GardenLine | House Plants | Selecting Flowering Plants for Christmas Gifts

Ward is a staff member of the Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan. This column is provided as an extension service by the Division of Extension and Community Relations and the Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan.

The most common Christmas gift plant by far is the poinsettia. This large, colourful, long-lasting plant seems to increase in popularity every year. The usual colours for this plant are red, pink and white; however, a new creamy yellow variety called lemon drop may find its way into Saskatoon stores this Christmas

Other Christmas gift plants include the Jerusalem cherry, a compact plant with red fruit. The fruit is slightly smaller than a quarter and stays attractive on the plant for about a month. Similar to the cherry is the Christmas pepper. It also has attractive red and sometimes white or purple fruit. Of course, when you think Christmas you also think of the Christmas cactus, an easy-to-grow house plant and also a fairly nice gift plant. The cactus is in the stores now and ready to bloom. Choose one that has some small buds that will develop later, or most of the bloom will be finished by Christmas.

Two other lesser known gift plants come to mind that you might consider, Norfolk Island pine is a pine-like plant native to New Zealand and the Norfolk Islands. It can be grown as a year-round house plant. After many years it will become as large as six feet high or more. Under outdoor (non-freezing) conditions, it is a tree. As a gift plant the Norfolk Island pine can be the Christmas tree that is decorated each year. It is very attractive and not nearly as great a fire hazard as the true pines, fir and spruce usually purchased as Christmas trees.

You may want to give a bonsai plant as a Christmas gift. I have seen a good number of bonsai plants in stores, some already trained, and for a smaller price you can buy a newly started plant. The "bonsai" plant is a plant grown in the Japanese style. It is usually wired and trained to grow in a particular fashion to depict a small version of a large fully grown tree or scene. Should you be giving a bonsai plant as a gift it would be a good idea to give a small informational pamphlet or book on the growing of these plants to help the new owner.

Other winter month plants include: African violets, azaleas, Reiger begonias, powder puff bromeliads, cyclamens, kalanchoe, hibiscus, dwarf orange trees, chrysanthemum, bougainvillea, amaryllis, and anthuriums.

To ensure getting a plant of your choice, shopping early, buy the plant and care for it yourself prior to giving it as a gift. Select plants that are clean and healthy and at the start of their blooming period. Keep in mind that all gift plants are subject to freezing and at this time of the year must be protected. Ask the sales person to place the plant in plastic and always transport it in a warm car. Should you be moving the plant, place it in a garbage bag and twist-tie the bag shut. Place this bag and plant into a second garbage bag and blow this bag up with some air to act as insulation. Twist tie the second bag to keep the air in and your plant insulated from the cold.

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Sustainable horticultural information, offered free of charge to the public with the support of the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division, the Department of Plant Sciences and the Provincial Government.