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 POINSETTIA (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
An emblem of Christmas from south of the border, the poinsettia’s brilliant Christmas Flowers (they are actually brightly colored bracts which attract pollinating insects to the hidden, tiny green flowers) burst forth in red, pink, white, and marbled colors amid handsome green leaves. Poinsettias Home Decor Gifts add a special touch to your home and range from miniatures to six-foot trees, and for best effect they should be clustered, as their growth can be straggly.
Selection and care: Plants need three to four hours of bright, filtered sun with daytime temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees and 55 to 60 degrees at night. They are sensitive to temperature changes, so avoid placing them in drafts or near heat ducts. Water only when the surface soil is dry to the touch and remove any excess water in the saucer. A plant may continue to bloom through July if you keep it in total darkness at night, feed it soluble fertilizer, and place it outside in warm weather. Most people find keeping poinsettias year round too time-consuming, but it can be done with proper care. Consult a botanical guide for specifics.
AZALEA (Rhododendron species and hybrids)
Clouds of brilliant pink, white, yellow, or mauve Christmas Flowers conjure up the pastel sunsets in their native lands of Japan, China, and the Himalayas, while red azaleas evoke images of Christmas.
Selection and care: Look for large buds just beginning to open and bright foliage. Full sunlight and cool nights, about 60 degrees, are ideal (move plants to the floor or a cool windowsill at night if house temperatures are warmer). Mist regularly and water thoroughly as the peat-moss soil, if allowed to dry out, becomes impenetrable to water. Well-grown plants can be summered outdoors and brought inside just after a light frost; if you keep them in a cool (40 degrees), sunny room, they may rebloom.
AMARYLLIS (Hippeastrum)
Blush-pink "Apple Blossom," salmon-orange "Beautiful Lady," bright red "Fire Dance," ruby-red "Scarlet Admiral," and "Snowy White Giant" are the varietal names of the full trumpet-like blossoms, nodding atop this, plant's tall, slender stalk—to be anthropomorphic, picture Audrey Hepburn sneaking glances at her feet. The perennial bulb, which hails from South America, usually produces two stems, each with two to four flowers that last up to six weeks. They make lovely cuttings for arrangements, or can remain on the plants. Just add some Unique Christmas Ribbon and these Christmas Flowers would make an excellent gift.
Selection and care: Make sure the bulb feels firm and full. In a started plant, check to see that the blossom stalks has begun to develop. Water them by following the directions that come with the bulbs.
BEGONIA (Rieger hybrids)
Tropical, flashy begonias Christmas Flowers come in all kinds of colors—red, white, pink, yellow, and orange—with flowers that are like bees buzzing around a woman's bonnet above large, light green leaves. They will bloom freely for months.
Selection and care: Choose stocky, well-branched plants with multiple buds and no brown edges or signs of fungus. Begonias do well in bright, indirect light and night temperatures around 50 degrees, and should be placed on a tray of moist pebbles to maintain a humid environment.
STREPTOCARPUS (Cape primrose)
Native to Cape Province, South Africa, this plant has become a welcome Christmas immigrant, with its pink, blue-purple, white, or red flowers nodding like sleepy heads on "throats" painted with contrasting colors above circles of stem less, quilted leaves.
Selection and care: Buy plants with vigorous foliage and erect stems. They do well in warm daytime temperatures of up to 80 degrees, and 70 degrees at night. With indirect light, moist soil, and regular removal of dead flowers, they will flower for months.
CHRYSANTHEMUM
These Yard Garden Decor have feathery, pungent leaves back up a rich variety of flower shapes: big, bushy pompoms; sprightly daisies; spindly "spiders"; and miniature buttons in spun-sugar pink, lemon yellow, snow white, dusty gold, burnt orange-brown, and many shades more. A special favorite of Japanese horticulturists, these long-lasting plants are now raised to bloom at Christmas time as well as in the fall.
Selection and care: Choose plants that have healthy foliage and many buds, with at least a few beginning to open. Keep well watered and in cool temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees by day and 55 degrees by night. Most plants from the florist do not winter well, but try bringing a plant through to the next season by cutting it back after flowering, repotting in the spring and setting it outdoors, then bringing it back inside again in the fall.
GLOXINIA
If Christmas Flowers could make a sound, these would surely ring out "Joy to the World." The Christmas Decorations Ideas flowering plants have flaring trumpet shapes of pink, lavender-blue, and white rise on thin stalks above large, velvety, dark green leaves.
Selection and care: Look for good foliage color and avoid leaves with crisp edges. The flowers will last four to six weeks if fading ones are removed and the plant is kept in direct sunlight at 60 to 65 degrees. Do not overwater. Once flowering ends and the leaves begin to yellow, stop watering until the plant goes completely dormant. Remove the dry rhizome from the soil and store it in a plastic bag. New sprouts will appear in approximately three months. Re-pot with fresh soil and peat moss, placing the flat top of the rhizome even with the soil surface. Keep the mixture just moist, and do not feed until stem growth begins.
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