Hello! Yes – Christmas is a’coming!
Yes – 'Tis the season to be jolly!
Yes – 'Tis the season of gift-giving!
And, yes – 'Tis the season of gift-receiving!

Hooray! So, today, let’s talk about some typical flowering houseplants that make for really terrific Christmas gifts – either to give or to get!

Now the obvious Christmas flowering plant is the poinsettia – Euphorbia Pulcharrima. This Mexican native has become the international symbol of Christmas. But the poinsettia is not the world’s most cooperative bloomer, or - should I say – re-bloomer! Many people simply dump this plant right after the holidays, or right after the blooms have faded, whichever comes first. Actually, it does take quite a bit of finagling, but some meticulous green-thumbers do manage to get this plant to re-bloom the following year.

At any rate, beautiful or not, easy to care for or not, gonna' dump it after Christmas anyway or not, keep poinsettias out of the reach of children and pets. No, they are not as poisonous as people once thought. But they can make you sick is you eat a lot of poinsettias. (Actually, I know that you won’t eat a large quantity of poinsettias, but kids and pets just might. So just make sure you keep them away from each other.

Another appropriate Christmas gift plant is the Christmas cactus (or Thanksgiving cactus). Both of these have the notorious reputation of being fussy bloomers. But just give these cacti all the care they need, be stingy with the water, don’t move the plants after the buds have set, and they definitely will bloom for you. And – good news – the Christmas cactus and the Thanksgiving cactus are not toxic!

The Amaryllis is still another favorite bloomer around this time of the year. This hearty bulb is a tropical Brazilian native. And the graceful lily-like flowers are truly awesome. However, keep these beauties away from pets and children. Yes, amaryllis can be poisonous if eaten!

Cyclamen have heart-shaped, mottley leaves, and white, pink, red, or salmon colored flowers that are held up high on tall flower stalks. With proper care, cyclamen can survive, and even thrive, in your house. And they will also bloom again next year. But, cyclamen are poisonous, so keep the children and the pets away from them.

You know, we can keep going on and on forever, naming all of the hundreds of different flowering and foliage plants that make for great Christmas gifts. They all range from easy-to-care-for, to difficult, to absolutely impossible! However, we can’t possibly go into detail now. Suffice it to say, , most of the plants that you will buy (or get) do come with simple care instructions! And if you are getting a plant from a garden-type store – then ask them for more detailed care instructions.

Don’t give a super-difficult plant to someone who has difficulty maintaining plastic flowers! However, giving a super-simple plant to an expert grower just may be an unexpected joy. And if there are children or pets in the family, be cautious with the kinds of plants you give them. Keep in mind, some of these holiday plants range from mildly harmful to significantly poisonous.
These include:

• Poinsettia

• Cyclamen

• Amaryllis

• Holly

• Bittersweets

• Christmas rose

• Pines

• Boxwood

Stop on by Cornell Cooperative Extension; we’ve got a free brochure on safe and poisonous plants put out by the Poison Control Center in Syracuse

More on Christmas stuff next week!
Hey – Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D