GARDEN FANATIC: Plants for the holidays

“There are some people who want to throw their arms round you and there are other people who want to strangle you ... simply because it is Christmas.”

— Robert Lynd

Moving past Thanksgiving, have you ever given or received a holiday gift plant? Have you ever killed a holiday gift plant? Stay tuned, because we’re going to explore the wonderful world of holiday plants.

The most ubiquitous of all holiday plants is the poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima. A native of Mexico, the red flowers we’ve come to prize are actually modified leaves called bracts. The inconspicuous yellow portion, in the center, is the flower itself. Through the efforts of Paul Ecke, the poinsettia is available in a number of different holiday colors.

Poinsettias will probably grow too tall to stay indoors permanently (they grow leggy to 10 feet and more). I consider them a useful, albeit old-fashioned garden plant, planted either as a tall bush or informal hedge. Don’t expect them, however, to bloom nearly as well as their first holiday, and grow them only in sunny, frostless areas of Laguna.

The azalea is a popular year-round gift and is also a valuable garden plant. Available in white, pink, red, salmon, purple and in combination colors, these profuse bloomers are hybridized as either shade or sun varieties. It’s a must to grow azaleas in an acid soil that retains moisture and drains quickly. Your favorite nursery can provide you with an azalea/camellia planting mix, which is combined nine parts to one part garden soil for an optimal planting medium.

The Christmas Cactus, Zygocactus truncatus, is a popular hanging plant from Brazil. Not a true cactus, this one needs more water and is a favorite houseplant of my mom’s. The pink, red or white flowers are very showy and its blooming schedule will let you know that Christmas is coming.

Care of these Christmas gift plants is easy; just follow a few instructions. Place the plant in a sunny window, and avoid sudden temperature changes. Keep the soil moist, but don’t let water stand in the plant’s saucer or foil.

Gradual leaf drop is an indication of not enough light; crinkling, yellowing leaves may mean too much heat or lack of water; and rapid leaf drop show exposure to cold or standing water in the saucer.

Catharine and I have shared a Star Pine, Araucaria excelsa, for the past two holidays. We have delighted in watching it grow from a 1-foot tall table top into a 3-foot living Christmas tree. The constancy of this tradition is not lost upon us, during a season that sometimes struggles to be joyous. See you next time.

STEVE KAWARATANI is happily married to award winning writer Catharine Cooper, and has one cat and four dogs. He can be reached at (949) 497-8168, or e-mail to plantman2@mac.com.