Our Plants

The poinsettia was introduced to this country from Mexico in 1825 by Joel Poinsett. The botanical name for the poinsettia is Euphorbia pulcherrima, meaning the most beautiful Euphorbia. The showy colored parts of poinsettias that most people think are the flowers are colored bracts (modified leaves). Poinsettias are cold sensitive, so they cannot be used in cold drafty areas. Poinsettias are not poisonous, although they can cause an upset stomach if eaten. We use a variety of Euphorbia species and cultivars in the Christmas display and throughout the year, and in the permanent plantings collection. 

Native to rainforests in Brazil, Schlumbergera grow as epiphytes, mainly on trees or shrubs but sometimes in shady places among rocks.  They do not have true leaves but flattened succulent stems.  Schlumbergera flowers bloom directly from the stems at the nodules and come in a variety of colors.  The hybrid ‘Thor Carmen’ is a tough houseplant that has showy flowers that bloom in the late fall, usually around Thanksgiving, hence the common name Thanksgiving cactus.  Sometimes confused with the true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), however, one can tell them apart because the Thanksgiving cactus has claw-like appendages on its stems that resemble crab claws.