Seasonal Winter Plants

As we enter the Christmas season, gift-giving and decorating ones home becomes a major focus in everyone's lives.  There are many great botanical gift-giving and decorating ideas, but a niche seldom explored is that of potted plants. The winter season provides us with freshly scented cut greens to decorate our homes, but these greens were clipped from growing plants, which in themselves, make excellent home decor or gift-giving ideas. Here is a list of some of the most common winter plants available through local floral shops and wholesalers.



1. Cypress trees.

These wonderfully-scented trees are native to Northern America and in nature, grow in wet, boggy soil. In caring for them, they prefer frequent watering and partial, to full sun in a room-temperature, or cooler area. When purchased, Cypress trees are usually about a foot tall, and many people appreciate the narrow, space-saving shape they take. Definitely a linear-growing plant, tall and thin! Many Cypress trees do well when re-planted outside, and the larger varieties are used frequently in landscaping. A gift that someone can keep for a lifetime!




2. Norfolk Island Pine

 

The most popular potted evergreen, Norfolk Pine, is a very interesting plant because they are not actually true pine trees. Norfolk Pines actually originate from southern islands, and are a tropical plant. As such, they prefer to remain as house plants, and do not enjoy being planted outside in climates where it gets cold. With the right care, they make excellent, full houseplants that can be enjoyed year-round. Norfolk pines can be found at almost every floral shop and greenhouse, especially around the holidays, as it is a popular plant to decorate your home or give as a gift as a small, decorative Christmas tree.





3. Lavender Tree Topiary

While lavender is a common springtime/summer plant, some winter varieties are available and are popularly sold as a potted plant, trimmed into the shape of a Christmas tee or rounded topiary. Lavender plants make wonderful home-decorating additions, or as gift-giving ideas because they smell so sweet and add a sense of peace to every space! Lavender is a fast-growing plant when they are happy, so topiaries can begin to lose shape and will require monthly trimming. Clippings can be added as embellishments to packages or place settings, added to food, or enjoyed as aromatherapy. When kept indoors, lavender plants love plenty of bright sunlight, most soil, and drainage to prevent root rot. They also like some degree of humidity, as dry air can cause them to consume more water. Because of fast growth in bright sunlight, rotating the plant is a great idea to promote even growth on all sides and prevent lop-sided growth. In the spring, lavender plants can be planted outside where they will eventually begin to bloom their signature lavender blossoms.




4. Myrtle Tree Topiaries

All of our plants are custom-decorated!

Myrtle is a classic winter green and makes charming arrangements for mantelpieces and tabletops! They are commonly sold as topiaries and come in a variety of cute and elegant shapes. This is a popular winter plant because it is part of the evergreen family and in the summer, produces white star-shaped blooms. The plants grow naturally in the Mediterranean region and are often used for essential oil purposes. In caring for Myrtle, these plants love bright sunlight and to have a pattern of watering where their soil is drenched, and then allowed to dry between waterings. Because the plants are usually clipped into a certain shape, occasional trimming should take place to keep the topiary from losing shape.




5. Christmas Cactus

                                            
So named for its timely blooms, the Christmas cactus is an easy-to-care-for plant that is perfect for festively decorating any home! The green segmented leaves are tipped with blooms ranging in hues of white, red, purple, orange, and pink which bloom only in the winter, around December. They are dormant during much of the summer months and when dormant, can go almost completely without watering. They do prefer a little more water when they are in bloom, but over-watering can cause root rot. These plants are famous for their longevity and can be heirlooms, passed from generation to generation.

Regardless of which plants you choose to give as gifts or decorate your homes, the winter season definitely provides us with plenty of lovely and aromatic plants to add peace and beauty to this holiday season!