Christmas plants. Christmas Tree Flower: Care Tips Holly Christmas Plants

Holly holly or holly is a highly ornamental evergreen shrub with fruits-berries that ripen in winter.

On the eve of the New Year and Christmas holidays, a sprig with glossy green leaves and red berries will become a wonderful home decoration, wreaths, floristic compositions, etc.

hollyendowed with powerful magical powers. This plant has high vitality, its seeds are able to germinate even in the deep shade of the forest, where other plants would not have survived.

blood red holly berries begin to ripen in the fall, then the peak of the decorativeness of this plant comes. Berries provide food for forest birds, thorny leaves serve as a shelter for them. Even in ancient times in Ireland and other countries where the holly grew, they made a fence for livestock from it, built barns and stables, suggesting that its wood serves as a talisman for them.

Fruit , red berries, were used for treatment during the smallpox epidemic in Europe. Leaves and fruits of holly have antipyretic properties.properties , but it is very dangerous to use them, as they are poisonous. Only twenty berriesare a lethal dosefor an adult.

In many countries of the world brancheshollydecorate houses for the New Year and Christmas, believing that it protects the house from evil spirits.

This plant is a novelty in our market. This season we invite you to purchaseholly seedlings. Be the first in landscape fashion, drop out of the holly that will decorate your garden throughout the year.

Buy holly you can in our store. Today we offer you several varieties of holly, each with its own special beauty.

The best varieties of holly holly

Here are some new items for this season:

Holly Blue Maid – 2-3 m high. The shrub is valued for its evergreen leaves and red berries. It blooms inconspicuously, small light flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves in spring. They have both male and female flowers on the same plant.

The foliage is plain green, without a clear metallic sheen. Red berries ripen in autumn. The fruits remain on the bushes all winter. branchesholly, with dark green, delicately carved leaves and red beady fruits.

Holly Blue Prince - Holly blue- an evergreen shrub with beautiful foliage and bright berries. The height of the bush is 2-4 m, the width is 2-3 m. The bush is cone-shaped, openwork, compact, slow-growing.

The leaves are evergreen, oval or narrowly ovate, shiny, dark green, with a bluish gloss, with a black tint in winter, soft, leathery, the edges of young leaves with spines.

The flowers are white and bloom in May. The fruits are light red, numerous,but poisonous , ripen in autumn. The fruits remain on the bushes all winter.

Holly Heckenfee - an evergreen shrub with beautiful foliage and bright berries. The height of the bush is 2-3 m. The annual growth is 15-20 cm. The leaves are leathery with sharp, non-spiny teeth, bluish-green, shiny. The flowers are white and bloom in May. The fruits are light red, numerous, but poisonous, ripen in autumn.

Holly Heckenpracht - an evergreen shrub with beautiful foliage and bright berries. The height of the bush is 2-3 m. The annual growth is 15-20 cm. The leaves are evergreen, slightly wavy, dark green; dark purple in winter. The flowers are white and bloom in May. The fruits are light red.

holly plant can be easily grown in your garden or mini-park, because it is easy to care for.

From holly you can create an interesting fence, hedge. Its leaves are serrated, very dense, leathery, beautiful dark green.

You can create interesting Christmas decorations frombroad-leaved holly , because it is customary for them to decorate apartments and other premises for Christmas and New Year.

Red, dark green, white. traditional colors christmas wreaths in Europe. They are made from holly twigs, on which red berries are already ripening by this time. Ordinarily sober decoration is given a sparkling look with gold and silver ribbons, sequins and festive bells.

European holly, another name for it holly, is an evergreen small tree, not uncommon in European forests. It has a smooth light gray bark, a dense crown of a pyramidal regular shape, dark green shiny hard leaves, coarsely serrated along the edge, with each tooth extended gracefully into a sharp spine.

Holly blossoms in summer, and its bright red fruits, sitting on branches in dense groups, ripen just in time for the holiday - in December. Winter holly is very pleasing to the eye: against a gloomy background of withered grass and bare trees, there are shiny leaves and bright red, as if varnished berries. Completely replaces the Christmas tree.

Holly attracted the attention of people since ancient times. Ornaments from its branches were an indispensable attribute of Saturnalia, a holiday celebrated by the ancient Romans in mid-December and dedicated to Saturn. This god was considered the patron of agriculture, the harvest depended on him, which means the well-being of people throughout the year.

And the Romans sought to honor the gloomy Saturn as best as possible, decorating themselves and the temples and statues dedicated to the deity with holly wreaths. Holly for the Celtic Druids was a very revered plant, after oak, the second. And in the winter, when the mighty forest giants dropped their leaves and fell asleep, the holly, his younger brother, came to the fore.

Druids timed their festivities to coincide with astronomical events, one of which was the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which falls on December 21 or 22. And beautifully dressed holly said that the longest night of the year was left behind, daylight was beginning to arrive and soon spring was approaching.

Mistletoe leaves are chlorophyll so it does not depend on the host completely. The appearance of the mistletoe is very colorful: in the crowns of trees you can see openwork “balls” clearly visible in winter, sometimes quite large up to a meter in diameter. From the place of their attachment to the branch of the tree, thin, green, forked branching branches with a few elongated oval leathery leaves depart in all directions.

mistletoe flowers small, yellowish. Again, in winter, like a holly, round, whitish, translucent berries ripen, in groups of 2-6 pieces sitting on branches.

Druids revered and mistletoe as a magical plant. Particularly "respected" specimens living on oak. They were supposed to be cut off during a special ceremony. Only the high priest could do this with the help of a golden sickle. cut mistletoe in no case should she touch the ground, for this would deprive her of her magical powers. Among the Druids, mistletoe was considered a symbol of immortality, an antidote for most poisons.

The ancient Romans believed that it brings good luck. mistletoe berries in appearance and texture they resemble drops of male seed, so it was believed that it increases fertility. In medieval Europe, mistletoe was hung in dwellings to protect against evil spirits and witches. In some countries there was a belief that it protects the house from fire and lightning, because it itself came from a lightning strike into a tree.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe also has very ancient roots. Its occurrence can probably be explained by the fact that the plant was attributed the property of increasing fertility, which means that it was used in wedding rituals. It is believed that kissing under the mistletoe was “invented” in Scandinavia, where peace treaties were concluded in this way.

There is a special story in Norse mythology that can shed light on the origin of this tradition. In England, the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is purely romantic. A girl who finds herself under a branch of this plant cannot refuse a kiss to anyone. Typically, such decorations are hung in the most visited places: above the lintel of the front door or under the chandelier in the center of the room.

In some counties of England, there was a tradition of burning the mistletoe under which they kissed on the twelfth night after Christmas, when all festive decorations were removed before the start of the fast. Violation of this rule threatened all those who kissed on the current holidays under mistletoe celibacy. Mistletoe, not used for entertainment, on the contrary, had to remain in the house until next Christmas. She was credited with protective properties.

On a note:

- For a long time, crossandra was considered a very capricious, exclusively greenhouse plant. Not so long ago, a hybrid form of funnel-shaped crossandra (C. infundibuliformis) ‘Mono Wallhead’ obtained in Sweden appeared on the flower market.

Holly (Holly)
Latin name: Ilex.
Categories: decorative trees and shrubs, plants for shady areas.
Family: Holly (Aquifoliaceae).
Homeland Holly (holly) is distributed almost throughout the world, in temperate and tropical regions.
Form: evergreen or deciduous shrub or tree.

Description
The genus includes about 400 species. Holly (holly) is an evergreen or deciduous tree or shrub with very decorative foliage and berries. Holly leaves are leathery, dense, dark green, serrated, rarely entire. Holly berries are red, yellow, white, black or orange; ripen in autumn and remain on the plant even under snow. Holly flowers are dioecious; male and female specimens must be planted to produce fruits. Hollies are well sheared.

Holly Holly, or common holly(I. aquifolium). Large, slow-growing, domed shrub or small conical tree, 2 to 10 m tall and up to 4 m wide, with somewhat twisted shoots. The lower shoots of the holly or common holly hang down, often lie on the ground and sometimes take root. The upper shoots of the holly or common holly are prostrate or vertically growing. The leaves are evergreen, oval or narrow-ovate, shiny, dense, dark green; the edges of the leaves of young plants have sharp spines. Pea-sized holly fruits, shiny, red, numerous, decorative, poisonous. The root system of the common holly is deep and wide. Holly holly is not winter hardy. In nature, the plant is common in central Europe.

holly goblin(I. crenata). Asymmetric, vertically growing shrub, of medium size, various in shape. Height - 2-3 m, width - 1-2 m. Holly gorodchaty grows slowly. The leaves are evergreen, small, oblong-ovate, entire, dark green. It blooms in early July not every year. The fruits are small, black berries up to 6 mm in diameter - not decorative. In winter, holly gourd is not wind resistant.

Holly Meserve(I. x meserveae). A hybrid of European common holly and Korean wrinkled holly. A shrub that varies greatly (depending on the variety) in appearance. The leaves of the Mezerva holly are evergreen, oval or narrowly ovate, bronze-green when blooming, then shiny, dark green, often black or crimson-green in winter, dense, leathery, soft, with non-sharp spines. The flowers are numerous, white, with a slight aroma, bloom in May. The fruits of Meserve's holly are numerous, poisonous, the size of a pea or larger, shiny, bright red, stay on the plant for a long time, and are few in the shade. Holly Meserva has a number of interesting varieties that are valued, among other things, for their high frost resistance.

Whorled holly(I. verticillata). Deciduous, very decorative species of hollies. The branches of the whorled holly are covered with numerous orange fruits, which remain on the plant all winter. The whorled holly is the most winter-hardy of all plant species. Its homeland is the northeast of North America.

Holly wrinkled(I. rugosa). Evergreen low or creeping, non-hardy shrub up to 0.4 m tall. Wrinkled holly is not found in landscaping. In nature, it is found in mixed forests in the Far East, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, in Primorye, Japan.

Colchis holly(I. colchica). In nature - a tree with drooping branches or a creeping shrub. In Central Russia, it reaches 0.5 m in height. The leaves of Colchis holly are leathery, serrated, prickly, very dark, green, the underside of the leaves is lighter. The plant freezes up to snow cover, but quickly recovers. The homeland of the Colchis holly is Transcaucasia and Asia Minor.

Growing conditions
Hollies are shade-tolerant and moisture-loving, they do not tolerate drought and high temperatures, they love cool places. Plants can suffer from the winter sun. Holly soils prefer well-drained, fertile, fresh to moist, acidic to slightly alkaline soils. Holly, or holly, does not grow well on heavy soils, loses its winter hardiness.

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'Blue Angel'. A small compact dense upright shrub from 1.2 to 1.5 m tall and up to 2 m wide. In winter, the leaves turn almost black. The fruits are red, poisonous. Grows slowly.

‘Blue Prince’. Small to large, compact, cone-shaped shrub 2 to 4 m tall and 1 to 3 m wide. The leaves are almost black in winter. ‘Blue Prince’ is a male-only variety and therefore does not produce fruit (while being an important pollinator for other species).

‘Blue Princess’. Small or large shrub 2 to 5 m tall and 2 to 3 m wide; openwork, cone-shaped, or widely upright. The leaves are almost black in winter; the fruits are light red, very poisonous. Grows slowly. Represented by female species.

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Other varieties of holly Meserve ‘Blue Maid’, ‘Golden Princess’.

For the first time, the "Christmas tree" - the poinsettia flower - came to Europe thanks to the US Minister in Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first to bring cuttings of the most beautiful milkweed (scientific name) to the United States. From there, it spread throughout the world.

Christmas custom

Very often the poinsettia is called "Christmas tree" or "Christmas star". This is due to the fact that the flower has a very bright red-green color, which resembles traditional Christmas decorations. It is on the eve of this day that it is customary to buy a plant for your home or present it as a gift.

It is believed that the "Christmas tree" is a houseplant that brings prosperity, love and understanding to the home and family. In European countries, temples, shopping centers, halls for holidays and banquets, as well as houses and apartments are decorated with poinsettia. The "Christmas tree" with red-green leaves is considered the main symbol of the holiday in the west.

Breeding milkweed at home, which has taken on large scale, began at the end of the 20th century by the Ecke family from California. It is thanks to these people that the poinsettia has become widely known in various sectors of society.

In Aztec times, the "Christmas tree" was used as a medicinal and ceremonial plant.

Outer beauty

The stem of the poinsettia contains a sticky white sap, which is a poisonous agent that irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes when ingested.

This shrub plant comes in a variety of colors. More than 100 species have been recorded by observers. These are yellow, white, pink, red and many other colorful petals, which come in not only different colors, but also different shapes.

How to choose a healthy plant

If you choose from all possible species, it is best to give preference at the time of purchase to the healthiest plant in appearance. "Christmas tree" is a flower with a short stem and green leaves located closer to the soil. Its petals are large, slightly elongated and pointed towards the end. It is undesirable to purchase a plant with wilted or drooping leaves, crooked stems, as well as dry soil in a pot.

"Christmas tree": care

At home, the flower grows up to half a meter, while in the natural environment the shrub reaches a meter in height. Poinsettia blooms up to six months, after which it begins to throw off the petals, gradually losing its bright, beautiful color.

In order for the "Christmas tree" (euphorbia flower) not to lose its beautiful petals ahead of time, it requires some care not only at home, but also during the transportation of the plant.

Poinsettia is very afraid of the cold. That is why after buying the plant, it is advisable to wrap it in paper and take it to heat as soon as possible. The air temperature should not be below 15 degrees, otherwise the flowers and stems will wither from the cold.

When buying flowers, it is important to pay attention to where exactly in the store there is a pot with a plant. In order for it to grow and bloom for a long time, it is better not to purchase those specimens that stand near the entrance and exit to the room or are often exposed to air flow of different temperatures.

You should also pay attention to this at home. You can not put a flower on a cold window or leave it in a draft. The petals must not come into contact with the glass. "Christmas tree" is a houseplant, the care of which must be taken seriously. The optimum air temperature for it is 20-22 degrees.

Basic rules for care during flowering

To see a beautiful flowering, you must follow the rules for watering the plant. One of them, the most important, is to water the poinsettia only with warm water. This should be done under the condition that the earth is completely dry about 3-4 times a week with a small amount of water.

If you water the flower abundantly, then you can cause stagnation of liquid at the bottom of the pot, which will lead to rotting of the roots, yellowing and falling of the leaves. To avoid rotting, excess water must be drained from the pan, and the bottom of the pot should be provided with drainage (a hole in the bottom and a layer of expanded clay) for additional filtration. In addition, it is necessary to spray the petals up to twice a day, trying to avoid flowering leaves.

The "Christmas Star" loves bright light very much, but it is important to take into account the fact that direct sunlight on the leaves of the plant can cause them to burn, resulting in wilting.

Flower "Christmas tree": how to care for the plant after flowering

During flowering, it is not recommended to fertilize the soil in a pot with poinsettia. This can lead to premature end of flowering. After the plant has faded, the fertilizer is diluted in water and the soil is watered up to twice a month every 2-4 weeks. It is necessary to pour fertilizer only on the soil, trying to do it slowly and carefully so that water droplets do not fall on the stems of the plant. With proper care, the poinsettia will bloom throughout the winter holidays.

After about 5-6 months, you can see the first signs of the end of flowering. At this point, do not be afraid and think that something is done wrong. This is an absolutely normal state of the flower during this period. In order for the plant to gain strength before a new flowering, the poinsettia is placed for several months in a dark, cool place, in which it should stand while resting. During this period, its stems are cut, creating the desired, usually round, shape. Cut leaves under certain conditions can please the eye for at least 2-3 weeks. To do this, before lowering the stems into the water, they are cut off and dipped in boiling water for a few seconds (or the ends of the stems are kept over the fire for 2-3 seconds). During rest, you need to water the tree only when the ground becomes dry enough, and the leaves should be sprayed every other day.

Sometimes the poinsettia is transplanted into another pot, but it is important to consider the following: no matter what size the plant has become, the pot needs to be prepared only a few centimeters larger than the old one, otherwise the roots will rot.

How to Ensure Poinsettia Blooms Before Christmas

Having provided the necessary light regime, euphorbia can be made to bloom at the end of autumn. For this, several conditions must be met. Every day, the flower should be in bright light for no more than ten hours, and the rest of the time (14 hours) the poinsettia is kept in the dark. This regime is observed for at least two months. Usually it is November and December. After these actions, it is placed in a bright and warm room, where the air temperature is at least 18 degrees, and the humidity is up to 50%.

Insects that can kill the plant

There are many insects that harm the plant. Among them are the whitefly, spider bug and "Christmas tree" - a houseplant, the care of which requires attention.

The whitefly is a small insect with white wings. These pests are very similar to a small moth. Most often they are on the inside of the sheet. If the plant is completely surrounded by whiteflies, the consequences can be detrimental to the plant, because it is difficult to get rid of it. This will require special medications. But if only a few individuals of this species appeared on the leaves, the flower can be saved quite easily. You just need to wash the plant under running water and treat the leaves with insecticidal soap, which will prevent the pest from returning. It is important to process the entire plant without missing a single petal.

As for spider mites, they are also easily removed from the plant with water and disinfectant soap. They appear if the poinsettia is left in a humid room for a long time. They are difficult to notice, but their presence is indicated by characteristic yellow spots on the tips of the leaves.

Mealy bugs are considered one of them. They are the largest. They form small white clumps that look like flakes. The dangerous thing is that they almost always come with ants. You can get rid of them with alcohol and insecticidal soap.

The most annoying and deadly insect for poinsettia is mushroom mosquitoes. Their larvae damage the roots, which as a result begin to rot. They look like tiny brown pinheads. They do not live on leaves, but on the soil, so they are easy to spot and recognize before irreparable harm has been done. Get rid of mosquitoes by transplanting, replacing the soil and treating with insecticidal soap.

Gifts for the holidays

Dishes are considered a very relevant gift for the New Year holidays. The Christmas tree is depicted on it as the main symbol of the New Year and the Nativity of Christ.

The drawing is usually an image of a spruce decorated with cones and Christmas decorations. At Spode, the Christmas tree can be found in the design of mugs, candle holders, beautiful trays with the inscription "Merry Christmas", plates and dishes, jugs, teapots and pots, decorative figurines and much more.

A pot of beautiful poinsettias and fancy tableware make the perfect Christmas gift for families all over the world.

Christmas holiday (Christmas)

The idea to make December 25 the holiday of Christmas appeared in the 4th century. The church sought to get rid of the remnants of paganism: the fact is that around the same time, according to tradition, the birthday of the Roman god of the sun was celebrated. Therefore, the church fathers decided to establish a new, Christian holiday in honor of the birthday of Jesus Christ, which would replace the Roman one.

In America, Christmas was not immediately celebrated: the early Puritan colonists were generally suspicious of the holidays, and in Massachusetts it was even banned.

Mistletoe (Mistletoe)

Many years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe branches to decorate their homes, celebrating the coming of winter. They revered it as a sacred plant and believed that mistletoe has the ability to cure many diseases (including infertility), helps with poisoning and protects against evil spells.

For the Anglo-Saxons, mistletoe was one of the attributes of Freya, the goddess of love, fertility and beauty. According to custom, a man had the right to kiss a girl who accidentally found herself under a branch of mistletoe (they were usually attached to the ceiling or hung over a doorway). The custom of kissing under the mistletoe has survived to this day in many countries, especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Now mistletoe is one of the main symbols of Christmas, although at first the church forbade its use to decorate homes, due to pagan legends associated with this plant. Instead, it was recommended to use holly.

Holly

The holly is another Christmas symbol. And, of course, the Druids also had a lot to do here, who greatly respected the holly for its ability to remain green and beautiful even in winter, when nature lost most of its colors.

The Romans also loved this plant, considering it a creation of Saturn. During the wild celebration of Saturnalia (the prototype of the European carnival), the townspeople gave each other wreaths of holly and decorated their houses with them. Centuries later, while the bulk of the Romans continued to celebrate the Saturnalia, the early Christians were already secretly celebrating Christmas. To avoid persecution, they, like everyone else, decorated their houses with holly branches. As Christianity later became the dominant religion, the holly became the recognized symbol of Christmas. According to some versions, the crown of Christ was made from it, and the holly berries, originally white, turned red from the blood of the Savior.

Holly also means joy and reconciliation and, according to popular belief, protects against witchcraft and lightning.

Poinsettia (Poinsettia)

Poinsettia is a very beautiful Mexican plant that is often used to decorate rooms during the Christmas holidays. The poinsettia is named after Joel Poinsette, the first American ambassador to Mexico, who brought it to the States in 1828. Due to the shape of its leaves, this plant has become a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem and is therefore associated with Christmas. The bright red poinsettia leaves that surround its nondescript yellow flower are often mistaken for petals.

Christmas Lollipop (Candy Cane)

Before the cane-shaped (or shepherd's crook-shaped) striped mint candy was invented, parents treated their children to Christmas candy sticks made from plain white sugar. In the 17th century, they began to bend it in the form of a staff, and in the 19th century, the now familiar red stripes appeared on the white candy. Such a lollipop combined several Christian symbols. Its shape was supposed to remind people that Christ is the shepherd of mankind, who gave his life for his flock and, at the same time, the sacrificial lamb. Also, the upside down lollipop resembles the letter J that begins the name Jesus. The whiteness of the candy symbolizes the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary and the sinless life of Christ, and the hardness of sugar speaks of its steadfastness and desire to serve as a support and protection to those who believe in it.

Three thin red stripes, according to one version, denote the Holy Trinity, and one wide one - the One God. Sometimes another strip is made on the candy - green, which reminds believers that Jesus is the gift of God (green color symbolizes giving).

Stocking for gifts (Stocking)

On Christmas Eve, children, according to custom, hang a stocking by the fireplace, which Santa fills with gifts at night. This tradition is connected with one of the legends about St. Nicholas (the prototype of Santa). According to this legend, the saint gave a purse of gold to three poor dowry women, secretly placing his gifts in the stockings of the girls, which they hung on the grate at night to dry.

Since then, children leave their stockings by the hearth, hoping to find something pleasant in them in the morning.

Cookies for Santa (Cookies for Santa)

Children leave cookies on the fireplace for Santa to thank him for the work he does every Christmas. And those who behaved badly hope to appease him a little in this way in order to also receive a gift.

Christmas Cards

The first Christmas card appeared in 1843 in England. It was created by John Horsley and Sir Henry Cole. The first batch of postcards (1,000 pieces) was sold in London and was a hand-colored lithograph on thick cardboard. In the center of the picture was a celebrating family, and below it were the words “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” The side pictures showed scenes of charity: feeding the hungry and dressing the poor.