Lemon cypress is aromatic and beautiful. Gardeners, both novice and veteran, enjoy receiving live plants for Christmas. They come naturally gift wrapped. Whether selected for color, form, fragrance, or edibility, nurseries and garden centers are teeming with choices.

For colorful blossoms during and after the holidays cyclamen, Christmas cactus and kalanchoe are easy to care for houseplants when given proper light and moisture.

Rosemary in topiary or free form becomes a hardy outdoor perennial for the kitchen garden after the holidays. The aromatic herb of remembrance will keep you in the recipient’s memory.

Leaves of the bay laurel, Laurus nobilis, are used as a seasoning in soups and stews. The slow–growing tree is often kept in a pot near the kitchen.

Dwarf citrus trees – lemon, lime and orange – are popular indoor plants in winter and portable for deck or patio in summer. McKenzie Farms in Scranton, SC, is a source for all kinds of citrus plants. (http://mckenzie- farms.com)

Norfolk Island pine is sold at most garden centers in either compact tabletop size to large floor plants competing with traditional Christmas trees. It makes an elegant houseplant and a festive holiday tree with lights, bows, and ornaments.

The cone shaped growth habit of the dwarf Alberta spruce makes it ideal as a decorative holiday tree for a small apartment or as a child’s Christmas tree. They look fabulous with a string of lights and candy canes.

Bring the smell of citrus into someone’s home with the aromatic lemon cypress tree with golden foliage. The drought–tolerant tree can be enjoyed indoors all winter and planted outdoors where it can reach to 15 feet in height.

Specialty garden centers and online nurseries feature miniature Italian stone pine trees at holiday time. This Mediterranean native has been valued for its edible pine nuts. The tree can be shaped into bonsai or allowed to grow into a large umbrellacrowned pine needing minimal care.

Rosemary is the herb of remembrance. How about a winter blooming Camellia sasanqua “Yuletide” for the neighbors yard so you can enjoy sharing the abundance of red flowers with bright yellow stamens for at least two months of bloom. If fragrant shrubs are desired, Daphne odora and Skimmia japonica will not disappoint. The glossy foliage of these plants makes them attractive year round.

Some nurseries have red and white caladiums available now. The leaves can be as festive as poinsettia in a centerpiece, on the mantel, or in the front porch planter.

The long–lasting red spathe of the Anthurium andreanum gives this exotic a favored houseplant status. This plant is for the gardener who can replicate the native tropical habitat with water, humidity, and indirect light.

Dwarf Alberta spruce is the perfect size tree for a child to decorate. Liven up the holidays for friends and family with green gifts.
Norfolk Island pine creates a miniature Christmas tree.
Chr istmas cactus makes a stunning houseplant.
Cyclamen are festive indoors or outside.
Daphne odora is a gift of fragrance.
Bay laurel is for the cooks on your list.
Edible dwarf citrus trees make treasured gifts.