Plants of the Month: Noble Fir & Poinsettia

In winter when plants wither and die under the harsh temperatures, pine trees remain strong and beautiful. This makes it a perfect choice as Christmas trees. The oldest known tree is in fact the Ancient Bristlecone Pine which stands in the white mountains of California and is almost five thousand years old

Noble Fir, Douglas Fir and Balsam Fir are just some varieties of live Christmas trees sold around Singapore during Christmas time. Noble Fir is much favoured in our climate as it seems to last better than Douglas Fir and Balsam Fir.

Artificial trees are not biodegradable and will remain for many centuries as waste, polluting the earth. Real trees fill the air with their beautiful fresh pine scent and are biodegrable. They also benefit the environment in many ways when they are recycled. Live Christmas trees are imported from the USA and are propagated and harvested in farms which supply them to consumers. These trees are never cut from the wild and therefore pose no threat to the species. In fact, some sterile hybrids grown by the farms have survived extinction because they are being propagated by man..

Plant Origin

They are native to the mountains in Northern California, some parts of Oregon and Washington. It was originally given the botanical name Abies nobilies but it had to be changed once it was discovered that there was another conifer with this name. However, the common name Noble Fir remaines unchanged.

Size of Plant

The live trees sold here come in many sizes, anything from 31/2 feet to 20 feet in height. They are cut and mounted on a stand/water receptacle to be displayed as Christmas trees. In the wild the magnificent Noble Fir can reach over 200 feet in height.

General Care of Cut Christmas Trees

Always ensure that there is sufficient water in the receptacle and never allow the water to dry up. Clean room temperature water is sufficient and do not add any additives such as floral preservatives, panadol etc.
Display your tree away from any heat source such as a sunny window or electrical appliances which generate heat.
As it is a cut tree, it can be damaged easily with careless handling. Do not overload with ornaments and electrical circuits. Choose light bulbs which do not generate too much heat and check if they are working before placing them on the tree to avoid unnecessary bruising of the pine needles.
Turn off the lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

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Botanical Name: Euphorbia pulcherrima

Common Name: Poinsettias

Apart from the fragrant pine trees, Poinsettias are another favourite during Christmas time. The plants usually came with either red or creamy white bracts but over a period of time, with it's increasing popularity, breeders have successfully produced new cultivars in colours such as peach, plum, pink and many other tones. There are also Poinsettias with variegated leaves and choosing one is never easy.

The Legend of Poinsettia

Poinsettias are known as Flor de la Nochebuena (Flower of the Holy Night) in Mexico. There is a beautiful story that says how one Christmas eve, a young Mexican girl was sad because she did not have a gift for baby Jesus. She watched sadly outside the church, as the other children of the town took their gifts to the Christ child. As she cried, an old woman comforted her saying that the significance of the gift is not in it's value but that it should come from the heart. As the old woman disappeared, the little girl wondered what she could give to baby Jesus. She saw a lovely green plant growing outside the church and decided to give it as a gift. As she brought the plant into the church, everyone scoffed at her humble gift. As soon as she placed the plant at the altar, the green plant started to burst into beautiful red flowers and everyone was amazed. This beautiful story makes Poinsettias very significant during Christmas time.

Plant Origin

Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They are not poisonous plants as most people think and it is interesting to know that the Aztecs used the white sap as fever medicine.. The plant is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. His interest in botany made him notice this beautiful shrub with red flowers growing along the roadside and he took back cuttings to his greenhouse in South Carolina. Soon it was given a botanical name whereby it was classified under the Euphorbia family and cultivated in a greenhouse and became a popular plant during Christmas time. Poinsettias are also classified as plants which purify indoor air and are recommended as Indoor Houseplants.

Size of Plant

Poinsettias are shrubs and usually grow to an average height of ten feet. The Poinsettias we see in the nurseries are sold as small potted plants and come in three different sizes during Christmas time. There is a mini variety which is about 3 to 4 inches tall, a normal variety which is between 8 to 18 inches high and a standard which resembles a miniature tree.

Light

As a indoor plant, it is not advisable to put them under strong light. Keep it away from a sunny area and the bracts will remain beautiful for a very long time. After the colours have faded, a good quality Poinsettia can be planted outside under semi-shade.

Water

Poinsettias are imported from Holland and the medium used for potting is usually compost. Press your finger into the compost to see if the soil is moist. Water them only if the soil tends to be a little dry and never allow the compost to be soggy and wet all the time neither should the compost be allowed to dry out. Avoid spraying water on the bracts. Top watering is best avoided as it will cause the branches to break and damage the plant. When repotting your poinsettias, use a good quality houseplant potting mix.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!