The end of the year brings around holiday festivities, with the hustle and bustle of decorating, gift giving, parties, and other social gatherings. As gardeners and plant freaks, we all tend to get an indoor holiday plant at one time or another. For many, it is with great joy. Then there are those out there that, as soon as the plant gets home, it is as good as dead. The care needed for some of these plants just seems to escape even the most seasoned gardener. It is not your fault!

Their beautiful colors, leaves, berries, or shapes, lull you into believing that this is just a very pretty plant. If you take care of it like any of the others that you have, it will be fine. Not so fast my horticultural friend. Some of the most common holiday plants come from tropical regions, while others come from rather chilly climes that you could not possibly reproduce and thus, the plant suffers.

Here then, is a list of the top 6 most commonly given plants for the holidays and how you should take care of them.

#1 Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)

This is one of those plants that I actually grew up with as a holiday plant. You don’t see them as much any more, which is a shame. My Grandmother always had one that was just absolutely beautiful. I am not sure if it was the same one every year or if she bought a new one each time. Also known as Christmas Cherry plants, they are perennial ornamentals that are hardy in zones 8 and 9. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

As a houseplant, you should place the plants in full sun, if at all possible. However, they will tolerate moderate light. These plants have been known to drop their foliage and flowers if they get too warm, above 72 degrees, and are in dry air, very similar to what you probably have during the holidays. Misting your cherry occasionally will help to alleviate this somewhat. They should be planted in a rich well draining potting soil, not garden soil. Water the plants as needed and fertilize regularly with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks while the plant is growing.

After the holidays are over, in the spring, and after the fruit have dropped off, prune the plant drastically and take it outside. Place it in a sunny spot in your yard. Chances are good, that your Jerusalem cherry plant will treat you to another spectacular display the following year. Just as a side note, do not eat the fruit of these cherries as they do contain some toxins. Keep the berries away from children, it may result in mild poisoning, but it is generally not life threatening, unless a very large quantity has been eaten. It may cause gastric problems, including vomiting and gastroenteritis. They are also highly poisonous to dogs, cats and some birds.

#2 Rosemary Topiary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary topiaries shaped like a Christmas tree are great gifts to give and receive. But they can be really tough to get to survive through the holidays and out to your garden in the spring. It often takes months and months to shape these plants into their desired form. They spend the majority of the time in a controlled environment greenhouse and will not be the least bit happy in your dry, heated house. Even though they are native to the Mediterranean, hardy in Zones 8–10, the plant prefers a sunny location and dislikes extreme cold, heat vents and electronics. You can place your rosemary in a decorative spot, like on top of your coffee table or on your dining table, if it doesn’t get much sun in that location, the tree will suffer. You will want to provide about six to seven hours of light every day.

A Mediterranean environment is hot, but humid, so place the pot on a shallow pebble-filled container or tray. Add just enough water so that it does not cover the pebbles. You want the rosemary plant to have increased humidity but not wet soil and roots. Rosemary plants sold as holiday decorations that have that beautiful triangular habit like real Christmas trees are not growing naturally. This isn’t even close to being its natural growth habit. Immature plants that have been trimmed and manhandled into this shape are likely suffering from shock and need time to recuperate.

After the holidays are over, and once warm weather arrives, take your rosemary outside. Give it full sun, well-drained soil and don’t expect it to keep that shape forever.

#3 Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

This is another one of those great little table top Christmas trees. I have received them before, and I even sell them where I work. They are incredibly pretty and cute, especially with tiny ornaments and LED lights on them. Sadly, when the holidays are over, many people don’t necessarily want a Christmas tree in the house. If you don’t think of it as one, though, they do make a wonderful houseplant.

There are certain rules you need to keep in mind. First, even though it is in the name, they are not true pines. They are not even cold hardy like the majority of pines that we are accustomed to. So, if anybody tells you that they grow in Norfolk, Virginia, tell them not so much! They are actually native to Norfolk Island in the southern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia, which makes them tropical in nature. In their native land, they can reach 200 feet tall; luckily they are slow growers and even in Florida will barely reach 50 feet.

They prefer full sun, but will tolerate some shade, usually having droopy branches when kept that way. The toughest part of keeping one of these as a houseplant is its need for high humidity and damp soil. Mist occasionally and keep the soil about the consistency of a wrung out dish sponge. Excessive browning of needles can be a sign of too little humidity, too little or too much water, also drafts from a heater, air conditioner or outside door can be to blame. Fertilize your pine in the spring and summer with a water-soluble fertilizer. You do not need to fertilize in the fall or winter. You can also use a slow release fertilizer, such as Osmocote, according to the packaging directions.

With good care and ideal conditions this houseplant can grow to six feet tall and if you do happen to get a Norfolk Island pine this year, please remove any bows, tinsel, etc. by at least Valentine’s day.

#4 Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)

I mentioned at the beginning of this article that even seasoned gardeners could have trouble with some holiday plants, such as the case with cyclamen. They are particularly worrisome for most folks because their flowering cycle and general care are unfamiliar, even to those seasoned gardeners. It is no wonder that these plants are labeled as the “problem children” of the plant world. Cyclamen will rarely succeed if the temperature goes above 65 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night, I do not know of too many homes that will fall under that category.

Their native habitat is the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Cyclamen naturally bloom in the fall, winter, and spring when the weather turns cool and damp. They also tend to be temperamental about their watering. It’s best to let the soil dry out slightly between watering, but not to the point of wilting. You can fertilize with any houseplant fertilizer according to the package directions. If you place them in any window other than a north facing one, you will at least keep it happy with the amount of light it requires. To keep plants blooming, remove flowers as they finish by cutting the stems near the base of the plant. During the summer your plant may look dead, but as long as the tuber stays firm and plump, it is resting and storing energy for the next blooming season.

#5 Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgessii)

Number 5 is probably one of my most favorite of all of the holiday plants usually available at Christmas time. They are native to Brazil and are available in such a wide variety of colors (including red, rose, purple, lavender, peach, orange, cream, and white) that it is hard to choose only one.

They grow best in light shade, which make them ideal for houseplants. Full sunlight is beneficial during fall and winter, but bright sun during the summer will make the plants look a little pale and yellowish. Being that they call the tropical rain forest home, they need watering when the top inch of soil in the container feels dry to the touch. They really should not be allowed to stress for water, it will affect the quality of flowers. They also prefer humid conditions, unlike what most homes are like, so keep a tray of damp pebbles underneath to give it a little extra humidity. You will want to fertilize them about every 4-5 weeks during the active growing season, usually about February to September. Use a half rate solution of your favorite fertilizer.

There are many sites on the Internet that detail the need for total darkness for a certain amount of time for plants to rebloom. I have found that, if I leave mine out all summer, hanging in a tree with dabbled sunshine, that when the nights get cooler, they will bud just fine. I then bring them into my greenhouse before the frost gets them. If you enjoy getting a Christmas cactus for the holidays, imagine the joy you will get by giving one.

They are very easy to propagate by cuttings, which are taken in May or June. Pinch off sections of stems with 3 to 5 segments on each. Allow the cut ends of the sections to callus for a day or two. Place the cuttings about one inch deep into some potting soil. Water the soil well, and cover the plants with a clear plastic bag around the container. Place in bright, indirect light until roots have formed in about three to eight weeks. You now have a gift that will keep on giving.

#6 Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

I saved the most commonly given holiday plant for last. I honestly cannot remember a single Christmas season where there was not at least one poinsettia somewhere in the house. It is the epitome of the holiday season. With hybridizers creating many new colors, such as the burgundy, speckled, marbled and pink versions, there are plenty of variations you can achieve with your decorating. To keep them looking great, give poinsettias a sunny windowsill, preferable on the south side or bright filtered light.

You can bring them to the table for entertainment purposes; just remember to put them back in the window when you are finished. Don’t shove them to close to a cold window however it can damage the leaves. Keep them at about 68 degrees during the day, and cooler at night, to prolong the display. Poinsettias should be watered regularly and kept evenly moist, again the wrung out dish sponge example. Never let plants sit in water; they will develop root rot faster than you can sing Jingle Bells.

With proper care after Christmas, you can get your plant to flower again for years. Keeping it in the house, water it until about mid-spring, then let it dry out, allowing the stems to shrivel up. When summer is almost upon you, cut all of the growth to a couple of inches above the soil and repot it. Water it well and keep it warm, feeding it with houseplant fertilizer when you see new growth appear. Then, move the plant outside to a shady location, pinching out the growing tips until midsummer to force it to branch out, before returning it indoors. Give it a sunny spot, watering and feeding regularly. Then from about mid-autumn, keep the plant in total darkness between 4 pm until 8 am, it will then re-flower and give you another holiday season of joy.

Hopefully you will receive at least one, if not many of the above plants. Take care of them and you will be rewarded for years to come!

Happy Holiday Growing!

Darren Sheriff