By Richard Jauron
Extension Horticulturist
The holiday season is here, and so are holiday plants. Poinsettias are popular, but there are many other options beyond the traditional plant to beautify homes this season. Here are tips from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists on how to handle seasonal plants this holiday season. To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.
What is mistletoe?
Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant with small, leathery leaves and small, white berries. Mistletoe plants manufacture their own food, but must obtain water and minerals from their host plant.
American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) can be found growing in deciduous trees from New Jersey and southern Indiana southward to Florida and Texas. The scientific name Phoradendron is derived from Greek and literally means “thief of the tree.”
Traditions involving mistletoe date back to ancient times. Druids believed that mistletoe could bestow health and good luck. Welsh farmers associated mistletoe with fertility. A good mistletoe crop foretold a good crop the following season. Mistletoe was also thought to influence human fertility and was prescribed to individuals who had problems bearing children. Mistletoe has also been used in medicine.
It has been used as treatment for pleurisy, gout, epilepsy, rabies and poisoning. Mistletoe also played a role in a superstition regarding marriage. It was believed that kissing under the mistletoe increased the possibility of marriage in the upcoming year. Today, kissing under the mistletoe is a fun holiday tradition, signifying goodwill, friendship or love.
Mistletoe sold during the holiday season is gathered in the wild. Most mistletoe is harvested in Oklahoma and Texas.
Are there different types of Christmas cacti?
A plant purchased during the holiday season may be a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii), a Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) or a hybrid.
Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti are similar in appearance. However, the stem segments (phylloclades) on the Christmas cactus have scalloped edges, while the stem segments on the Thanksgiving cactus have two to four pointed teeth along their edges. They also bloom at slightly different times.
Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti are short-day plants. Plants initiate flower buds as days become shorter in fall. Thanksgiving cacti typically bloom in early to late November, while Christmas cacti usually bloom in late November to mid-December. Flowers are available in shades of white, orange, pink, red, and purple.
Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti will not bloom properly if exposed to artificial light at night in fall. Flowers may also fail to develop if plants are exposed to temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Night temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit with slightly warmer daytime temperatures are ideal for flower formation.
In late summer/early fall, plants should be placed in a cool location that receives bright light during the day, but no artificial light at night. An unused bedroom or basement may have the proper environmental conditions.
Schlumbergera bridgesii and Schlumbergera truncata are epiphytic plants. Plants grow in the crotches of trees and derive water and nutrients from rains and decaying organic matter. They are native to the mountainous forests of southeastern Brazil.
Which indoor plants are attractive additions to the home during the holidays?
While the poinsettia is the most popular holiday plant, there are several other plants that can be purchased at florists and greenhouses to brighten up the home during the holiday season. Other attractive possibilities include the Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus, amaryllis, cyclamen, kalanchoe, Norfolk Island pine and paperwhite narcissus.