Holiday Horticulture

The holiday season brings about some of the prettiest winter decor. Poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, evergreen boughs and berries deck our halls and doors. Old traditions have led us to associate these interesting plants with Christmas-time, but farmers and horticulturists work hard throughout the year to have these plants ready just in time to bring you holiday cheer!

Holly

Holly is a popular plant that we use little sprigs of to decorate wreaths, centerpieces, and garlands. It’s mentioned in several holiday songs including “The Holly and the Ivy” and “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas.” The Holly Association of America is a great website for people who grow holly all year long. Holly growers actually have to start planting their trees (if they are already matured) in the spring, so that their berries are ready in winter. There are different varieties of holly, but the type most associated with Christmas is English holly. It’s beautiful solid green leaves and red berries bring color to a wintery landscape. Interestingly, “female” holly is the holly that produces berries. “Male” holly doesn’t produce any berries, but both male and female holly produce flowers. If a holly grower starts growing from a seedling, rather than from matured trees, it can take 2-3 years for the tree to bloom with flowers. Once it blooms, it is a mature tree. It could take longer than 3 years to start seeing berries though. That’s a lot of care that goes into this Christmas plant!

Mistletoe

You may have learned in grade school that mistletoe is actually a parasite (remember learning about symbiotic relationships?). Mistletoe, while a beautiful decoration hanging from the threshold of your living room, does in fact live by slowly squeezing the nutrients out of some poor unsuspecting tree. When I say slowly, I mean S-L-O-W-L-Y. A mistletoe plant only grows about “one forked leaf section a year.” Have you seen mistletoe? Even the small bundle that hangs in your doorway has more than one forked leaf section. Since it grows so slowly, it doesn’t really do much harm to a tree. That being said, most of the people who grow mistletoe to sell during the Christmas season are farmers who allow it to grow on the trees in their orchards. Learn how to grow your own mistletoe here. And of course you can find out why we kiss under the mistletoe at How Stuff Works.

Poinsettia

Poinsettias are known for their bright red modified leaves, called bracts, that grow around the small flower in the center of the plant. The bracts are often mistaken for petals, since the pattern they grow in resemble that of a flower. They are a mysterious plant, requiring 14 hours of complete darkness for the best growth. They have mistakenly been dubbed poisonous, however recent studies show that while you may get a case of the runs if you eat too much, eating the colorful shrub will not be fatal. I don’t really know what would possess someone to want to eat a poinsettia, and I’m interested to know how these studies were conducted...but the good news is-if your child accidentally chomps down on one of those eye-catching leaves, they won’t be poisoned so you don’t have to fret. Nurseries and greenhouses now grow these ornamental shrubs in several different colors including pink and white, so they can be found year round for Valentine’s day, Easter, etc., though the peak season is still December.

An Agrarian Tip:

Many FFA programs, churches and schools sell poinsettias at the end of the year for fundraising. If your FFA has the resources, or if you own an orchard, try growing your own mistletoe to sell.

Sources

How to Grow Holly

Why Do We Decorate With Holly At Christmas?

What does the poinsettia have to do with Christmas?

Poinsettias