Holiday Plant Care

Flowering plants are always welcome gifts that help make the holiday season more festive and meaningful. Many of these plants have superb flowers that last for days or even weeks if given proper care. The longlasting qualities of many of these plants make them excellent choices for offices, public buildings, and homes. For more information on the proper temperature, watering, and lighting needed to encourage growth and development of plants in your home, consult the fact sheet entitled “Caring for Houseplants.”

Deciding whether to keep a flowering houseplant after it finishes blooming depends on the species. Some flowering houseplants, such as Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncatus), bloom seasonally if placed in the conditions necessary to promote flowering. Others, referred to as flowering pot plants, are forced to flower specifically for a  holiday and then are usually discarded. The effort necessary for a homeowner to get the plant to rebloom may be extensive. Such plants include Christmas pepper Capsicum annuum) and Christmas begonia (Begonia cheimantha).

For more information, please see this Penn State Fact Sheet

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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