them in the kitchen to liven up your cooking. your plant with a box lined with a black plastic bag every day at 5 p.m. and uncover it the next day at 8 a.m. Amaryllis Hippeastrum hybridii Ornamental Peppers Amaryllis is a popular Capiscum spp. indoor flowering plant in Ornamental pepper the winter and spring. It has plants are often found in large, showy blooms in colors stores around the holidays. ranging from white to shades These plants should be kept of pink, salmon, red, and inside when temperatures orange. It is the easiest bulb to are expected to drop below bring into bloom, as it does not 40 degrees. They produce require precooling to flower colorful fruits (peppers) like daffodils and tulips. If you cannot pot your new bulb that come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, immediately, keep it in a cool, dry location with good air including purple, white, red, yellow, orange, brown, and circulation. Do not expose it to freezing, damp conditions. blue. A single plant can have three different colors of When ready to pot, use a container no larger than 1½ times peppers on it. These plants make great houseplants as well the diameter of the bulb as it likes to be pot bound. Use a as ornamental landscape plants. good potting mix and sink the bulb up to the neck. Place Whether inside or outside, ornamental peppers need in a warm, bright light situation, and water sparingly until full sun or bright light. Water them regularly, letting the the stem appears. As the bud and leaves appear, gradually

3 water more. Do not overwater because this will cause the Azalea bulb to rot. It is not necessary to fertilize during this flower Rhododendron spp. development time. Various cultivars Bulbs will flower 6 to 8 weeks after potting, depending Keep the plant on the growing conditions and variety. When in flower, in a well-lit location, move the plant where you will receive the most enjoyment, but avoid direct sun preferably in a cool, shaded area, which will prolong while in flower. Night the floral display. After flowering, cut the old flowering temperatures between stalk off 2 inches from the bulb. Put the plant back into a 55 and 60 degrees will warm, bright-sunlight area of your home, water, and begin prolong flowering. fertilizing with a complete houseplant fertilizer, following Keep the soil uniformly moist; never allow it to dry out the directions on the label. This will ensure that the completely. leaves continue to grow and produce the sugars that will During the bloom period, regularly remove any dead eventually be stored in the bulb to produce next season’s flowers. When it’s finished flowering, you can replant blooms. your azalea in a larger container, if needed, and move it After danger of frost has passed, move the plant outdoors after danger of frost has passed. The azalea could outdoors to a full sun area and continue to water and be planted during the growing season into a landscape fertilize as needed. In the fall, before frost, gradually bed in a shady location. During the growing season, use a decrease watering, as this will signal the plant that it is fertilizer recommended for acid-loving plants, following time to go dormant. As the soil dries, the foliage will the directions on the label. begin to yellow. Move the plant (pot and all) into a cellar Whether it survives the winter in your location or other dark, dry place. Amaryllis pots can be turned on depends on what type of florist azalea it is. Some their sides and stored in the garage or under a greenhouse cultivated varieties of azaleas are designed for inside use bench during the dormant period as well. It is generally only. Others are “hardy” varieties that can be planted in recommended that amaryllis bulbs remain in this dormant the garden. Be sure to ask your florist what type of azaleas state for 8 weeks, after which time you can bring them out they carry. If they are unsure of the winter hardiness, you and start the whole process over again. may want to chance it and plant it in the garden to see if it will overwinter. If it doesn’t make it, you can always buy another holiday azalea houseplant next winter. Because florist-type azaleas need precise growing conditions in the greenhouse for blooming in the winter months, this plant is difficult for the homeowner to achieve a repeat bloom in the home environment. Therefore, it is not recommended for this purpose.

Publication 2309 (POD-10-14) Revised by Dr. Lelia Kelly, Extension Professor, North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, from an earlier edition by Dr. Sonja Skelly, former Consumer Horticulture Specialist.

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