By Gracie Elliott —
The final Conservatory Conversation of 2024, “Holiday Horticulture,” took place recently and was hosted by Conservatory Manager Savannah Ballweg. In this presentation, she discussed some of the common flora of the holidays: poinsettia, Christmas trees, holly, Christmas cactus, mistletoe, the yule log, and chestnuts.
Poinsettias are a part of the euphorbia family of plants which includes numerous ornamental
plants. These plants are native to Mexico and were brought to America by U.S. minister Joel
Roberts Poinsett in the 1820’s. Ballweg shared that poinsettias are one of the most popular potted
flowers, as they make up one-fourth of the total holiday plant market.
However, the lively blooms that make poinsettias so desirable are not quite as they seem.
According to Jessica Mozo, with the National FFA Organization, the vibrant red parts of the
plant are not petals but are in fact modified leaves called “bracts.” The official flower portion of
the poinsettia are the small yellow parts called the “cyathium.” Poinsettias also require a short
photoperiod for proper growth—the amount of time a plant is in the sunlight. The Fort Worth
Botanical Garden states, “Poinsettias require at least fourteen hours of darkness six to eight
weeks in a row for their leaves to turn red.”
A peculiar aspect of poinsettias is their ability to benefit from phytoplasma, a type of plant
bacteria that can cause disease in plants. For the vast majority of plants, phytoplasma is
detrimental to their health. However, the United States Department of Agriculture AgResearch
Magazine explains that phytoplasma “triggers the formation of axillary branches in a process
called free-branching.” This shift allows poinsettias to grow outward rather than upward,
creating a fuller-blooming plant.
Ballweg also covered the generic topic of Christmas trees, informing her audience that the
tradition originated around the winter solstice. It was the Germans who brought this concept to
America, but it was not immediately accepted by the Puritans at the time. Due to the barbaric
nature of bringing the outdoor elements into the home, the Puritans were wary of the intentions
surrounding this habit. The Puritans also felt that the origins of this tradition were not aligned
with Jesus’s birth, and this led to some cities banning the use of a Christmas tree.
Times have changed, however, as Ballweg mentioned that three-fourths of modern American
households have a Christmas tree. Due to the limits of supply, climate, and the economy, only
one-fourth of Americans use a live tree. The Ohio Christmas Tree Association says that some of
the most common Christmas tree species in Ohio are Canaan firs, Scotch pines, Fraser firs, and
Douglas firs. Ballweg shared that in general, blue spruce trees are on the decline because of a
fungal disease that is present in many of the trees.
Ballweg ended the main portion of her presentation with the topic of “holly,” which consists of
over 700 different species and thrives in tropical and temperate zones. Ballweg chose to focus on
holly from the Aquifoliaceae family. This plant is also a dioecious plant, meaning there are both
male and female plants. Nikki Tilley, from Gardening Know How, stated, “If you don’t have at
least one male within close proximity of a female, pollination will not occur. As a result, there
will be no berries on holly. It takes just one male to pollinate several female plants.”
A few other common holiday plants were given their due as well; the Christmas cactus,
mistletoe, the yule log, and chestnuts were each accompanied by a brief description.
Now that 2024 is coming to a close, students can stay updated on events at the Conservatory in
the new year via Facebook, and on X by following @MURConservatory.