Beyond the Poinsettia

While some growers are still finding steady success with their poinsettia crops, many others are turning to alternatives to correct sales slumps. Blooming crops such as cyclamen and orchids are common trade-outs for the classic Christmas plant. While demand for large specimens of poinsettia does seem to be rising, some growers are skipping holiday plant production altogether; choosing instead to grow other seasonal crops like vegetables and succulents.

Demand for indoor plants is growing and customers want specimens that complement the look of their home and help them bring a bit of nature indoors. They also want multipurpose outdoor plants. Finished gift and table-top plants still offer a good opportunity to drive niche-season and impulse sales, but offering fresh new alternatives that meet customers changing indoor and outdoor plant needs may be the best way to recapture their holiday dollar. Here are a few finished potted plants that are trending and can be creatively marketed for holiday sales:
 

Succulents

There doesn’t seem to be a slow-down on the horizon when it comes to customer demand for succulents. Even though these water-wise beauties already seem to take up substantial real estate in both the garden and in patio containers, there’s still opportunity to market them as holiday and hostess gift plants. Some succulent varieties already sport holiday-appropriate colors and even cultivar names.

Echeveria are impressive specimens bound to please any recipient. The large whorled leaves of echeveria give it the look of a giant rose bloom. Some echeveria varieties sport brightly colored foliage and even ruffled leaves. Echeveria gibbiflora ‘Red Ruffles’ is particularly suited to the holiday season, with red-edged ruffled leaves.The rosette grows to the size of a large cereal bowl, making it the perfect size for a table-top centerpiece. Plants can be kept indoors in a bright location as a houseplant, or set out on the patio in summer. Echeveria make water-wise landscape specimens in warmer climates. Plants send up foot-tall flower spikes in summer with red-orange flowers. Echeveria ‘Christmas’ is also quite suited to the season, with red-tipped leaves.

‘Christmas Carol’ aloe comes complete with a festive name and brightly colored foliage. The succulent leaves offer deep crimson spots edged in vibrant red. Red flower spikes are a festive bonus. This is a petite plant perfect for a more space-conscious gift giver. Plants can be kept as an indoor houseplant or set outdoors in zones 9-11.

For a shock of intense foliage color, consider Crassula capitella ‘Campfire.’ The succulent leaves offer up a fiery red color perfect for the holiday season. Plants grow to only about 6 inches tall which make it a handy, grab-and-go holiday gift plant. Again, this succulent makes an excellent houseplant in a bright location and a perfect patio table plant in summer.
 

Tropicals

It’s easy to forget that a good portion of the planet celebrates the holiday season during summer, rather than winter. Blooming tropicals are a natural part of seasonal décor for those living south of the equator. It could be a nice change of pace to offer up some of that tropical flare to warm up our chilly holiday season.

Why bring a red poinsettia to the party when you can arrive in style with a cheery red-blooming anthurium? Anthuriums are quite the statement plant and their color is long-lasting. Anthurium are easy to take care of and will last long beyond the typical poinsettia. There are many cultivars of anthurium in colors ranging from white to pink to red. Anthurium Smalltalk is a compact variety that produces masses of glossy red flowers through the year. While the red varieties are an obvious choice for the holiday season, white-blooming types have a more contemporary look and fit in more easily with any decor.

Guzmania bromeliads produce stunning bright red bracts perfect for the holiday season. Plants feature long, shiny leaves that radiate from a central point. Guzmania bromeliads tend to be taller and showier than some other types of bromeliad. Specimens can be kept as indoor plants or set outside as patio plants during summer months. They are long-lasting and make impressive, showy gifts.
 

Edibles

The demand for edible plants continues to grow and the trend is perfect for taking into the holiday season. Mixed herb containers and fruiting pepper plants are always good choices. And while herbs such as rosemary have long been considered traditional holiday décor and appropriate hostess gifts, customers are seeking new and unusual edible options.

Dwarf Citrus plants are not only beautiful but perfectly suited to patio containers. As consumer demand for unusual citrus plants is growing, dwarf citrus plants are a natural fit for holiday gifting. Dwarf citrus varieties are those that typically stay under 12-feet tall when planted out in the landscape, but can be kept much smaller in containers and patio planters. Small topiary citrus make for a classy gift and a beautiful seasonal accent in the home.

For the urban gardener, or urban farmer, dwarf citrus are a good fit for small spaces. Some citrus varieties will bloom repeatedly through the year and some during the holiday season. ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon and Indonesian limes are particularly popular and well suited to an indoor environment. More unusual dwarf types such as yuzu, ‘Gold Nugget’ mandarin and calamondin (Philippine lime) will catch your customer’s fancy.
 

Perennials

Everyone wants to get more from the plants they buy these days. A successful way to sell gift and hostess plants is to choose varieties that can easily transition to the outdoor garden once the holiday season has passed. Blooming perennials packaged as gift items offer the added bonus of long-term garden performance.

An unusual yet seasonally appropriate blooming bulb is the star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum thyrsoides. Plants produce aloe-like foliage topped with spikes of six-petaled white blooms. The small, white flowers resemble stars, hence the common name. There are several different species of the bulb available commercially, but the white flowering types best suit the holiday season. Star of Bethlehem has a clean and sophisticated look that is at home in both contemporary and traditionally styled homes. A native of Africa, plants can be enjoyed as an indoor potted plant, or set out in the garden in zones 7 to 11.

Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, not only has a seasonally appropriate name, but also sports glossy evergreen foliage perfect for accenting the holiday season. Christmas ferns are easy to grow and have a neat growth habit. Christmas ferns earned their name by hanging on green fronds well into winter when most plants are dormant. Their fronds are often used in Christmas floral arrangements, so why not gift the whole plant? The dark green fronds grow up to 3 feet long and make for an attractive houseplant long after the holidays are over.

Lenten rose, Helleborus spp., have picked up in popularity over the last few years as a unique holiday bloomer. Their allure comes from both their beautiful winter blooms and versatility in the garden. Lenten rose are tough, evergreen perennials that tolerate difficult growing conditions such as heavy soil and shade. Plants can be enjoyed indoors while they bloom then planted out in the garden. Many consumers still aren’t familiar with this blooming beauty so there’s plenty of opportunity to keep pushing this plant trend.

While some customers want to keep familiar traditions alive, many are looking to grow beyond the holiday poinsettia. By tapping into overall gardening and home decorating trends, you can make better choices about which plants to market for holiday sales.

All photos courtesy of Leslie F. Halleck