Fun Facts About Christmas Plants

Poinsettias 

• They are native to Mexico and were grown by the Aztecs.  
  
  

• They are used to make a deep red dye and they produce a milky substance to make medicine. 
  
  

• Introduced to the USA from 1825 to 1829 by Joel Roberts Poinsett. 
  
  

• The red part, thought to be the flower, is the leaves or bracts.  
  
  

• Poinsettias are short-day plants, meaning they are vegetative during the summer and produce flowers during the shorter days of the fall. 
  
  

• The sap inside the poinsettia stem can cause irritation to the skin. 

• Originated in the middle east and came to Europe in the late 1800s.  
  
  

• Symbolizes empathy and devotion in the Mediterranean region. 
  
  

• There are over 20 different species of cyclamen around the world. 

Christmas Cactus 

• Native to the mountainous region of southeast Brazil. 
  
  

• They grow at the bases of trees and get their water and nutrition from rain, decaying matter, and filtered sunlight. 
  
  

• They have flat stems that carry out photosynthesis. 
  
  

• Christmas Cactuses are short-day plants and will not bloom properly if exposed to light at night. 
  
  

• Do not expose cactuses to temperatures over 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Rosemary 

• Most commercial rosemary comes from Spain, France, or Morocco.  
  
  

• Its leaves are evergreen, and green in color on the top and white on the underside. 
  
  

• Rosemary is frequently used in traditional Mediterranean recipes. 
  
  

• Rosemary is thought to increase blood flow to the brain, improve memory, reduce inflammation, help ebb the effects of Alzheimer’s, relieve pain, and boost the immune system.  

Norfolk Pine Tree 

• The Norfolk pine is a tropical tree and does not grow in frosty weather. 
  
  

• Seeds are harvested by hand in Hawaii and the Norfolk Islands. 
  
  

• In the wild, they can reach over 200 feet. Indoors, they stop at six feet after several years of growth. 
  
  

• They need bright light and high humidity indoors. 
  
  

• They should not be watered too often. Instead, place the pot in a saucer of water.  

Amaryllis 

• Red and white are the most popular colors, but amaryllis comes in hundreds of different shades.  
  
  

• Amaryllis bulbs are quite large. They range in size from the size of a softball to that of a tennis ball.  
  
  

• It takes three years for them to grow large enough to market.  
  
  

• They are often shipped in from Holland.  

• Mistletoe stays green in the winter by sucking nutrients from its host plant (that’s right, mistletoe is parasitic). 
  
  

• Kissing under the mistletoe originated in Europe in the 1500s. 
  
  

• Some species of mistletoe are poisonous. 
  
  

• The white mistletoe berries will explode when mature, scattering seeds. 
  
  

• Mistletoe has no natural scent. 
  
  

• When mistletoe grows very large, birds will often use it for nesting.