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Listen "S2 Ep1434: GARDENING IN FLORIDA - Holiday Plant Care & Decorating"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of GARDENING in FLORIDA, Nanette Wiser talks about holiday plants for indoors/outdoors and how to care for them with Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Program Leader and Certified Arborist FL-1307A
for UF/IFAS Extension, Pinellas County
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Some plants that bloom at Christmas and how to care for them? (Know which plants might be harmful to your cat or dog before you bring them indoors.)
The most popular Christmas flowers include Amaryllis, Poinsettias, Paperwhites, Red Roses, and Hellebores (Christmas Roses). These blooms bring festive color, elegance, and seasonal charm to your home or holiday table.
Add Mini Ornaments: Decorate delicate houseplants with ribbons, tiny baubles, stars, and bells to add a festive touch without overwhelming your plants. Use lightweight decorations to avoid weighing down the branches. 2. Twinkle Lights: Stringing small LED fairy lights around your plants creates a warm, cozy glow
Poinsettias Poinsettias, iconic holiday plants, captivate with red, pink, or cream bracts surrounding delicate yellow flowers. Blooming from winter to spring, they thrive in frost-free conditions at 55ºF (18ºC). Native to Mexico, these vibrant shrubs are popular potted plants with 100+ varieties.
Christmas Cactus The Christmas cactus is a unique and stunning holiday houseplant native to Brazilian rainforests. Its stems, which delicately drape from any planter, are segmented with flattened, slightly serrated leaves. Bright tubular flowers in colors like red, white and pink make this plant pop from late November through early February.
Don’t let the name fool you – because this plant is native to the rainforest, it prefers a humid environment and needs more frequent watering than your average cactus. Water it when the top third of soil is dry to the touch. Keep your plant in bright, indirect light that mimics its natural habitat.
Amaryllis It might be getting chilly and drab outside, but you can still turn up the heat indoors with colorful amaryllis. These holiday plants come in a variety of flashy hues, including the deep red Amaryllis ferrari, which pairs perfectly with seasonal decor. Give your amaryllis bright, indirect light. A sunny window will do, but avoid direct sun, which can burn your plant’s leaves. Water your amaryllis when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to bulb rot. Fertilize every two weeks during the active growth phase.
Anthurium These vibrant perennial plants, sometimes known as flamingo flowers, make the perfect holiday houseplants. Their brightly colored, spade-shaped flowers are actually leaves called spathes, which surround a cone-shaped spadix donning small, tightly clustered flowers. Spathes range in color, including Santa Claus red – perfect for the holiday season. Place your anthurium in bright, indirect light. Potted anthuriums do well in rich, well-draining potting soil. You can achieve this by using an orchid potting mix and adding a few handfuls of sand and peat moss. Keep the soil slightly moist – it should never dry out completely. However, take care not to overwater, as the plant is susceptible to root rot. Anthuriums prefer high humidity, so place yours in a bathroom or next to a humidifier. Use a phosphorus-rich fertilizer weekly during the growing period, but dilute it to about quarter strength.
for UF/IFAS Extension, Pinellas County
Click here to subscribe to the newsletter. Listen to more podcasts here.
Some plants that bloom at Christmas and how to care for them? (Know which plants might be harmful to your cat or dog before you bring them indoors.)
The most popular Christmas flowers include Amaryllis, Poinsettias, Paperwhites, Red Roses, and Hellebores (Christmas Roses). These blooms bring festive color, elegance, and seasonal charm to your home or holiday table.
Add Mini Ornaments: Decorate delicate houseplants with ribbons, tiny baubles, stars, and bells to add a festive touch without overwhelming your plants. Use lightweight decorations to avoid weighing down the branches. 2. Twinkle Lights: Stringing small LED fairy lights around your plants creates a warm, cozy glow
Poinsettias Poinsettias, iconic holiday plants, captivate with red, pink, or cream bracts surrounding delicate yellow flowers. Blooming from winter to spring, they thrive in frost-free conditions at 55ºF (18ºC). Native to Mexico, these vibrant shrubs are popular potted plants with 100+ varieties.
Christmas Cactus The Christmas cactus is a unique and stunning holiday houseplant native to Brazilian rainforests. Its stems, which delicately drape from any planter, are segmented with flattened, slightly serrated leaves. Bright tubular flowers in colors like red, white and pink make this plant pop from late November through early February.
Don’t let the name fool you – because this plant is native to the rainforest, it prefers a humid environment and needs more frequent watering than your average cactus. Water it when the top third of soil is dry to the touch. Keep your plant in bright, indirect light that mimics its natural habitat.
Amaryllis It might be getting chilly and drab outside, but you can still turn up the heat indoors with colorful amaryllis. These holiday plants come in a variety of flashy hues, including the deep red Amaryllis ferrari, which pairs perfectly with seasonal decor. Give your amaryllis bright, indirect light. A sunny window will do, but avoid direct sun, which can burn your plant’s leaves. Water your amaryllis when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to bulb rot. Fertilize every two weeks during the active growth phase.
Anthurium These vibrant perennial plants, sometimes known as flamingo flowers, make the perfect holiday houseplants. Their brightly colored, spade-shaped flowers are actually leaves called spathes, which surround a cone-shaped spadix donning small, tightly clustered flowers. Spathes range in color, including Santa Claus red – perfect for the holiday season. Place your anthurium in bright, indirect light. Potted anthuriums do well in rich, well-draining potting soil. You can achieve this by using an orchid potting mix and adding a few handfuls of sand and peat moss. Keep the soil slightly moist – it should never dry out completely. However, take care not to overwater, as the plant is susceptible to root rot. Anthuriums prefer high humidity, so place yours in a bathroom or next to a humidifier. Use a phosphorus-rich fertilizer weekly during the growing period, but dilute it to about quarter strength.
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