There should be a support group for those determined to keep holiday plants like poinsettias and cyclamen looking fabulous long past the holidays. We’ll call it the Post-Holiday Plant Blues Club.

Okay, some holiday plants like Christmas cactus are pretty easy. Others, not so
much. But if you’re willing to give it a go, I’m happy to give you the low-down on what each needs.

Poinsettias

Poinsettias are tropical plants, so they like it warm and moist. Put them in bright
– but not direct – light with no drafts. Water when the soil feels dry. If your plant is
wrapped in foil, ditch the foil and set the plant in a pot so water can drain. Or poke holes
in the foil and set it in a saucer. You’ll get several weeks of blooms, maybe more if you
speak sweetly to it.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis bulbs often come dipped in wax for an instant gift that does not need soil or water. Typically, they bloom quickly like this. If planting, you would carefully remove the wax coating by peeling it off.
Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension – HGIC

Amaryllis sends up clusters of large lily-like blooms on thick stems. If you received an amaryllis in bud or bloom, put it in a sunny spot in a room that stays 60 degrees or warmer. Water when the top of the soil is dry. If you got an amaryllis bulb as a gift, plant it in potting soil in a container just larger than the bulb. Allow a third of the bulb to stick up above the soil, with its pointed tip – amusingly called the nose – up. Water thoroughly and move it to a sunny spot when it sprouts. Amaryllis bloom about four weeks after they sprout and keep blooming for
about a month.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen hold their delicate red, white or pink blooms high above their leaves like fistfuls of scarves fluttering in the breeze.
Unfortunately, they are more than a little fussy. They like temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees and very bright light, conditions that are rare in most homes. Water them like a violet, from the bottom with room-temperature water. I love this plant, but we rarely have a long-term relationship. A gorgeous pink one blooms on my windowsill, mocking me with its fickleness. I look great! I flop. I perk up! I flop. Such a drama queen. But a half-price sale lured me into trying once again.

Photo: Annette Cormany, UMD Extension

Christmas Cactus

At the other end of the care spectrum are oh-so-easy Christmas cactus. They like
bright, indirect light but need more water than their desert cousins. In fact, they are
tropical epiphytes that grow in trees in their natural habitat. I water mine weekly.
Christmas cactus also wins the top prize for longevity among holiday plants. I know
many people who have had them for years, generously sharing cuttings.
I once flew Christmas cactus cuttings home in my luggage, stumping everyone at
the airport security scan. What is that?! I did a little show and tell, and they let me keep
my treasure.

Unlike Christmas cactus, most holiday plants are fickle. Yes, poinsettias,
amaryllis and cyclamen can be kept year-round and forced to bloom again after varying
periods of darkness and dormancy. But honestly, I never bother.

It’s just too much trouble to track X hours of darkness for Y weeks at Z
temperatures. Plants are supposed to be fun. So, my holiday plants are just that: holiday
plants that add color and beauty to the season. I just chucked my poinsettia. Don’t judge.

However, if you love a challenge and want to try to keep these plants going, here
are some links with care tips for maximizing their beauty long-term.

• Poinsettas – UMD Extension
• Amaryllis Care – UMD Extension
• Growing and caring for amaryllis – University of Minnesota Extension
• Amaryllis, Hippeastrum – University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension

Happy nurturing!

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. Read more by Annette.