CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 11/24/17

Create a winter wonderland indoors with plants

By Sage Barnard

When you think of Christmastime decor, there are some tried and true plants and greenery that immediately come to mind — poinsettias and Christmas cacti, for instance. While those are great choices to spruce up your home, there’s a whole world of plants out there to add a little more green to your holiday displays.

“Poinsettias are a Christmas classic but there are some many festive houseplants out there,” said Paul Thomas, professor of horticulture at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Check your local garden center and see what you can find. And remember, with proper care, your holiday décor plant can last year round — adding life to your home even after the holidays are over.”

All of the following plants are relatively hardy and low maintenance and will last throughout the holiday season.

Coralberry: The coralberry plant, also known as "Christmas berry," is a great addition to any holiday decorations, as it produces bright red berries that last long past Christmas time. This plant loves bright light, although direct sunlight is harmful to it. The typical humidity of a house is perfect for this plant.

Rosemary: This popular herb makes a wonderful plant to incorporate around Christmastime. It looks and smells great when added to a wreath or placed in vases around the house. Smelling rosemary is also supposed to bring the bearer good luck and protection, according to medieval legends.

Amaryllis: Another plant that encompasses the holiday colors, usually bred in shades of red or white, is the amaryllis. With huge bell-shaped flowers, this bulb thrives indoors at cooler temperatures, out of direct sunlight, and only needs to be misted with water twice a week.

Poinsettia: Poinsettias are one of the most popular holiday plants seen during the holidays. Everyone is used to seeing the original red poinsettia, with its crimson-colored bracts, or colored leaves. But here are a couple of unique varieties that will stand out in your home. The 'Ice Punch' poinsettia has the red bracts that are synonymous with Christmas, but this plant has a pinker tone. Another variety you don’t see very often is 'Winter Blush' poinsettia. The center of the bracts is a bright fuchsia with contrasting light-yellow veins and edges that are ringed with a cream color. 

Coleus: Coleus is a popular plant for both indoor and outdoor usage, but its green and red colors make it a perfect holiday staple. The leaves are usually ringed with a bright green and the center is filled with dark red and pink. Bright light is great for this plant, but if the light is too direct it will wash out the leaves. Water coleus regularly to help retain its bright color.

Sage Barnard is a student writer for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.

Authors:
Sage Barnard
Experts/Sources:
Paul A. Thomas
Rosemary plants are popping up in nurseries during the holidays among the mini-Christmas tree alternatives.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) CAES News
UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward
The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.
Associate Professor Rhuanito Ferrarezi poses with a Gerber daisy grown by students in his 4050/6050 Greenhouse Management class in fall 2023. CAES News
Upcoming UGA plant sales bring color to fall 10/15/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Fall weather means fall gardening, and several groups at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be offering the fruits of their labors at ornamental plant sales across campus this semester. On Friday, Oct. 18, the Trial Gardens at University of Georgia will hold its annual Fall Houseplant Sale, and on Wednesday, Nov. 20, greenhouse management students will offer their ornamental plant sale at the South Milledge Greenhouse Complex.
Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. CAES News
Done with mowing? How to transform your lawn into a native, perennial landscape 09/12/24 Emily Cabrera
On a tour of her Blairsville, Georgia, home, Becky Griffin navigates a swaying maze of perennial grasses interspersed with pussy willows, switchgrass and boneset. Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. As a native plant enthusiast and coordinator of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Griffin hand-selected each of these native plants for the countless ecological services they provide year-round.
Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium CAES News
Keep on the grass 08/29/24 Emily Cabrera, Scott Michaux
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, the grass on Dooley Field needs to look perfect. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter. The UGA Athletic Association’s endowed professor in environmental turfgrass leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit the occurrence of injuries.