Christmas tree alternatives: Norfolk Island Pine, Cypress, Rosemary

According to my personal survey of friends and relatives, there seems to be a trend among those who celebrate Christmas . That trend is to skip putting up the Christmas tree. I know, hard to believe, but there it is. I have come across three of my friends who just don’t bother. The kids are grown, the grandchildren are not coming, the mess is too much, or the best excuse yet, ‘I am allergic’. In all fairness, the ‘allergic’ person has a fake tree which pops up. A ‘pop up’ Christmas tree!

I am hoping to avoid these excuses as I grow older. I know I am not alone and the child within many of us loves the lights and decorations on a tree, the ritual of picking out the tree, fighting with the spouse over whether it is straight in the stand (this is hard to see when you are holding it inches from your face while he screws it in the stand) and then the magic of sitting in the darkened room with just the tree lights shining. The good news is, most of these friends do have some form of decorated greenery in their homes and there are many choices of potted foliage plants available at the garden centers that require little ritual or drama in order to “make the season bright”.Consider the Norfolk Island pine. This plant, Araucaria heterophylla, hails from the Norfolk Islands in the Pacific Ocean. In its native habitat, it can grow to 150 feet tall. It has a unique outline and symmetrical structure with very evenly spaced, horizontal branches. It makes a great houseplant long after the holidays and it can be re-commissioned year after year for holiday decorating. A few bows, a strand of lights, and it’s elegantly clad for the festivities. No one could accuse you of skimping on holiday decorating with this plant in seasonal finery. Easy to grow inside, the Norfolk Island pine requires bright indirect light, temperatures above fifty degrees, and even soil moisture. It will thrive while spending the summer outside on the deck in dappled sunlight. There are several different kinds of mini evergreens available at the garden center and these can also be used for holiday decorating, as houseplants, and then again used in the landscape once spring arrives. The Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ is actually a hardy plant in New England and it can grow up to fifteen feet tall. The small potted plant can sit on a hearth or a table and has clean, green foliage in the traditional pyramidal shape. As a houseplant it should be watered when the soil feels dry to the touch and kept in bright light. If you do want to plant it outside wait until the temperatures moderate and gradually acclimate your plant to outside conditions by putting it outside in dappled shade when temperatures are above fifty degrees. Move it over the course of a couple of weeks into sunnier conditions. Full sun and well drained soil will keep this plant in optimal health.

Another evergreen is the x Cupressocyparus leylandii, or golden cypress. This is a lovely golden color. I have kept one over several seasons, training it to a topiary form. It now stands four feet high and has a strand of holiday mini lights adorning it. It always spends the summer outside on the patio in dappled shade and, I confess, the reason it’s a topiary is that I missed several waterings and some of the foliage browned out. No problem. It looks great as a topiary and just requires a few snipets now and then to keep it neat.The plant of remembrance, rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is a deliciously fragrant kitchen herb and its name is derived from the Latin words ‘ros’ (dew) and ‘marinus’ (of the sea). Dew of the sea is quite a visual term and while it does grow near the sea in its native Mediterranean habitat, it can be grown quite well in any heated home. It’s available as a tree-shaped topiary during the holiday season and would be a welcomed gift or festive houseplant.

A rosemary plant can live for many years if you keep just a few tips in mind. Rosemary hates both wet feet and dried-out soil. Watering should be done when the soil feels dry to the touch. You will get a feel for the moisture level if you lift the pot and make a note of its weight. Check the weight by lifting the pot right after you water it and then again every few days as it dries out. If you pay attention to the weight of the pot you will acquire a gardening skill employed by many seasoned gardeners. The pot will be light when dry. The keys to its long life as an indoor plant are full sun, adequate air circulation in the form of a fan, if necessary, and cool temperatures I’ve killed my share of rosemary plants. Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy its presence for a short while as you do other seasonal plants. Growing rosemary is a bit of an acquired skill but it’s well worth having a plant or two on hand for fragrance, color, and culinary purposes. One last plant that I found at the garden center for holiday sale is the olive tree, Olea europaea. The olive has an ancient history and has been cited in the literature of Homer and the Bible. It was an olive branch that a dove brought to Noah on his ark to signify that the floods were over. Olive oil was used in the ancient Olympic games for the Olympic flame. A symbol of peace, fertility, wisdom, and purity, the olive tree is attractive, with silvery gray foliage. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is easy to care for as a houseplant. It requires bright light and watering when dry. Not as finicky as a rosemary plant, the olive tree is well grown in a six-inch clay pot and could be just the gift for that member of the family who ranted at the Thanksgiving table. Offering an olive branch as a sign of peaceful intentions was penned by Virgil in his great work, the Aeneid, written in 29-19 BC. It could be just the plant needed to remind you of peace during the busy holiday.