Christmas flowers and plants

Many ornamental flowers and plants decorate our homes throughout the year. Every year, the upcoming Christmas holidays are not only an exceptional time of peace, but also an opportunity to decorate and adorn our homes with items in the spirit of Christmas. The magic of Christmas can be also enhanced with specific Christmas plants.

POINSETTIA

Also known as Christmas rose and Christmas star. Paradoxically, this plant associated with winter and Christmas is very sensitive to cold. The original home of poinsettia is Mexico. In Europe it was introduced for Christmas purposes only in the early 20th century. Did you know that the typical red flower is actually not a flower, but only differently colored leaves? Perhaps you may be surprised by the fact that the actual Slovak name of this plant is the poinsettia.

AMARYLLIS

Known as Amaryllis. It is a beautiful tall plant with gorgeous big red flowers. It grows up to 60 cm and its bulbs must be planted sometime in early October if it is to decorate our Christmas table. However, the correct botanical name is Hippeastrum. It has been very popular in the old continent since its "discovery" in 1689 thanks to its beautiful flower. This is also evidenced by abundant cultivation in the 17th, 18th and 19th century since when hundreds of varieties have been bred. Although the exact origin is unknown, it is believed to be a likely southern neighbor of the of Poinsettia. It probably originated from the mountains of Peru, Chile and Bolivia.

MISTLETOE

It is very unusual plant in our homes – not just for its typical berries but also the incidence and collection in trees. Although it is a parasitic plant and its fruits (white berries) cause diarrhea and cramping, mistletoe has become one of the most romantic symbolic Christmas plants. Even though it is originally a "pagan" plant associated with Greek mythology. Mistletoe has been a part of our modern tradition since 16th century, when it was used to protect homes from fire. Around the same period, it was associated with the habit of kissing during Christmas.