I love poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, but I hate having one in my house. Unless the plant actually dies I can’t just throw it away. In a few weeks, when the poinsettia starts losing its lower leaves, and as the days get longer, its colourful bracts, the plant looks increasingly bedraggled and boring. I continue watering it and think maybe I can help it get back into shape, regain its colourful bracts, for the next festive season. I've never managed to help it attain it former glory, it just looks pathetic. In my next life I’m going to live in a place where its hot enough for poinsettias to grow outside. I’ve written about growing and caring for Euphorbia pulcherrima here.
Other Christmas plants like Christmas cacti, Shlumbergera, are easier to grow since they thrive on neglect, my type of plant. I used to have three plants but lost one of them, when I knocked over its pot, during a whirlwind house cleaning session, I decided to do because my sister was visiting. I wrote about growing Schlumbergera over here. Since I wrote that article I’ve found out from here and Sean Hogans book, Flora that the christmas cactus is actually called Sclumbegera x bucklryi. It’s a cross between S. russelliana and S. truncata.
At this time of year the stores are full of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, their flowers, in saturated colours of yellow, pink, red and purple, are so luscious I happily bought one home a couple years ago. It lasted till March when the last flower died and a swarm of opportunistic aphids took it over. I tried washing the aphids off by hand, blasting them with water from the spray on the kitchen tap, eventually I put the plant outside on the deck, deliberately letting a spring frost kill it. I written about how to care for Kalanchoe blossfeldiana here
Amaryllis are another favourite although I bring mine out of the cold room after the glitter and lights of Christmas have faded. The amaryllis serves as a predecessor for forced hardy spring bulbs, followed by hot house daffodils and tulips that brighten my house until May, when the snow melts and the spring bulbs in garden start to grow. I’ve written more about growing and caring for Amaryllis over here.
I'm with you on the Poinsettias. So pretty for a few days, so ugly for a few months. Every year I tell myself that Amaryllis are prettier for Valentine's Day anyway (because I forgot to get them going in time for Christmas).
ReplyDeleteKate, Amaryllis does have that lag time. Valentine's Day is about when mine flowers too.
DeleteMy favourites are always the Christmas cacti and so undemanding.
ReplyDeleteRosie, I have a pink one and a red one , thinking I should get another one in yellow/orange
DeleteI remember one year my mother was determined to get her poinsettia to bloom again. She worked evenings as a nurse so it was my job to take that plant in and out of our cold room each night so it got enough dark time. Despite the effort I don't think it ever did bloom again.
ReplyDeleteLOL I remember doing the same thing, I even set a timer to remind me when it was time to move the plant.
DeleteThanks for the lovely post Melanie and Poinsettias plant is fabulous to have in your indoor garden !. The reason why the Poinsettias plant looses its beauty is because it drops its bracts and leaves soon after those flowers shed their pollen. Another interesting fact about the Poinsettias is that in the past poinsettias were shrubs that were once considered as weeds. It is rightly said 'Things change with Time'.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how nice of Christmas Cacti to have at home. I actually have a friend who treated her cactus like a fortune plant, of course with a ribbon in it. Succulent plants are good in a minimalist interior, resembling the aura of your designs.
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