Holidays in general and Christmas in particular are times when we celebrate traditions. Christmas has many traditions that are tied directly or indirectly to plants. We put up a tree in our house to decorate and put presents under it. We hang a wreath made of greenery from trees and bushes on our doors and windows, and we put plants such as poinsettias inside the house. Another interesting tradition is hanging mistletoe in the house, in the hopes that someone standing underneath will be blessed with a kiss. American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) As a horticulturist, this particular tradition is funny to me, as there is nothing inherently romantic about the mistletoe plant. It’s not particularly attractive and it is one that typically survives as a parasite of another plant. It is technically a partial parasite, meaning it can grow on its own and produce its own food via photosynthesis, but is more often found growing on other plants and depleting their resources. Many origin stories describe mistletoe as being a historic symbol of fertility and as such, some cultures would hang it in their homes as a sort of good luck charm. Other cultures thought mistletoe had the ability to ward off evil spirits and hung it for those reasons. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe seems to derive from the Greek festival of Saturnalia, and later became incorporated into Christmas customs. American mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum, is an evergreen plant with small white flowers and berries. It is most commonly found growing on trees such as maple, oak, walnut, and poplar in our area. The roots of the mistletoe penetrate the bark of the host tree through pores or wounds, and steal water and nutrients from the host. Mistletoe will only rarely kill a tree, but can potentially weaken it, leaving it susceptible to other problems. Because mistletoe is a parasite and essentially shares a vascular system with its host plant, there is no chemical that you can use to kill it that won’t also hurt the host. Instead you must prune out the mistletoe. If it is growing on a small branch, prune off that branch at least one foot below where the mistletoe is attached. If it’s a larger branch that you can’t remove, prune back the mistletoe as close to the branch as possible, and then wrap that area with a dark fabric to prevent the mistletoe from resprouting. You may have to prune again several times before you’ve completely removed the mistletoe. Mistletoe grows in trees and can be high up in the branches where is it difficult to control. These controls might be realistic for smaller trees, but practically speaking it will be difficult to control larger trees that have been infected with mistletoe. Since it is rare for a mistletoe infestation to be severe enough to kill a tree, you may just have to tolerate seeing the mistletoe for the few months a year the tree is without its leaves, and then let the leaves hide the mistletoe for the rest of the year.
Matt Stevens is the County Extension Director and horticulture agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have any questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Master Gardener Infoline at 252-902-1705. Photos from iStock
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Few plants are as associated with the Christmas season as the poinsettia, the colorful plant we see adorning the insides of homes and offices all throughout the month of December. It may seem a curious thing that this beautiful plant becomes so prominent during the coldest time of our year, given that it is a tropical plant extremely sensitive to cold temperatures, but not all Christmas traditions originate where snow falls. In Mexico, poinsettias grow to be larges shrubs and they naturally bloom during the month of December.Because it naturally flowered at this time, Franciscan priests began using Poinsettias in the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre nativity procession, and the pointsettia eventually became linked to the Christmas holiday. The poinsettia was introduced to the United States in 1825 by US Ambassador to Mexico Joel Poinsett, from whom its common name is derived, and it soon became part of our Christmas tradition as well.
People often ask if poinsettias are poisonous. While it’s true that they often appear on lists of poisonous plants, they are not poisonous in the sense that if you eat them you will become gravely ill or die. If you, or your child, or your pet for some reason decides to eat a bunch of poinsettia leaves or stems, you’ll probably find yourself with a bit of a tummy ache, and perhaps even vomit, but that will likely be the end of it. It’s worth noting that the same thing will likely happen if you, your child, or your pet decides to eat almost any other plant you’d find inside your home. What makes poinsettia a little different than those other plants is the milky sap inside the stems, which is actually latex. Some people have latex allergies, so exposure to the sap may cause itching or other reactions, but for those without latex sensitivity, it is completely benign. As mentioned earlier, the sap was once used as medicine, and as with many compounds, the difference between cure and toxin depends largely on the dosage and the individual’s particular response.
They are not cold hardy, so they will need to be overwintered indoors before being planted outdoors in the spring. Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have any questions about this article or other aspects of your home gardening, please contact the Pitt County Master Gardener Infoline at 252-902-1705. Photos from iStock
Every part of the world has their own collection of plants that are indelibly associated with that region – the sequoias of Northern California or the assorted cacti of the American Southwest, for example. One of the iconic plants of the southeast is Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the Southern Magnolia. These tall, stately trees are known for their glossy evergreen leaves, giant flowers (the botanical name translates to “large-flowered magnolia”), and impressive form.
Though somewhat slow growing, Southern magnolias will eventually reach heights of up to 80 feet tall, with spreads of 30 to 50 feet wide. Historically, this made them well suited for use on large homesteads or plantations as either a specimen tree or perhaps as a screening, hedge, or lining a long driveway. More modern landscapes are smaller, so not everyone has room for a tree of that size in their yard, let alone 10 or 20 of them. Even so, Southern Magnolias are still a good fit for larger landscapes and for use in areas like parks, golf courses, and campuses where there is ample room for them to grow. But what if you want the look of a southern magnolia in your home landscape? There are a few excellent cultivars which provide similar visual appeal, but at a fraction of the size. One is ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty.’ This cultivar will reach 30 to 50 feet in height, and is noted for having smaller leaves than the species (though the leaves are still fairly large, 6 inches long on average), with a rusty brown color on the underside of each leaf. Brown isn’t always a color we welcome in landscapes, but the contrast between the glossy green leaf surface and the rougher brown underneath is striking and very attractive. These leaves are a popular choice for wreaths, centerpieces, and other fall and winter arrangements. ‘Kay Parris’ is another cultivar that has some very exciting attributes. ‘Kay Parris’ has glossy green leaves with an orange-brown, velvet-like underside, which makes them another favorite for indoor decor. The flowers are plentiful and extremely fragrant. This cultivar has great branch structure, holds up well to high winds, and grows to 20 feet tall with a spread of about 10 feet. If ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ or ‘Kay Parris’ is too big, perhaps ‘Little Gem’ would be a better fit. ‘Little Gem’ is the smallest of all Magnolia grandiflora cultivars, topping out at approximately 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. It’s not just the height, however – everything about this cultivar is smaller. The leaves grow to only about 4 inches long and the flowers are 6 inches wide when open, compared to 8-12 inches for the species. All of the Southern Magnolia cultivars and the species itself are relatively disease and insect free. The biggest problem they have is that they tend to be quite messy. Even though they are evergreens, they do drop the majority of their older leaves in early spring as the new leaves emerge. With so many large leaves falling to the ground at once, it can be problematic to tidy up underneath them. Because of the size and thickness of the individual leaves, they can’t easily be mowed either. Still, the glory of a nicely shaped Southern Magnolia in full bloom is tough to beat, and something the south can surely be proud to call its own. If you would like to know more about the Southern Magnolia, please visit the North Carolina Plant Toolbox. |
Matt Stevens
Pitt County Extension Director & Horticulture Agent Archives
May 2024
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