Author: Zidack, Heather

Plant Hazards to Avoid this Holiday Season

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 By Nick Goltz, DPM, UConn Home & Garden Education Center, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab

Tree with lights
Using low-heat LED lights is a great way to reduce fire risk while keeping things festive. The stewards of this tree took the extra step of installing a rope fence to discourage visitors from damaging the tree or lights. (Photo taken by Nick Goltz)

Using low-heat LED lights is a great way to reduce fire risk while keeping things festive. The stewards of this tree toko the extra step of installing a rope fence to discourage visitors from damaging the tree or lights. (Photo taken by Nick Goltz)

With the holidays upon us, many of us are focusing, with good reason, on last-minute gifts, travelling, reconnecting with loved ones, and all the joy and stress that will inevitably come with it. With all the hustle and bustle of the season, it can be easy to overlook some of the safety hazards that also come about this time each year, especially those involving the holiday plants that we rarely give a second thought.

On countless desks, coffee tables, and, in warmer climes, doorsteps, you are likely to encounter at least a dozen poinsettias this December. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are some of the most conspicuous and popular plants associated with the holiday season here in the US. They are often thought to be highly poisonous if ingested. While ingestion may cause some mouth and skin irritation and gastrointestinal upset, sometimes with some associated vomiting or diarrhea in small animals, poinsettias are vastly “overhyped” with their supposed toxicity.

There is no documented case of human fatality associated with poinsettia ingestion, and most calls to poison control lines for ingestion report no adverse symptoms whatsoever. Medical intervention is usually unnecessary for people or pets that ingest the plant, except for those with allergic reactions to related plants (particularly those with latex sensitivity). For more information on poinsettias and their fascinating history, see Heather Zidack’s column from mid-November, “Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure”. While poinsettias may be overblown with regard to their supposed toxicity, other common plants one might see around the holidays, including amaryllis and mistletoe, are quite toxic to humans and pets if ingested.

What we call “amaryllis” in most stores and garden centers is likely not the true South African amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna), but rather a related South American plant in the genus Hippeastrum, which has been cultivated more extensively and has a greater number of cultivars on the market. Both are bulbous tropical plants that bloom in winter in the northern hemisphere, and both are poisonous if ingested. The bulb, commonly sold waxed or bare in stores around the holidays to be used as a table centerpiece or hostess gift, is especially toxic and should be kept away from pets and children. If you’re curious to learn more about the history and cultivation of this holiday plant, check out Dr. Matt Lisy’s recent blog post, “Amazing Amaryllis” on the UConn Home & Garden Center’s very own Ladybug Blog (https://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/).

Though in antiquity it represented fertility and offered protection from evil, mistletoe (usually Viscum album, European mistletoe and Phoradendron leucarpum, American mistletoe) has been associated with Christmas since some point in the late 1700’s. Though lovers may steal a kiss or two beneath the mistletoe this Christmas, be sure the mistletoe can’t be stolen by children or pets as you decorate for your holiday party! Although European mistletoe is more toxic than American mistletoe, both plants are dangerous if ingested, particularly by pets and children, who may be attracted to the small white berries that have a high concentration of toxin. If you know someone that accidentally ingests a plant not known to be edible, be sure to contact the poison control hotline by calling 1-800-222-1222 or by visiting https://www.poison.org. For pets, contact the ASPCA poison control hotline by calling 1-888-426-4435 or by visiting https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control. Conveniently, they have a poisonous plants list on this site that you can reference as you shop at your local nursery or garden center.

Though thankfully Christmas trees (typically fir, pine, or spruce) are not known to be toxic to pets if ingested, the sharp needles can cause injury if ingested and the trees themselves can pose other hazards if not maintained with care! If you have a pet that likes to chew through wires (there is a scene in a famous Christmas movie that likely comes to mind), be sure to keep those out of reach, or perhaps opt for battery-powered illuminating ornaments. For their safety and yours, cats and birds should always be discouraged from climbing or flying into your tree!

Finally, though we all can appreciate rustic and vintage holiday décor, another strategy to reduce the risk of fire this holiday season is to upgrade your string lights to low-heat LEDs. Whatever type of string light you use, unplug it before you go to bed to help reduce fire risk. If you use a live tree, be sure to keep it watered as dehydrated trees are more likely to catch fire.

With these tips in mind, the Plant and Soil Health team at UConn wishes you and your loved ones a safe, joyous, and restorative holiday season! For questions regarding winter plant safety or for any other gardening questions throughout the year, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education Center for free advice by calling (877) 486-6271, toll-free, visit our web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu/, or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

This is For the Birds!

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By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

A titmouse standing on a bowl of water
Titmouse on the solar sipper. Photo by Dawn Pettinelli

As December brings frigid temperatures and snowy landscapes to Connecticut, our feathered friends face unique challenges in finding the resources they need to survive. Shorter days and frozen ground make food and water scarcer, while icy winds and snow create harsh conditions for shelter. By providing birds with seed, water, and shelter, you may be making a significant difference in their survival and well-being during this often challenging season.

Winter robs many birds of their natural food sources like insects, berries, and seeds. While it is true that birds can survive without our subsidies, supplemental feeding can provide extra energy that birds need to maintain their body heat. In December, focus on offering high-calorie foods that cater to a variety of species common to Connecticut, such as chickadees, cardinals, juncos, and woodpeckers.

Many types of bird feeders are available including hopper and platform feeders, tubes, and suet cages. Whichever you choose, it should be one that can be washed out every week or so. Uneaten seed pieces and other debris can mold plus there is the chance of contagions whenever living creatures congregate.

Feeding the birds is a popular activity and there are many types of seeds, seed mixes and other foods available for purchase. Black-oil sunflower seeds are a favorite of many birds, thanks to their high-fat content and thin shells, which are easy to crack. You can buy shelled seeds to minimize the pile of shells that accumulates under the feeder. Smaller white safflower seeds are included in many seed mixes and are reputed to be a favorite of cardinals. Thistle or Niger seeds are a sought-after treat for finches and other small birds. I have only tried using a thistle sock once and found it got soggy, and the seeds froze so maybe a specialized tube feeder would be the way to go if offering this food source.

Unshelled peanuts are a great fuel for birds supplying both protein and fat. They are also a sure way to attract squirrels. I have been buying unsalted, dry roasted peanuts and put a few handfuls on my porch railing each morning when I put out the water bowl for the birds. There’s a regular assortment of birds who eagerly await their morning breakfast and the peanuts are gobbled up by titmice, chickadees, flickers, downy woodpeckers and blue jays before the squirrel even has a chance to make it to the porch from the woods.

A good seed mix for the feeder should contain a variety of food items including black-oil sunflower seed, cracked corn, safflower, peanut chips, white prose millet, and maybe some sunflower hearts and dried fruit. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for, and cheaper mixes often contain that red milo and other fillers that birds in our area are not partial to. If you notice piles of uneaten seeds under your feeders, try switching to another seed mix.

Many bird species, but especially insect eaters, really love suet. Packed with fat, suet provides essential energy and attracts woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue jays and I’ve even had crows in queue for their turn at the suet feeder. Opt for suet mixed with seeds, berries, nuts or mealworms for added nutrition.

Place feeders in somewhat sheltered areas to protect birds from the winds but make sure that they are not located near where predators can hide. Refill regularly, as food is quickly consumed in cold weather. Be on the lookout for bears. Typically, they are not a problem from mid-December through mid-March but if a bear finds your feeder, bring it in and cease feeding.

During a typical, cold winter water is a rare and precious resource. While snow can provide hydration, many birds prefer liquid water for drinking and bathing. Maintaining a water source in freezing temperatures can be a lifesaver. I opt for a Solar Sipper that I have had for years. It is just a bowl inside a bowl with a cover that has a hole in the top. It keeps the water from freezing down into the 20s, especially on a sunny day. I just bring it in at night, wash it and put out clean water in the morning. Heated birdbaths are another more hi-tech option.

December’s freezing temperatures and strong winds make safe shelter essential for birds. They need places to roost, stay warm, and avoid predators. Encourage birds to stay in your yard by planting native trees, shrubs, and evergreens. Dense conifers like spruce, hemlock, and pine provide excellent cover from snow and wind. Additionally, leaving leaf piles or brush heaps in your yard creates ground-level shelter for birds like sparrows and juncos. Refrain from cutting back seedheads from coneflowers, coreopsis, goldenrods, sunflowers and native grasses to provide natural seed sources.

Providing food, water, and shelter not only supports birds during the toughest months but also brings joy to your home. Watching vibrant cardinals against the snow or hearing the cheerful calls of chickadees can brighten even the coldest day. By creating a welcoming space for birds in your backyard, you contribute to their survival and get to enjoy the beauty of nature during winter’s quiet, cold days.

For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

‘Tis the Season for Holiday Plants

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By Dr. Matthew Lisy, UConn Adjunct Faculty

Yellow, white, and red poinsettias
The yellow Poinsettia on the left bottom corner really stands out from the traditional white. Photo by M. Lisy.

Once again, the winter holiday season is upon us!  I am sure I have said this before, but I never cease to be amazed at the seemingly endless varieties of holiday plants available.  This year, I planned on not buying any holiday plants, but one trip to two local greenhouses changed my mind immediately.  If one plant could exemplify the season, it would be the Poinsettia.  Although red and white Poinsettias have been the standard for many years, there are a lot of really neat colors available if you look hard enough.  One of my all-time favorites is orange.  I used to grow this variety when it first came out, and could never stock enough of them.  In the old days, you needed to set it next to a red one to tell the difference, but fast forward many years, and the orange is now much more intense and can stand alone in all its glory.

If I had to pick just one favorite Poinsettia, it would be the yellow.  It just looks so unusual and unlike anything else.  I first saw it years ago in small quantities in a big box store, but now they are much more common.  The regular white has a slight yellow tint to it, but there is a super bright white that looks as pure as freshly fallen snow.  Another new favorite is called “Christmas Mouse,” and has rounded leaves that resemble mouse ears in contrast to the normal pointed ones.  Of course, there are also Poinsettias that are actually spray painted with a plant-safe paint.  These plants usually also have glitter sprinkled onto them.  Even though these are artificial looking, they are beautiful works of art in their own right.

There are new varieties of cyclamen around too.  These are characterized by interestingly shaped flowers that are more open.  Some of the varieties even have the flowers turned upright.  The colors are amazing and range from dark maroon reds to almost neon pink.  Another plant I am really excited to see this year is the Amaryllis.  These have been around an extremely long time, but what changed is the number of places carrying many different varieties for sale.  I like when I can just buy the bulb and pot it up on my own.  This is less expensive and allows me to buy more varieties.  There are even some places selling the bulbs with a type of paint coating on them which is said to eliminates the need for watering.  I prefer a bulb in a pot as I think it looks more natural, but that is a matter of opinion.  What I have seen a lot less of this year is the Christmas Cactus.  While they are still around, their numbers are not nearly as plentiful as in the past.  The Amaryllis and Christmas cactus are the two plants you can keep long term.  They each have special care routines that you will need to follow to get them to bloom again the following year.  The Christmas cacti need a certain lighting (or darkness) period, and the Amaryllis need a dry dormant period.

Wherever you are going for the holidays, I suggest bringing one of these festive plants to the host as a gift.  There is nothing more cheerful than a brightly colored plant during the dark days of winter.  On that note, why not buy some for yourself and enjoy them all season?  Either way, I suggest you make the most of things with a nice new plant variety that you never had before.  There certainly are plenty from which to choose!

Cyclamen in flower and amaryllis bulbs
A beautiful new cyclamen variety and a few large Amaryllis bulbs. Photo by M. Lisy.

For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.ladybug.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

Poinsettias, Bayberry Candles, Bulbs & Other December News

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December Newsletter

December is for poinsettias, bayberry candles and forcing bulbs

"Welcome winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love you nonetheless."

— Terri Guillemets

Poinsettias

Poinsettia on greenhouse bench
Photo by H. Zidack

Did you know that the tradition of decorating Christmas displays with Poinsettias started in Mexcio? They have a rich history in their native range, and the story of how they came to represent Christmas in the rest of North America is just as fascinating! Now with hundreds of varieties, they've come a long way in the plant world.

A few care tips for your Poinsettias at home:

  • It is extremely important to keep these warm climate plants away from drafts or temperature extremes while in your home.
  • Always bag them (preferably in paper) before transporting them to and from your car to help prevent shock!
  • Keep them well watered. If you leave them in their decorative foil, either remove it when watering or  put a couple holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Use a drip tray under them to keep your table or floor dry.

Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure

Poinsettias: Care and Reflowering

 

The Bayberry Candle

Photo by Marie Woodward

Lighting bayberry candles around the holidays has become a cherished tradition.  It’s said that if you burn a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, it will bring good fortune into the new year.  This tradition can be traced back to colonial America. 

Bayberry candles are made from a waxy residue released from boiled fruit of the bayberry shrub. These were one of the first waxes made from a material other than tallow (animal fat). They were appreciated for their pleasant scent.

For native gardens, the Northern Bayberry, Myrica pensylvanica, makes a great addition to be appreciated by people and wildlife.  

About the Bayberry

The History of the Bayberry Candle

Forcing Bulbs Indoors

Forcing spring bulbs to bloom indoors is a fun way to bring some spring cheer into your home during the dark, cold days of winter.  With a few key steps you can successfully grow spring bulbs in your home.  

Timing and temperature will be the key factors to consider when forcing bulbs in your home. Different types of plants may have different needs, so knowing the species will be key in identifying conditions needed to ensure success!

Coax Bulbs into Bloom for Late Winter Color

Bulbs: Forcing to Flower

Native Plant Highlight: Ilex verticillata

Winterberry shrub with no leaves and bright red berries.
Photo by dmp2024

The Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a native shrub with multi-season interest. It is a deciduous holly, meaning it loses its leaves in the winter, but when it does so the berries hold tight creating a vibrant and colorful display in the dead of winter!

Cultivars can be found with red, orange, and yellow berries to add more variation to the garden. Plus the berries are a great food source for native birds and wildlife.

Word from the WiSE

Christmas Cactus Schlumbergera x buckleyi

This month, UConn’s Women in Soil Ecology bring you a word on an indoor holiday favorite: Schlumbergera x buckleyi, otherwise known as Christmas cactus.

Did you know most Schlumbergera are epiphytes? In their native rainforest environment, they can be found growing high on the trunks of trees. Epiphytes are fascinating plants – while they use other plants for growth support, they are not parasites.

Without direct access to nutrients from the soil or other plants, many have evolved to grow slowly, absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere, and some form relationships with microbes and fungi on their roots which help them take up nutrients. Domesticated into pots, the Schlumbergera we see filling garden centers and homes every holiday season are a mixture of two wild-types and Schlumbergera x buckleyi, a hybrid cross first bred in England in the mid-1800s.

One of the most appealing features of Christmas cactus are the flowers. Pollinated by hummingbirds in the wild, the blooms can be white, orange, pink, or red.

Home gardeners can try and force their Christmas cactus to bloom by placing it in a cool location where it receives 13 hours of continuous darkness per day for several weeks. In the Northern hemisphere, this could be achieved by placing the plant in a North, west, or east-facing window.

After the holiday season, be sure to give your Christmas cactus plenty of indirect sunlight, water thoroughly once the soil is dry, and fertilize occasionally with an all-purpose low-analysis fertilizer, like a 10-10-10.

December 2024 Weather Outlook

A seasoned gardener always keeps their eye to the sky at any time of year! NOAA's National Weather Service released their discussion about how weather patterns in December will bring us into our winter season! (Click image to see larger map.)

    Temperature map
Precipitation Outlook

Knowledge to Grow On

Upcoming Events and Things to Do

      • Glow Hartford opens November 29th this year! Enjoy an indoor light display and vendor fair.

          Educational Opportunities & Workshops

                  •  Eco-Holiday - Nov. 29 - Dec. 22, Derby CT. Decorators transform recyclable and throwaway materials into masterpieces representing eight biomes ranging from rain forest to desert. 

                  UConn Educational Events

                   

                  December Gardening Tips

                          • Mark perennials and bulbs before they become covered in snow to help you identify plants in early spring.
                          • Holiday plants, including amaryllis, mistletoe, and yew are toxic and should be kept away from children and pets. Contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately if you suspect a problem.
                          • Decorative foil around the roots of holiday plants can hold water and drown them. Either remove it when you water, or poke drainage holes in the foil and use a saucer.
                          • Finish the cleanup of the vegetable garden or beds, removing all plant debris
                          • Asian lady beetles and Brown marmorated stink bugs may enter the home to overwinter. Use weather stripping or caulking to keep them out.
                          • Check vegetables that you have in storage. Sort out any that show signs of disease and dispose of them.
                          • Turn compost piles one more time before they freeze for the winter.
                          • Avoid using salt to melt ice on driveways and sidewalks which may end up on the lawn, when possible use sand or kitty litter. This will help prevent salt damage to plant roots.
                          • If you have a real Christmas tree, recycle it after the holidays are through. Cut off branches and use as insulation over perennials. In spring, chip or shred branches to create mulch or add to the compost pile.
                          • Replace the plants in hanging baskets, containers, and window boxes with evergreen boughs, berries and pinecones.
                          • Be sure to keep bird feeders stocked with seed and suet for the winter months.

                          Happy Holidays!

                          Home and Garden, Soil lab and Plant Diagnostic Lab staff in a group picture

                          Our plant health team at UConn wishes you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season!

                          This Month’s Newsletter Contributors: 
                          Pamm Cooper, Dr. Nick Goltz, Dawn Pettinelli, Marie Woodward, Heather Zidack 

                           

                          Holiday Gifts for Gardeners

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                          By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                          Vegetables in garden basket
                          Photo by Dawn Pettinelli

                          Let the holiday shopping begin! Compared to many family members and friends, buying a gift for the gardener in your life is a breeze. Lots of great possibilities and there’s always the option of a gift certificate to their favorite local garden center. These are just some of my personal suggestions.

                          With long, dark days settling in, reading is a great winter sport. I’m partial to whodunnits and might curl up with The Garden Party by Marty Wingate or The Garden Club Murder by Amy Patricia Meade. For non-fiction readers, especially those longing for greater self-sustainability, perhaps Small-Scale Homesteading by Michelle Bruhn and Stephanie Thurow might be an informative resource when just starting out. With all the calls we get about vegetable problems, two books by Susan Mulvihill; The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook and The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver offer up lots of great photographs and least toxic controls for a myriad of insects, diseases and other pest problems. Of course, you can also call us at the Center for assistance.

                          Gardening magazines still offer excellent articles, advice and inspiration. A subscription to the Connecticut Gardener should be in every CT gardener’s mailbox or inbox. Fine Gardening is also CT based and fills our head with amazing plant information and truly inspiring gardens. I’ll also admit to a subscription to both Horticulture and The American Gardener.

                          Working in the garden often brings me to my knees and when that up close and personal, I find there are 2 tools always in my bucket. First is a Cobra head weeder, crafted in Wisconsin last I looked. This curved-headed tool can be used for weeding, thinning, making seed rows, digging in little seedlings and whatever other use you can come up with; a multi-tasking tool that is long-lasting and affordable. My deluxe soil knife features a smooth, sharp side and a serrated side with inch measurements, useful when planting. I find it does a nice job dispatching both annoying roots and jumping worms. When deployed on the ground, those larger, oval-shaped kneelers are tough and functional.

                          In my most recent issue of The American Gardener, there is a Craftsman 54-inch wood-handle action hoe that I would like to try so I can weed standing up. It works with a manual push-pull action but might be just the thing us older gardeners need.

                          While I have 2 different types of pruners that are great for stems from about a half to one inch in diameter, I can use help on the opposite extremes. Last year my sister got me a hand-held mini-chainsaw and it is wonderful for removing 1 to 3 inch or so stems or branches. It’s really made pruning much easier. On the other end of the spectrum, a pair of horticultural scissors with long blades treated to resist rust would be great for harvesting or deadheading cut flowers as well as indoor houseplant grooming.

                          For years, I have placed picked vegetables, whether peppers, carrots or chard into those attractive wicker baskets. Recently, I was given one of those garden trugs made out of recycled plastic that had holes on the bottom so I could gather up my harvest and then hose the soil off in the same container. There are several trugs on the market including those made of wood and wire mesh. They do make cleaning your vegetables a lot easier than doing it at the kitchen sink.

                          Gardeners go through gloves and despite what the ads say, if a pair lasts me a season, I’m lucky. They are always needed and appreciated, and you can’t go wrong gifting these to a gardener. For those with a lot of roses, consider purchasing a pair of rose gauntlets so their arms won’t get all scratched up when pruning.

                          Indoor gardeners might appreciate watering cans with long spouts that dispense water slowly, attractive cache pots, houseplant fertilizers, cork plant coasters or misters. Bird lovers may enjoy feeders, bird baths, bird houses or seed and suet for their fine-feathered friends.

                          There are many types of garden ornaments to present to your plant loving friends and family. Plus, tis the season for holiday plants – poinsettias, holiday cacti, amaryllis, frosty ferns are just a few of the selections that your gardener recipient might enjoy. With all these choices, the gardener on your gift list is sure to be pleased.

                          For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

                          Holiday Office Closure Dates

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                          The UConn Home & Garden Education Center will be closed to the public on the following dates during the holiday season:

                          • December 16th
                          • December 23rd through January 2nd

                          The UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab will be closed on the following dates:

                          • November 27th through December 6th
                          • December 24th through January 2nd

                          Please do not submit plant samples to the HGEC to be sent to the lab at these times.

                          Please contact the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab to inquire about any changes in schedule. 

                          Please continue to send emails to us at ladybug@uconn.edu or leave us a voicemail at 1-877-486-6271 and we will get back to you when our staff is in office!

                          Winter Weather? Please Call First!

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                          When it comes to winter weather, the safety of our clients & staff is top priority!

                          In most cases, if the Storrs campus is operating as normal, our office will be as well.

                          However, before making a trip to our office during inclement weather, we kindly ask that you call our office at 860-486-6271 to confirm that our office is open and someone is there to assist you. 

                          Thank you for your understanding and stay safe and warm this winter!

                          Holiday Houseplants on CRIS Radio

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                          CRIS Radio: Focal Point 11/25/2024

                          Heather Zidack from the UConn Home & Garden Education Center talks to host, Stephen Thal, about common holiday plants, houseplant care, and indoor winter gardening.

                          Transcript

                          00:00:01 Stephen Thal 

                          Hi and welcome to another segment on Focal Point. I'm Stephen Thal, and I'll be your host for today's program. Today we have a former guest who was on in the spring to help us about plants and from the UConn plant and science center out at Storrs. So, welcome back, Heather Zidack. It's glad to have you back. 

                          00:00:25 Heather Zidack 

                          Thank you. I'm excited to be back. 

                          00:00:27 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah, we can learn more about what's going on because apparently, we have some sort of drought. We've had some fires around the state. And I'm sure people are unloading a lot of questions for you guys up there at Storrs. 

                          00:00:42 Heather Zidack 

                          Yes, we're getting a lot of questions right now about the weather concerns and people are calling because their plants are in distress. Right now it's a really good time to make sure that you are watering especially for new plants that are getting established. Anything that you planted this year, you want to keep watering until the ground freezes. So we still got a little bit of a way to go with that.  Other plants that are starting to drop their leaves and showing signs of stress. Some of those we're telling our clients to kind of just wait until next spring and see how they leaf out next year because they might have just decided to shut down a little bit early with the drought. But we really won't know until next spring when they're growing, whether it's a big problem or just a little hiccup on the in the road. 

                          00:01:36 Stephen Thal 

                          OK, so one of the things we'll be talking about is house plants inside. They're being moved inside. They said they had enough of outside. Gotta get in before the cold. 

                          00:01:50 Heather Zidack 

                          Yes! So right now is really good time. Most people have started to bring their house plants in what we're looking for and what we guide is 50° at night or lower is that threshold. So once we hit 50° at night consistently, you wanna start bringing your plants in. There are some that will take a little bit more, you know, a little bit of a higher temperature, they're a little more sensitive to the cold. There are some that will tolerate some lower temperatures, but that 50° mark is really the best guideline.  

                          And so we, we tell people to bring them in and you want to kind of bring them in slow. So you wanna start with bringing them into if you have a mud room or a garage, or a three season room, or even somewhere like that's a little bit more protected than wherever your outdoor plants were in the summer to help them adjust to the temperatures inside. So they adjust to the lower light provided by maybe an overhang or something to that nature. And then they slowly move them in. 

                          You want to put them into a place that's sunny. If they need sun. If you've had these plans for some time, you may have an area established already that they go to. If it's your first time giving this a try, you will probably know if they were in full sun when they were outside. They're going to need a really sunny place when they're inside as well. 

                          And when you bring them in you want to avoid putting them in any locations that have temperature extremes. So near drafts, near heat vents, near entryways anywhere that the temperature we can get, a gust of wind come in, or a gust from when the heat kicks on. Those are all things that the plants are going to not enjoy as much as we would, you know, you go in from the grocery store, you get that big gust of warm air. The plants may not like that as much. So it's the same kind of thought for them. 

                          00:03:57 Stephen Thal 

                          Now, well, many of these plants are coming in, are showing growth again? 

                          00:04:03 Heather Zidack 

                          Some of them do. What's really happening, and it's actually interesting, is because we've had these drought conditions, plants bringing them in right now, they may have a little bursting growth. You may notice the opposite where they're going to start having a little bit of a decline. Plant stress is always- They always speak in one way, and that's to either wilt or drop leaves, no matter what's going on. So you will see that they may have a little bit of a temper tantrum as you move them, but that's totally normal and just keep to doing what you've been doing with them, make sure your watering is consistent, make sure that they're in the right spot. 

                          And it really depends on what kind of house plant you have. So some of them will slow growth and they'll kind of just stay the course while they're indoors. They will stay green. They'll stay upright. It'll look like they're almost like an artificial plant where it's like they haven't done anything for a while. 

                          Some will go dormant. So, like I said, they'll drop their leaves. They'll look like sticks and pots. They won't look very good at all.  

                          You'll feel like you don't have a green thumb anymore. That is also natural, and some plants like hibiscus have a cycle where some years they will be in flower, and they will do really well. And then some years they will have that dormant period. So, it can be a very wide range. 

                          If you're ever unsure, go ahead and scratch your thumbnail into the stem of the plant. If you feel very, if it feels very dry and it breaks easy like a stick, that's probably a red flag. You want to feel some kind of fleshy texture. You want it to feel a little bit soft, not mushy, but a little bit so that you feel your nail digging into that tissue you want to. If you're able to get a closer look, you want to look for signs of green and feel some moisture. Those are all signs that even though there's not a leaf on it, it is still alive, and it will come back in the spring. 

                          You know, so like I said, if anything is other than that where it's it snaps easy or it's incredibly mushy when you push your finger into it to it those are all signs that there could be something bigger going on and then you really have to take a look and see if there's disease or other things that are causing stress to the plant at that time. 

                          00:06:36 Stephen Thal

                          And that doesn't mean necessarily throw a lot of water at it?

                          00:06:41 Heather Zidack 

                          Correct. That's actually something that happens a lot. People will tend to over love their plants and I'm even guilty of it myself. If there's a plant in my home that I haven't watered in a week or two, I will put a little bit extra just to keep it going and that's something that we really want to avoid doing. You want to make sure that you're always consistent when you're watering your plants. Feel the soil with your fingers. If it feels-you want to poke your finger in a couple inches-If it feels moist in that depth, you're good. If it feels like it's dry or sandy or scratchy. It's going to be something that you need to add water to at that time also. 

                           That's the caveat of knowing what kind of plant you have. For example, Cactus can actually survive those drier temperatures, right? So, you want to know what you're taking care of, what it needs and be able to kind of check that. Water regularly. Too much moisture in the soil is going to lead to issues like root rot, pests, those fungus gnats that are everywhere. Those are teeny, teeny, teeny tiny black gnats that sometimes we see in the winter time. Those are actually not even feeding on plants. They're just feeding on the decaying root material. And so that's a sign that there's too much moisture. 

                          You can mist your plants, but it's not always necessary. You need to just know what you have and research the specific needs of the species of plant you have. 

                          00:08:17 Stephen Thal

                          And where would you go to find that information from a flower shop or?

                          00:08:23 Heather Zidack 

                          You can. Usually when you purchase the plant, it will come with some kind of tag. 

                          It does depend on where you're looking, but usually they have some kind of tag that at least has a common name on it, so that is the very the colloquial name. So, a common name is like a fiddle leaf fig or a Benjamin fig, whereas the botanical name is going to say Ficus benjamina for a Benjamin Fig and what you're gonna do with that information is then you would, you could call our office at home and garden and we can help you get some information on how to take care of it or you can go ahead and do some of that research yourself to see what those plants are going to need. Really, you need just the name. The common name is good. The botanical name, so it's usually on on those little labels in italics. That's even better. And if you're not sure, we can always take a look at some pictures and try to help you out as well. 

                          00:09:23 Stephen Thal 

                          Why don't you give them your phone number since you mentioned it mentioned that they can call you. 

                          00:09:29 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah, sure. So, at the UConn Home and Garden Center, you can give us a call. Our number is 860-486-6271. Again, that's 860-486-6271. 

                          00:09:49 Stephen Thal 

                          What about house plants? Do we have a sort of categories of house plants we can review? 

                          00:09:55 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah. So I actually have a list that I had ready for us today to talk about house plants that are going to be common now that we're going to be moving into the holiday season. We're already getting ready to talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas and seeing the decorations in the stores. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring up some of those plants that people might be seeing at this time of year. 

                          00:10:18 Stephen Thal 

                          OK, which one would you like to start with? 

                          00:10:21 Heather Zidack 

                          So the first one that I have is called an amaryllis, that is given as a bulb as gifts at Christmas I you know, I've gotten those for Christmas gifts before you see them in displays and windows.  

                          These are the kind that have a very thick large single stem that emerges from a bulb that's probably the size of your fist. The larger the bulb, the more flowers and the more stalks you're going to get, right? Those flowers at the top are very large. Those are probably about the size of your open palm for a lot of these species, they have 6 petals. On those flowers. It's kind of an organization of three and three yo make that cluster. Tou can have two or more flowers in a cluster, they're very, very big, very vibrant. They're very attention catching and you see variants of red, pink, white, all of those colors and solids, stripes and everything in between.  

                          It is something that if you have a green thumb and you wanna start them yourself. You want to start them in early to mid November and you'll make sure that you'll have blooms for the holidays. You just use regular potting soil. You don't use dirt or anything, you use potting soil and you keep the soil moist and you keep it in a sunny window and from there that plant will come out of the bulb. You'll see the green stalk and the green leaves first and then up at the very top, you'll get that flower to bloom right at the holidays. So that one's really, really cool. 

                          00:12:02 Stephen Thal

                          Do you have a second one that's common?

                          00:12:06 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah. The next one, we'll talk about the holiday cactus. There are a bunch of different holiday cactuses and this one I like to talk about because we have a Thanksgiving cactus. We have a Christmas cactus and there's actually an Easter cactus as well. They're all house plants that people have. 

                          The common misconception with these guys is that their bloom time is the only thing that identifies them. So, your Thanksgiving cactus is going to bloom in November. Your Christmas cactus will bloom in December, and your Easter cactus sometime in the spring. 

                          The actual difference between the three is the shape of their flowers is slightly different, and the shape of their leaves is different. When you look close. The Thanksgiving cactus has deeper lobes or indents into the leaf. Right, it looks sharper. It almost looks like it has a pair of cat ears on the top of the leaf that's emerging.  

                          The Christmas cactus is going to be similar to the Thanksgiving cactus, but it's a totally flat or square top to that leaf, so there's no cat ears on it. It's just totally flat. 

                          The Easter cactus is round. So that leaf is rounded at the top and the colors of all three of them will vary. So you'll have your Reds and your whites and your pinks. I've seen some in like salmony orange colors and with all three of them, you can purchase them from the store, or you can start them from cuttings. And what you can do is you can actually take a small branch. Dip it in. They have a product called rooting powder. 

                          And put it in some sandy potting soil and it should be able to produce some roots for you. So they're really easy. If you want to get into plant propagation. If you want to have something that's a low water need to take care of, these guys are really good because they are in the cactus family and they're just very colorful and very seasonal. Depending on what time of year they bloom. 

                          With the three, the time of year, the light can actually affect when they bloom or not too, so that can be a really interesting thing. So always look for the shape of those leaves. 

                          00:14:25 Heather Zidack 

                          Do you want to hear the one I have next? 

                          00:14:27 Stephen Thal 

                          Sure 

                          00:14:28 Heather Zidack 

                          All right. So then I have a plant called paperwhites. These are tiny. They are actually Narcissus bulbs, which is a relative of the daffodil. So if you're familiar with the daffodil shape that has those petals that are kind of like a wide open starburst with that circular set of petals in the middle. That's what it looks like, but it's on a very small star shaped scale, so they have tiny White Star shaped flowers, upright green foliage and stems. They're very delicate. They're very leafy looking. 

                          Many varieties are fragrant and what you can do with them is you can start your bulbs between September and November indoors, and you'll get flowers during the holiday season and winter months.  

                          Cooler temperatures help them root for the first few weeks, so if you're putting them in two pots yourself, you want to keep them at 50 to 60° to help them develop their roots in those first couple of weeks. 

                          And then temperatures above 70 are going to cause them to kind of flop over. They're not going to hold their shape as well. So if they get too warm, they can also throw a little bit of a fit about it. And so they will be much happier if you're able to stake them up if the room is too warm and they start to do that, flopping over, they like the cooler 50 to 60 kind of temperature for them, so that's something to keep in mind. 

                          00:15:57 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah. What kind of pots do you use? I know some people use clay pots. Some people use plastic ones or other types of. 

                          00:16:04 Heather Zidack 

                          Really, the pot material isn't the important thing. What you really want to make sure that you have is the right size. So for paperwhites, you would probably want maybe a six inch pot or like a geranium pot to put your bulbs into. You want to make sure that whenever you have for house plants-and this is even stuff that you bring in-You want to have your pot be a little bit wider than your root ball. So once the roots start getting too expansive, you're going to have what's called a root bound plant. And so it's kind of going to be outgrowing itself, kind of like when we outgrow our shoes, when we're kids, right. So you want to put a new pot there. 

                          You want it to be just an inch or two bigger than that root ball so that it has enough room to continue growing. That's really what you want to pay attention to more than the material. 

                          00:17:05 Heather Zidack 

                          And then the last one that I have is poinsettias. Do you want me? To go into that one. 

                          00:17:08 Stephen Thal  

                          Sure. 

                          00:17:08 Heather Zidack 

                           All right. So for pointsettia is for the holiday. This is our traditional holiday plant that we have. What's really cool about these guys is that they were discovered in Mexico where it actually grows natively. The native poinsettia doesn't look at like anything that we know from what we've seen in stores. It's actually tall, it's a little bit what we call leggy. So it actually spreads out. 

                          You know, and it's very wild looking and it's more shrub like it. It is a very different plant altogether. It was something from Aztec culture. They had a lot of symbolism behind this plant where it represented purity and new life earned by warriors who had died in battle. 

                          It was used for dyes and other products and then it didn't come to the US until the 18 hundreds and then it started to become a a holiday staple over the years. There's a lot of people that can go out, and purchase them.  

                          The growers start those plants in August or September, sometimes even earlier. We're still all in summer mode thinking about getting those last few days at the beach, and they're already putting these points that is in the pots. So it's something that is it takes a long time to grow. They love heat and they love warmth. So that's something to keep in mind when you have them in your house.  

                          They come in tons of varieties and colors now and they've really done a lot of breeding projects to get them to change from what they originally were with that wild native plant. 

                          And so the new colors have all sorts of different stripes, splashes, solid colors, Reds, whites, pinks and everything in between. There are ones that are blue, and some of those can actually be painted. You have to kind of take a look and see real close if they're painted or if it's a a color that's true from actual breeding but you'll be able to tell if you look close. 

                          00:19:11 Stephen Thal 

                          Hmm. Wow. 

                          00:19:13 Heather Zidack 

                          They're really cool. 

                          00:19:13 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah. Yeah, I would agree with you. Yeah, yeah. 

                          00:19:18 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah. 

                          00:19:18 Stephen Thal 

                          What people tell me they are. Yep, you're right. 

                          00:19:22 Heather Zidack 

                          Yep. And they have. They have a really, really nice history from them too. So it's always cool to see what plants start as and what they end up becoming. That's a, that's a really cool field to look at with plant breeding and how plants have changed over time. 

                          00:19:40 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah. OK. Well, these are exciting. And the one day they get all nice colors and and they also have it used to be used for dyes. That's interesting. 

                          00:19:50 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah, they used to use the color they they used the petals for dyes and all sorts of different uses when they would use the native plant. 

                          00:20:03 Stephen Thal 

                          And I bet you the fragrance is pretty nice. 

                          00:20:06 Heather Zidack 

                          They actually the ones that we have now don't have too much fragrance. I don't know about the wild or the native ones, how fragrant they were. But the other thing that's really interesting about poinsettias is the fact that they have their flowers and what we know to be their flowers are actually the tiny itty bitty yellow spots in the center of the plant. So if you ever look at a whole Poinsettia plant and you see the little tiny yellow pieces in the middle, those are the actual flowers. What we see is changing colors and different petals and things like that is actually called a bract, which is a modified leaf. 

                          And so, they're all leaves that have changed color. So that's another really cool fun fact about them. 

                          00:20:56 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah, yeah. No wonder people flock to the poinsettias and they're around the holidays a lot. 

                          00:21:05 Heather Zidack 

                          They're very popular. 

                          00:21:06 Stephen Thal 

                          Yeah, also about. Any what about poison plants? We know sometimes during the holiday season there are some plants that children, adults and animals should be cautious. 

                          00:21:21 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah. So, one of the things that we tell our clients is that our office and with the home and Garden Center, we can identify a plant for them to tell them what it is. And we can say that is a poinsettia, for example, right? 

                          Other professionals need to be the ones to deem it toxic and give you those warnings. So the best advice that I can give to you is to do your research before purchasing any plant. You want to kind of like I talked about with the house plants before. Know the species of what you're purchasing and that'll help you to determine whether it's toxic for people, for pets, for anything like that. There is a really good resource from the ASPCA. They have a database of plants that are toxic to domestic animals, and they have a 24 emergency hotline, a 24 hour emergency hotline. Now that's for pets. I do have that number. Would you like me to share that with you? 

                          00:22:22 Stephen Thal 

                          Yes, please. 

                          00:22:23 Heather Zidack 

                          OK, so that is 1-888-426-4435 again, that's 1-888-426-4435. 

                          00:22:41 Heather Zidack 

                          Now on the people side of things, when you're looking at plants that could be toxic again, I can give you the identity of what that plant is, but then we would refer people to the Connecticut Poison Control Center for human toxicity. And I have that number as well. Would you like that? 

                          00:23:00 Stephen Thal 

                          Yes, please. 

                          00:23:01 Heather Zidack 

                          Alright, so that number is 1-800-222-1222. Again, that's 1-800-222-1222. 

                          00:23:19 Heather Zidack 

                          And any plants that you have done your research on and found that they could be toxic house plants, anything like that, you want to make sure that they're kept out of reach of children and pets-if you're going to bring them into the home. If you do that background homework and figure out if it's toxic to your pets or children or whatever you, you know, are concerned about the toxicity of. You can also just not bring them into the home. So the best thing to do is to know what the plant is, have those emergency numbers on hand. 

                          And keep anything out of reach or just don't bring it home at all. If you have any concerns. 

                          00:24:01 Stephen Thal 

                          OK, this is Stephen Thal with another segment on focal point and we were speaking with Heather from the UConn plant and Science Center up at stores, Connecticut. We have to remember many years ago, as I remember, as I recall from history is that that was one of the first universities in Connecticut to start as an agricultural college, didn't it? 

                          00:24:27 Heather Zidack 

                          Yes, we have a very deep history here at the university and the College of AG, which is now the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. We call ourselves CAHNR for short C-A-H-N-R. That college was one of the first ones started here at the University of Connecticut as well. 

                          00:24:48 Stephen Thal

                          What are some other plants that you'd like to end the program with?

                          00:24:57 Heather Zidack 

                          I think one thing that we could talk about real quick is growing herbs indoors because that's something that a lot of people can do. You can still grow your herbs right now whether you want to dig up the herbs that you have in your garden and bring them inside. 

                          And get a whole grow light operation and everything else, which is what I do because I am a very, very intense gardener at home. I bring my plants in. Or you can start herbs. Herbs are one of the easiest things that you can grow on your window sill indoors. It's very easy to start and restart and regrow them from time to time. 

                          Whenever you start them, you can start them from seed to anytime and many of them like basil for example, is really good. You can just put a sprig of basil in a jar of water and it will actually send out some roots and you can put that in a a pot of potting soil and grow your basil from that as well. 

                          So you can do that. Most herbs do well by a sunny window. They are used for culinary purposes. It's also a really great fragrance in the wintertime. It's really nice to have fresh herbs all year round and it's easy to rotate them. Like I said, if anything happens-Disease or you get bugs, or you get anything like that-It's really easy to just kind of let them go and start fresh with new herbs. If you're growing herbs. 

                          00:26:29 Stephen Thal 

                          Now, do you- 

                          00:26:31 Heather Zidack 

                          Oh, go ahead. 

                          00:26:32 Stephen Thal 

                          Do you need a lot of light for these herbs? Put them in a lot of light area. 

                          00:26:37 Heather Zidack 

                          They tend to need a sunny window, herbs. The nice thing is that because they aren't producing flowers, they don't need as much sunlight and as much energy as some of the other house plants that we were talking about. So they do need a sunny window, but they can actually adapt pretty well to other conditions as well. 

                          00:27:00 Stephen Thal

                          UM, that's wonderful. Herbs and anything else you can grow at home.

                          00:27:08 Heather Zidack 

                          The other, the last thing with the herbs, that's really cool that we're seeing is a trend right now is that Rosemary plants are being used as mini indoor Christmas trees. And so people are purchasing Rosemary plants that are shaped to be like a Christmas tree. 

                          Stephen Thal  

                          Yeah 

                          Heather Zidack 

                          They decorate them for the holiday and then they end up having them throughout the rest of the winter for a-they can use it for the culinary purposes. They're fragrant. They're really pretty. So that's that's something that we're seeing is a new trend right now. 

                          00:27:40 Stephen Thal 

                          Right. And so they don't have to throw the tree out. 

                          00:27:44 Heather Zidack 

                          Right, exactly. They can keep it and they can go from there, yeah. 

                          00:27:45 Stephen Thal 

                          Recycling 

                          00:27:48 Stephen Thal 

                          Very good. OK. Heather, we want to thank you for a great job and a great wealth of information. We hope that people will take notes and if you want to leave your phone number one more time to regarding information or how they can assist you, how they can you can assist them. 

                          00:28:06 Heather Zidack 

                          Yeah. So if anybody has any questions about gardening, plants or anything that we talked about today, we we are here Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:00 give us a call. The number here is 860-486-6271. Again, that's 860-486-6271 

                          00:28:28 Stephen Thal

                          We want to thank you very much for your information and we hope that the people online will find this helpful and also not only ask your question but maybe go online and show you the pictures on your computers, right. You might be able to do that.

                          00:28:46 Heather Zidack 

                          Yes, that would be fantastic. We can do a lot with pictures, and we can help people with their gardening projects and questions that they have. 

                          00:28:55 Stephen Thal 

                          OK well, wishing you and your family and the school a happy, safe holiday. I know this Thanksgiving’s not too far around the corner. 

                          00:29:06 Heather Zidack 

                          Yes, thank you. You too. 

                          00:29:07 Stephen Thal 

                          Take care and stay well and thanks for coming back and give us a call in the spring so we can get you on again. 

                          00:29:08 Heather Zidack 

                          Thanks for having me back. Yes, I will. Thank you so much. 

                          00:29:15 Stephen Thal

                          Yeah. Thank you. This is Stephen Thal saying thank you for joining us on Focal point. Two quick reminders. One where a hat and sunglasses while you're outside to protect your delicate eyes and also to develop an emergency plan no matter where you are, whether it's school or ome or traveling. You need to develop an emergency plan, so if an emergency happened, you know what to do. You need help. Call the fire department. Thank you again. Stay safe and stay healthy.

                           

                          Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure

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                          Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure
                          By Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                          Princettia poinsettias in white, hot pink and light pink
                          Photo by dmp2024

                          It just isn’t the holiday season without a poinsettia. We adorn homes, churches, and other public spaces with them at this time of year. Their bold color and striking presence are hard to miss.  With a story as spectacular as their seasonal color, the poinsettia is a plant to be treasured.

                          Poinsettias have a rich history and culture. While we associate them with the coldest time of year here in the Northeast, they actually come from a much warmer climate! Known as Cuetlaxochitl in their native region of Mexico, they were cultivated and used by indigenous peoples for medicines, dyes, and decorations. In Aztec culture, the Cuetlaxochitl held cultural significance as a symbol of purity and were also used to symbolize a new life earned by warriors who had died in battle. The Mayans called this plant k'alul wits. Many traditional uses for k’alul wits are still practiced by the Téenek people in southeastern Mexico, today.

                          Their association with the Christmas holiday started when Franciscan monks in Mexico began to use their bright red and green foliage to decorate nativity scenes. It became known as la flor de Nochebuena, translating to “the Christmas Eve flower.” It was brought to the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, in 1825. Poinsett was a man of many talents, having a career in politics, a passion for science, and an enthusiasm for agriculture. Through continuous plant breeding and developments, there are now hundreds of varieties of poinsettia.

                          Contrary to popular belief, poinsettia flowers are small and barely noticeable. The insignificant yellow flowers are surrounded by stunning, colorful bracts. Bracts are not flower petals, but rather, specialized leaves. The bracts of a poinsettia change color when daylight hours begin to shorten. Breeders have developed poinsettias that have bracts of various shapes, textures, and colors. Some are variegated or have speckles of color on them. These cultivated varieties (cultivars) are quite different from the straight species, Euphorbia pulcherrima, in its native environment, where it can grow over 10 feet tall, is semi-evergreen, and can sometimes grow a bit scraggly.

                          Poinsettia on greenhouse bench
                          Photo by H. Zidack

                          Greenhouses start poinsettia production as early as July. Tiny plugs get put into their pots while we’re all still soaking up the summer sun. (It makes sense when you remember that they’re originally from Mexico!) They grow as little green plants through the rest of summer and autumn. The fall equinox will naturally trigger these plants to change color, however, growers can manipulate their greenhouses to create ideal darkness/brightness to help time the coloring of their plants for holiday sales.

                          If you’ve got a green thumb and are trying to get a previous years’ poinsettia to “reflower,” simulating this dark period with an opaque container, paper bag, or moving the plant into a closet or dark location for 14-16 hours a day can do the trick! Make sure they’re receiving 8 hours of bright, direct light, and not a ray more! After about 4 weeks of these conditions, most poinsettias can go back to their life with your other houseplants, as normal, and you should see a change in color.

                          Shopping for a new poinsettia as a gift or decoration this year? Always shop for a plant that is brightly colored and has tight (tiny yellow) flowers that aren't already going by. Select a plant that has evenly moist soil, and a nice shape that doesn’t appear to have been crowded for too long. Here in Connecticut, make sure that your florist, grocer, or grower packages the poinsettia for you to help protect it from cold winds while transporting it to and from your car. When you get it home keep it away from entryways, drafts, fireplaces, or heating vents, and keep it in a room that is between 60° and 70°F. Water your poinsettia when the soil begins to dry out in the pot and enjoy the holiday season.

                          Whether you’re reviving an old poinsettia, shopping for a new one, or deciding that artificial is the best choice for your home this year, take the time to recognize the special journey these plants have taken to become such a treasure and staple in our holiday celebrations. There truly isn’t anything quite like it!

                          For questions about caring for your poinsettias or for other gardening queries, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

                          Berry Good Pick for Winter Interest

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                          By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                          Winterberry shrub with no leaves and bright red berries.
                          Winterberry shows winter interest with no leaves and bright red berries. Photo by dmp2024

                          Looking for a splash of color in your yard amid winter’s dreary landscape? Check out one or more of the many winterberry (Ilex verticillata) cultivars. This deciduous member of the holly family sports bright, shiny red berries from early fall through late winter. Branches may be cut and used in holiday arrangements.

                          Winterberry can be found growing throughout eastern North America from Canada down along the east coast and west to Texas. Look for the brilliant red berries when driving past marshy areas in particular. While winterberry will grow in well-drained soil, it is a great candidate for areas that stay moist and aren’t particularly well drained. These plants naturally occur in forested wetlands as well as along the banks of streams, ponds or other water sources.

                          There are several factors to consider when selecting a winterberry bush for your yard. One of the most important is the mature size of the plant. Cultivars are available that vary from dwarf, 4-foot, compact plants to 15-foot, more rangy specimens. ‘Red Sprite’ and ‘Berry Poppins’ are two red-berried, compact cultivars. ‘Winter Red’ and ‘Sparkleberry’ typically top 10 feet. Check out suggested cultivars for Connecticut with the UConn Plant Database (https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/). While initially slow growing, winterberries may eventually form clumps through suckering and depending on the cultivars, may form dense stands if allowed.

                          The berries on most cultivars are a brilliant red. There are, however, some that have gold or orange fruits. ‘Goldfinch’ boasts golden yellow berries while both ‘Aurantiaca’ and ‘Afterglow’ offer delightful orangey fruit.

                          Do realize that plants are dioecious, meaning that individual plants may be male or female. Only the female plants produce berries. The male plants supply the pollen to fertilize the female’s flowers so that berries are produced. One male plant can fertilize at least 10 females if located within 50 feet or closer. Look at tags so a compatible male cultivar is chosen. Appropriate pollinators should be listed on nursery tags.

                          Unless plants are in bloom or have berries, it is not possible to tell males from females, but they should be marked on their tags at the nursery. When in bloom, the female flowers have tiny green immature berries in the center while the males have fluffy, yellow, pollen-bearing anthers. Occasionally the female flowers have non-pollen bearing anthers, probably effective is luring pollinators to fertilize their flowers. Although not common in Connecticut, one native species of cellophane bee, Colletes banksi, is a specialized pollinator of winterberry.

                          Winterberry with full berry display.
                          Photo by dmp2024

                          Winterberries do best in full sun to partial shade. The shadier the site they are grown in, the fewer blossoms and berries they will produce. Being native New Englanders, they prefer acidic soils rich in organic matter. If your soil pH is between 5 to 6.5, plants should happily grow. Once plants are established, only minimal fertilization is usually required. For the first few years, about a cup of a complete organic or synthetic fertilizer could be lightly worked into the soil surrounding the plant each spring.

                          Plants can be used in foundation plantings, as a hedge, in rain gardens and when setting up areas attractive to wildlife. Not only are pollinators attracted to the flowers but over 48 species of birds feed on the berries, typically after they soften following periods of freezing and thawing.

                          Pruning can be tricky and is best kept to a minimum so selecting the right sized cultivar for your particular site is crucial. Winterberries have an upright growth habit but may sucker. They bloom on old wood meaning the flower buds that open in the spring were formed last fall. If grown as a multi-stemmed shrub, a few stems can be removed if plants seem crowded.

                          Complaints about little or no berry production may be due to lack of a male pollinator, too much shade, young plants that have not established a good root system, improper pruning or excessively dry conditions. In general, winterberries are rewarding, easy to grow shrubs that make quite the impact when little else in the landscape stands out.

                          For questions about selecting or growing winterberries or for other gardening queries, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.