There are some indoor tropical plants that make beautiful living Christmas trees. You can add some mini lights, ribbon, and small ornaments to give it that festive flair! Not everyone has space in their home for a large Christmas tree and a smaller tropical plant takes up less space, and can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Perhaps the first plant that comes to mind is the Norfolk Island Pine. Native to the South Pacific, it is a tropical evergreen that has an attractive fir like appearance with parallel branches, and short, soft green needles, similar to a Christmas tree. The branches are strong enough to hold a few decorations, and some lights. Norfolk Island pines enjoy bright, indirect light and average humidity. Water the plant thoroughly when the top of the soil is dry, discarding any excess water after 20-30 minutes. Keeping the plant too wet or too dry will cause the leaves to fall off. The Norfolk Island Pine is a slow growing plant and only needs to be fertilized with a well-balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20, three or four times a year.

Potted Cypress is a neat little dwarf evergreen that looks like a Christmas tree, and can be decorated with small ornaments. It has an upright pyramidal form and fern-like foliage. There are several different varieties available, including ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ which has bright Chartreuse foliage. Cypress like bright sunlight and moist soil (avoid getting moisture on the foliage).If they loose their shape they can be slightly pruned, but only trim the tips of the branches and do not go into the leafless parts of the  stem. They can get quite large, and be placed outdoors over the summer months when there is no risk of frost, and brought back in for the fall/winter.

Dwarf myrtles are beautiful houseplants that are grown in a topiary form, so that they look like little trees. It has a round sphere of green foliage that sits on top of a leafless 15-20 cm stem. The small green leaves are shiny and are aromatic when they are crushed. These are usually not decorated with ornaments but some people like to tie a small red ribbon around the stem. Myrtles are a high maintenance plant as they need to be constantly pruned in order for them to keep their shape and look full. The new shoots are trimmed to promote branching, giving the plant a full look. It requires lots of sunlight and should be kept slightly moist, but not too wet.

The herb Rosemary is also associated with Christmas and celebrations. It can be pruned to look like a tree, and the evergreen, piney scented foliage has a needle-like appearance. If the plant is large enough it can be decorated, or the branches can trimmed and used in fresh arrangements. Place the plant in a bright, south facing window. Give it a thorough water when the top of the soil feels dry. Do not keep it too wet or allow it go too dry. The potted plant can go outdoors over the summer months when all risk of frost has passed, and brought back in for the fall/winter. Rosemary is a multi-purpose plant, as it is attractive, and the sprigs can be used in your recipes, or for decoration.

–Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knap Home and  Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 north at Northwood Pulpmill Road