5 Surprising Facts About Holiday Flowers and Plants
Here are seven interesting facts about flowers and plants that you might not know about:
Poinsettias' bright red "petals" are actually changed leaves known as bracts. The small yellow buds in the middle of the leaves are the real flowers.
1. Christmas poinsettias aren't flowers
The mistletoe plant is a hemiparasite, which means it clings to a host tree or shrub to get water and food. It can still photosynthesize on its own, though.
2. Because mistletoe is parasitic
Holly trees have separate male and female plants, which means they are dioecious. The famous red berries are only made by the female plants; a male plant must be close to pollinate the female plants.
3. Holly’s Gender
People know that amaryllis grows very quickly. It can bloom in just 6 to 10 weeks after being planted, which makes it a popular choice for holiday gifts and home art.
4. The amaryllis' rapid growth
After they bloom, cyclamen plants go dormant and often lose all of their leaves. A lot of people throw away the plant because they think it's dead, but if you take good care of it, it will grow again.