Christmas, three, two, one… we begin the countdown to the great holidays that we all look forward to throughout the year, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and Three Kings. Good carols! This is all great, but do we have our houses ready for these dates? Some of us, when the first days of December arrive, we begin to think how to decorate it with the Christmas tree , the Nativity scene, tinsel and that all our plants are in their best clothes to decorate our corners.
But within Christmas there are plants that are typical of that time, we can see them in almost all shopping centers, the gardens of our cities have been decorated by staining almost everything with the typical red color of these dates. Not only the red color of Poinsettias is the usual at this time of year, in this post we leave you some of the most typical plants of these holidays and that in addition to serving to decorate also have a meaning such as peace, love or the prosperity of homes, although we had already told you about some of them in our post The Flowers of Christmas .
Holly:
Holly is one of the most typical of Christmas, it is used to decorate our houses. There are two kinds of holly: the male and the female, they differ from each other because the male has red berries (little balls as my daughters used to say when they were little) and the female one does not, it is also characterized by its intense green leaves and bordered by small thorns, this plant It is a protected species and its sale is only allowed as long as it comes from greenhouses or nurseries.
We have to be careful in our homes with holly if we have children or if we have pets, because both its leaves and its berries, which, being so striking due to their intense red color, are toxic.
This plant in Christianity as in Islam is considered to attract good luck , that is why almost all houses have a pot, wreath or sprig of holly.
Source: Mijardin.es
Rusco: Christmas plants
The Rusco, acebillo or Galzerán is another of the Christmas plants, it looks quite similar to holly , but there is a difference between them, since in this plant it is the female part that bears the fruits. They are one centimeter in diameter and within them they have two seeds, the red berry stands out on the dark green, but on the contrary its fruits are not as toxic as those of the Holly although they have the same intense red color and their leaves are smaller and darker, another thing that differentiates them from each other is that the branches of the butcher’s broom are flat and it reproduces by means of animal poop since these fruits are very appetizing to eat, but if the little ones in the house ate it they would it could cause vomiting and diarrhea.
In these festivals, the Rusco being so similar to Holly declines a lot when used for table centers and various ornaments, to protect the population of Rusco in our forests we advise you to buy it in florists or centers specialized in plants.
It is also used in medicine for its vasoconstrictive and anti-inflammatory properties, it also has a large amount of tannins, potassium and calcium among others.
Its branches, being very hard, some countries use it as a broom or brush to remove the sediments or sediments of wine in the barrels when they have been emptied.
Source: Plantasyjardin.com
Poinsettia:
He always comes back to my house for Christmas, like the advertisement, but I think the same happens in almost every home in the world, this typically Christmas plant because of its red leaves, although in recent years they are also sold in yellow and pink tones. . Its leaves are first green and little by little they change their tone until they reach their characteristic red tone, the Poinsettia gives us that special touch to our house . It is also known as Poinsetia, Christmas Eve Flower, Christmas Plant, Christmas Star, in Argentina as Federal Star, in Mexico as Cuetlaxóchitl (“Flower that withers”), Pastora in Nicaragua, Papagayo in Venezuela, etc.
It is a very delicate plant and is native to Mexico, the climate in its place of origin is warmer and has nothing to do with ours, it has basic care that is natural light and moderate watering, if we treat it with pampering We will get it in perfect condition for the following Christmas; But for those of us who do not have a good “hand” with plants, the best we can do is buy an artificial one and thus we will not have problems when it comes to caring for them.
The toxicity in this plant is found in the sap, if we accidentally break a branch or leaf and it rubs against our skin, it will surely produce an allergic reaction that can turn into something much more serious if it comes into contact with the eyes.
There are different traditions that, due to its color, associate it with good luck, love and also say that they are stimulants for passion .
Source: Zonacentronoticias.com
Mistletoe:
Mistletoe, league or visco is considered a semi-parasitic plant, since Its roots feed on the sap of the host tree , mainly it grows on deciduous trees such as poplars, apple trees, etc., but this does not mean that it does not grow on others such as holm oaks or some of the different varieties of pines.
If we want to buy this plant for Christmas, we can easily find it in Christmas markets and flower shops (they sell them in bouquets or by twigs).
If we have opted for a pot and we want to have it for a lifetime, the best we can do is make sure it does not lack its food (substrate), that it always has moist soil and, on the other hand, that it does not give it direct sunlight, although it does clarity.
But we are going to leave botany and we are going to its Christmas meaning so special that that is what this article is about, and there is nothing more beautiful than a kiss from your partner, and if it is above Christmas and under the mistletoe, better than better, given that tradition says that if you kiss under the mistletoe or go under it it will bring great luck to the couples who do, having to have it throughout the year placed on top of one of the doors of the house, I have several twigs at the front door of my house.
Some of us have sometimes fallen into the confusion of believing that the mistletoe was holly and vice versa, but among them the most notable difference is in its fruits, while those of the holly are of an intense red color those of the mistletoe are between light green some even have a white hue.
But this plant not only throughout history has been used at Christmas, it has also been used to make spells by Druids and by the Celts , since magical powers are attributed to it.
Source: Pixabay
Christmas cactus:
Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera or Santa Teresita, native to the most tropical areas of Brazil, grows on the branches of trees, it is so called since it always blooms around Christmas time, although at Easter it sometimes also usually blooms. Its branches end in the flowers that make it a very showy plant and more with its varied range of colors, but the ones that are sold the most at this time are those that bloom in maroon and red.
We have it inside our houses making the corner where we put it happier, this plant, even if it is from the cactus family, needs water to survive, if we want to keep it in optimal conditions we must always water it when the earth is dry, although it is better to always have the soil moist (never flood it with too much water as it would die). When the flowers have dried, the best we can do is lower the intensity of the irrigation since we could make it sick. When changing seasons, spring and summer, we have to increase its irrigation since the heat makes it more in need of humidity, and when we arrive in autumn we will have to lower the frequency of irrigation again.
With these simple tips we will be able to have this Christmas cactus in our homes for many years.
Source: Arkinetix.net
Nandina:
La Nandina, Sacred bamboo or divine bamboo that more than a plant can be considered a shrub, it is native to India, Japan and China, it is little known but at the same time it is highly appreciated for making centerpieces for the great beauty of its leaves thanks to the shades they have, can range from red, orange and ocher to yellow that gets them due to inclement weather and places of semi-shade that make it grow and look in this beautiful and original way.
This plant does not need great care since we can have it in the garden reaching two meters in height and its leaves about 50 centimeters in length, but if we opt for pot cultivation it will only reach 25 centimeters in diameter, they are also called the pay attention to its fruits that grow in the shape of a cluster only in winter and are bright red.
We must not forget that although this plant is a marvel to decorate both our home and our centerpieces, the drawback it has is that it is a 100% toxic plant (both leaves and berries) for animals, so many people choose not to want it in their garden and less at home when they have a pet; But if we decide to have a Nandina as an ornament, the most convenient thing is that we place it in a high place where pets cannot reach it.
Source: Gardenia.net
Fir tree:
Finally the great protagonist of Christmas in our homes, the Fir tree, we cannot have a proper Christmas if we do not have a Christmas tree at home, when my daughters were little we put all kinds of decorations, tinsel and of course without forgetting the lights, the more the merrier, the truth is that at home we have always liked to put it, like the Birth , always in the best places in the room; Now that my daughters are older we do it more simply, you know how children are ha, ha, ha, to sing Christmas carols with the tambourine and the zambomba and put gifts around the Christmas Tree.
If you opt for a wonderful fir tree, you have to take a minimum of care with it so that when the festivities are over it is not dry and we can replant it in a park or area that is enabled for it in our city; I know that there are also fir trees grown especially for these celebrations and that is where They can inform us where we can take them or if you have to call a phone to pick it up at home and not throw it away as I have seen for many years where I live, since many of us do not know the specific care that must be taken with a tree of these characteristics.
In any case, if we do not have time to take care of it as it deserves (let’s not forget that it is a living being like any plant that we have at home) we should opt for artificial fir trees, and in this way we will not have regrets, and the following year it we can use again.
Source: Wewegombel.me
The moss, the Christmas Rose (with colors such as white, pink, purple, purple or even tricolor), the snowdrops or the Algiers lily are also some of the typical examples of these celebrations.
Merry Christmas to all!
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