The Plants Of Christmas

With the dawn of December sees the inevitable arrival of festivities; everything from carols and decorations to jolly jumpers make an appearance for this special time each year. However, one of the most significant signs of Christmas time is the presence of festive foliage. It may be that prickly green holly adorns your Christmas pudding, mistletoe dangles from your doorways, or you have a Norway Spruce dressed to impress in the living room. What makes these plants so seasonally significant?

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Perhaps the most obvious, and largest, festive flora is one of the best-known types of Christmas tree, the Norway Spruce. For those who opt for a real tree every year, this tree’s rich pine aroma and deep green foliage is irresistible, and characteristically Christmassy.

Originating in Germany, the tradition of decorating Christmas trees began with devout Christians in the 16th century, who brought trees into their homes, or even built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens. But it wasn’t until 1846, when Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, were sketched with their family around a Christmas tree in Illustrated London News that it become popularised.

A Holly, Jolly Christmas

With its vivid red berries and glossy green leaves, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without holly boughs adorning windows, doors and baked festive treats. These iconic Christmassy hues are what make the plant especially significant to the festive season. According to Elizabeth Abbess in How Stuff Works (2024), Christians adopted the holly tradition from the Druids, who believed holly to be a symbol of eternal life and fertility. Christians regard it to symbolise Jesus Christ due to the red berries, representing the blood shed at his crucifixion, and its pointed leaves, symbolising the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head on the cross.

Mistletoe Moments

This romantic evergreen features forked branches and clusters of white berries with a frosty finish, making it wintry and wonderful. Its association with love originated in ancient folklore, when Druids would embrace beneath mistletoe growing on trees, while the custom of kissing under mistletoe was first recorded in a song in 1784 in an English musical comedy. This tradition still remains today, bringing the joy of love and romance to the holidays.

Legendary Poinsettias

With scarlet tones and large leaves, this beautiful plant is bountiful at Christmas. Its festive significance isn’t just down to its red tones; originating in Mexican lore, a young, penniless child, Pepita, picked a bouquet of weeds for Jesus, unable to afford anything else. The angels sympathised, and transformed her weeds into beautiful red flowers, solidifying red and green as iconic Christmas colours. Despite appearances, their red halo is not made of petals, but rather a leaf called a bract, which is long-lasting, even in winter.

Time To Tuck In

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without festive feasting, which includes cranberries as a staple. Whether paired with a roast turkey dinner, or spread into a sumptuous sandwich, cranberries are a seasonal necessity. They are native to North America and despite their bitter taste, they are often preserved with sugar as a sweet accompaniment to savoury meals. Aside from its diverse flavour pairings, its rich redness also makes it popular and striking in decorations, too. This multipurpose berry is wonderfully versatile, perfect for Christmas celebrations.

References:
Abbess, Elizabeth. (2024) Why Do We Decorate with Holly at Christmas? How Stuff Works.
History.com Editors. (2023) History of Christmas Trees. History.
Mchale, Ellen and Young, Katherine. (2024) 12 Plants of Christmas. Royal Botanic, Kew Gardens.

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