The image that comes to mind when most people think about the traditional Christmas flower is a pot of red poinsettias. During the holiday season, you are likely to see this Christmas flower everywhere you go, from the fake displays in department store windows, to the real ones scattered throughout peoples homes. This plant with its brilliant red flowers is the ultimate Christmas foliage.
The problem with poinsettias is that they can be toxic if ingested by people and animals. And while most adults dont go around eating plants, cats and children are especially susceptible to this hazard because they are naturally curious about the world. Ive seen children eat anything from money to dust balls on the floor, so thinking that they wont eat a plant is a little unlikely. As for cats, it is sometimes impossible for a curious feline to pass up a brightly colored flower, seeing as how their palates are so undiscerning that they will often eat their own vomit.
But because the poinsettia is a Christmas flower, putting it outside, away from the people and animals in your home who might be tempted to ingest it is not an option. If you have small children and pets, it is probably best to go with an artificial poinsettia plant or just not have them in your home at all.
Though poinsettias are traditionally red in color, there are now hybrids that come in white also. This color is not traditionally thought of as a Christmas flower, but looks nice when you have a large display of poinsettias and want to mix some different colored blooms in with the usual red. Ive seen beautiful displays of poinsettias in the mall at Christmastime that incorporate both the red and white variety of flowering plant to create a gorgeous display of Christmas blooms.
When you think of winter flowers, not many variations come to mind. After all, flowers are more of a spring thing. This is probably why the traditional Christmas flower is not pastel, but instead a rich red color that is deep and muted, like winter itself. When the heavy snow falls, and the air is cold and dark, the plants that come to mind in this kind of environment are not delicate like lilies and roses. Instead, like the mums of fall, the poinsettia, with its hearty composition and heavy leaves, live on in our minds as the perfect Christmas flower.