Make A Poinsettia Tree!

If you ever have the opportunity, try decorating your house with a poinsettia tree!

All you need is a tree rack (pictured to the lower right) which come in several different sizes. Racks come as short as 3 feet and go up to well over 10 feet as shown here.

Making a smaller poinsettia tree can be just as breathtaking as a larger one, and if you put it on a table to give it a little extra height, or use it as a centerpiece, it can be the highlight of your house or party.

They are fast and easy to make and they are easy to care for. The major expense is the poinsettias themselves, but if you have a junior college or college in your area with a horticulture program, they likely have a poinsettia project. Because the students are growing the plants for experience, they usually charge less per plant than garden centers or grocery stores.

If you don't have a college nearby, then it could be a pricey decoration and you will have to make the determination if it is something you want to afford.

Whatever you end up doing, you can't deny poinsettia trees are absolutely gorgeous!

Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia milii

At this time of year people start thinking about Euphorbia pulcherrima commonly known as the Poinsettia.

There are, however, many other nice Euphorbias and one of them is Euphorbia milii - Crown of Thorns.

I wanted to talk about this plant because it's not as well known as the Poinsettia, and because it can be very showy with these bright pink bracts nearly all year long.

It's a nice little evergreen, and I grow mine as a houseplant. They can get up to 4 feet eventually with about 1 foot spread.

Bract colors can vary and come in yellow, red, and orange. They grow great in a container and are tolerant of salty soils, so if you live at the beach, you could grow this outdoors.

It tends to like very little water so let it dry out between waterings. It does well in full sun to partial shade, but mine likes it in the house in very bright light with some direct sun in the afternoon.

Do be careful around this plant though, it does have some pretty big thorns all along its stem, thus its name. As long as you're careful you'll not have any problems.

So if you haven't tried one, try Crown of Thorns and give the Poinsettia a run for its money this season!

Nertera granadensis - caring for house plants

I don't know how many of you are familar with Netera granadensis or what some people call a "Bead Plant" but I don't see them often enough to think of them as "Common." That being said, I thought I would share my bead plant with you while it is showing its berries.

I like so many things about this plant it is hard to know where to start! First of all it has super neat, and compact foliage. When it's not showing its white flowers or red fruit, it still is a very attractive plant. In fact when it is just green, it looks a lot like Baby's Tears, or Soleirolia soleirolii.

It is easy to take care of, it likes bright light with some sun, but it likes it cool. Some people put their bead plant outside in the spring, in a sheltered spot with some sun and they leave it there until the berries form, then they bring it in the house.

I leave mine in the house year-round, in the coolest room, the kitchen where it gets bright light and filtered afternoon sun. If the room is too warm, it will grow fine, but not produce any berries.

Bead plants like to be kept moist, so I keep mine standing on a saucer of damp pebbles to keep the humidity up. Let the surface of the soil dry out a bit before rewatering.

To add humidity, you can also spray it daily from the time the flowers begin to open until the berries have formed, then just water as usual

They will produce small greenish white flowers in early summer, followed by long-lasting orange-red berries.

You can propagate them by division or take tip cuttings in the spring. If you can find it, you can grow them from seed.

Anyway, if you ever get the chance to get one, try a bead plant, I know you'll love it!