Amaryllis, Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus and Other Seasonal Houseplants: Care Guide

The new year brings clean slates, changing trends, fresh resolutions—and new houseplants. Remember that orchid a friend brought to your dinner party? Or the festive poinsettia you brought home? They’re still kicking around. After the holidays, when you’re putting away the decorations, you may be looking at those plants and asking yourself, “Now what?”

Resist the urge to toss them out after the holidays. With a bit of attention, they can last for years. Here’s how to care for a few of the more popular holiday plants.

Poinsettia

In the Aztecs language, poinsettias were known as cuetlaxochitl (kwet-la-sho-she), meaning a flower that looks like embers. But for the record, the plant is not deadly—merely irritating unless you’re allergic to it.

• Water, but not too much. Let the soil dry out a bit in between waterings. If your poinsettias came in a plastic pot with a decorative foil wrap, discard the wrap, it can trap water and cause root rot.
• Provide plenty of bright indirect light. If you only have windows with direct sun, hang a sheer curtain to diffuse the light.
• Keep them warm. They are tropical plants. Place them in rooms where the temperature stays above 50 degrees and away from drafty windows.
• Move them outside once the temperatures in your area are above 50 degrees at night. Bring them back inside in September if you want them to re-bloom.
• Give them darkness to encourage re-blooming. The shorter days prompt the plant to start the flowering process. Starting in late September, make sure the plant gets 14 hours of complete darkness a day for 8 to 10 weeks.

Christmas Cactus

Christmas cacti can live 30 years. It’s also known as Thanksgiving cactus, Easter cactus, and orchid cactus.

• Don’t overwater. Water only when the soil is dry. While it is a cactus, it’s one that’s native to the Brazilian rainforest. They need humidity. If misting them daily is too much trouble, place them on a humidity tray. (Fill the tray with pebbles and water; replenish water as needed.)
• Provide bright indirect light, the same as their poinsettia friends.
• Keep them warm. Like the other plants on this list, room temperature is perfect for them. Make sure to keep them away from cold drafts.
• Fertilize monthly during their growing season only with a 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer.
• To re-bloom, prune the tips off in June. Then in mid to late October, give the plant 14 hours of complete darkness for six to eight weeks.

Rosemary Topiary

• Rosemary’s latin name is ‘ros’ meaning dew and ‘marinus’ meaning sea. It’s native to the Mediterranean area, specifically Spain and Portugal.
• Water regularly and deeply. While drought-tolerant, it shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. It’s happiest growing in a well-draining potting medium.
• Give it full sun. Unlike the others on this list, it loves the sun. Go for at least six hours or more if possible.
• Fertilize lightly during the growing season. It doesn’t need much.
• Prune it if you want to. You can certainly keep the tree shape, but you don’t have to. You should only prune during the growing season, but you’re fine if you need a few sprigs for a recipe during the winter.
• Check for pests. Rosemary can get whitefly, among other pests. Neem oil, when used correctly, can get rid of them.