Frightful weather — not
Time to burst into winter songs. “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and ” – it’s not. This is what I’m talking about, when it comes to Paradise. We may yo-yo hot and cool, wet and dry, but living is tolerable. And, when it’s raining, I have my umbrella to keep me dry. My plants are still flourishing, and growing miracles still happen.
Our thoughts turn to seasonal plants, Christmas cactus, poinsettias, mistletoe, ho-ho holly. A question Master Gardeners get about poinsettias is, “Is my poinsettia plant harmful if my pets ingest it?” The Master Gardeners have been issued an information sheet published by Purdue University telling us that bad publicity is the cause of this myth. They do have a milky sap that oozes and can irritate mouths, but it is not toxic. Since no flower says Christmas like a poinsettia, we need some facts.
As part of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family, poinsettia is known as the Euphorbia pulcherrima. Many plants in this family have a milky sap that can be an allergy irritant to some people, but they are not poisonous. Rubbing your eyes with sap still on your hands is not wise, so wash your hands after pinching off branches or handling poinsettias. What one thinks of as blooms are really colorful modified leaves or bracts.
Joel Roberts Poinsett was a botanist and physician that became the first ambassador to Mexico, where he found the flower as 15-foot shrubs. He introduced the plant into our country in 1828. They use the poinsettia blooms in Christmas pageants and celebrations in Mexico as “Flower of the Holy Nigh”t or Christmas Eve. December 12 is known as Poinsettia Day since Joel Poinsett died on this date in 1851.
What really is poisonous is the mistletoe and hollies. Keep these away from pets, especially those in the potpourri, the dried scented flowers, tree bark and seeds.
I can hear Burl Ives singing, “Oh, ho the mistletoe, Hung where you can see. Somebody waits for you; Kiss her once for me!”
Decorating with mistletoe during the winter was an ancient tradition associated with fertility. People once placed it above a baby’s cradle to protect them from mischievous spirits. The proper etiquette for kissing under the mistletoe, called for the man to remove one berry for each kiss. Once the berries were gone, it became bad luck to kiss under a berryless sprig.
As for the hollies, the bright red berries are attractive to children and pets. One or two berries are harmless, but at 20, it’s death. The berries are the most common part eaten, and have the most poisonous compounds, but the leaves, bark and seeds are harmful, too. The poison, interestingly enough, is theobromine, an alkaline related to caffeine, and found in chocolate. Don’t feed chocolate to your pets.
An amaryllis bulb is a holiday gift favorite. Like narcissus and daffodil bulbs, they can cause much pain. When stored, be sure they’re labeled. Years ago a peasant grandmother brought the bulbs from the storage cellar thinking they were onions, cooking them she killed some of the family.
Although some cyclamen cultivars are used to flavor teas for adults, they can be a concern for a pet’s health.
What says fall and Thanksgiving like mums – saving these leftovers can be tricky when allergic reactions to leaves and blooms show up.
The succulent Schlumbergera Christmas cactus is a redeeming plant. Remember all those people who say that their lovely blooming succulent was their mother’s or aunt’s? They inherited it, kept it alive and flourishing? More power to them. They have to be caring and consistent people. They have the shiny star plant for Christmas time.
Found in the Brazilian rainforest, named for the season it blooms, as one of those short-day blooming plants. Don’t intentionally taste them even though they are not poisonous. The only thing it worries about is its position; don’t move it or it will protest by dropping its buds. If you really want to have a long-term relationship with your Christmas cactus for many years, place it in a spot that has 68 degrees Fahrenheit – in light, but not direct in the summer -when flowering, water once a week – remove dead blooms, deadhead – after it flowers, let it have months’ of summer vacation, keep completely dry and less light – when the flower buds begin to appear, water it again and, voila, it blooms again.
Short-day blooming plants are called photoperiodic. They need the days to grow shorter and the nights to grow longer more dark to help set up their transformation. Sing September Song here, (“as they reach December.”)
Roselle and false roselle happen with this phenomena, only, to get roselle’s cranberries, you need to plant it much earlier in order for it to bloom and have the calyxes to harvest after setting up when the days shorten. Poinsettias count on this to happen, also.
Which brings me to the shortest day of the year? I always thought Dec. 21 was, but now, I am finding the darkest afternoon, or earliest sunset, has happened, this year on Dec. 8. The winter solstice comes on Dec. 21, as the shortest day, but in the typical United States, European, Canadian locations, the sun has been setting three minutes later. In our elliptical sun rotation, we tilt away from the sun that syncs our clocks and calendars. Our actual solar days are now 24 hours and 30 seconds long, but the beat of our clocks tick steadily, producing the discrepancy. The brighter afternoon came Dec. 9.
Love my Farmer’s Almanac that cautions – if you live in Australia or the southern hemisphere, ignore everything just said. (or, reverse it).
“Oh Tannenbaum,” oh Tannenbaum,” thank you for our fresh air.
Happy Hanukkah or Merry Christmas, see you New Year’s.
Joyce Comingore is a Master Gardener, hibiscus enthusiast and member Garden Club of Cape Coral.