Florida residents are unique in that they have a wide variety of plants they can cultivate in their yard and garden to get them in the Christmas spirit. However, you should be aware that many of the plants associated with the holidays are toxic to pets and children.

Amaryllis

The big, beautiful blossoms of amaryllis can easily be 6 inches across and they’re long lasting. Get bulbs in Nov. and they’ll bloom in 4 to 8 weeks. They need indirect sun and don’t overwater them.

Candy Cane Sorrel

The red and white striped, trumpet shaped blooms can be grown in full sun or partial shade. The blooms fold up at night, further enhancing the candy cane appearance. They’re low-growing and are great planted near the door. They don’t like high heat or humidity, so they often wither during the summer. They like direct sunlight or partial shade.

Cyclamen

Available in red, white, pink and purple, they’re especially welcoming around the front door. They prefer cooler temperatures, should be planted in the autumn, and protected from temps 40 F and below. They’re toxic to children and pets.

Holly

Resistant to hurricanes, the green foliage and red berries are indicative of the holiday season. Only female holly plants bear berries. Left on its own, holly can grow 12 ft. wide and 40 ft. tall. It’s best grown as a hedge.

Mistletoe

A parasitic plant, it must attach itself to another plant to grow and thrive. It can be grown on elm, hackberry, laurel oak, sycamore and wild cherry. Mistletoe is poisonous when ingested. Always wash your hands after handling it.

Poinsettia

The tropical plant is associated with Christmas and the holiday season. In South Florida, it can be planted outdoors, though it typically doesn’t thrive due to overwatering. It needs at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight, temperatures between 55 and 65 F. at night, and 65 to 70 F in the day. Water sparingly and only when the leaves feel dry to the touch.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

South Florida residents are as enthusiastic in their holiday decorating as people in any other state. Adding accents and decorations can take unique directions due to the differences in vegetation and climate that are at the same time unusual and extremely beautiful. The following are just some of the ways individuals can add holiday accents to their Christmas decorating plans.

Plants

The holiday wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of traditional holiday plants. Poinsettias can be arranged around the front door to welcome visitors and wreaths of pine and holly berries are always a festive touch for entryways. Trees can be decorated with lights on the lawn and for a snowy appearance, there are non-toxic aerosol sprays that can be applied.

Lights

An age-old tradition, lights are available in every color to accommodate personal preferences, coordinate with existing features, or to create a theme. They can be used to adorn fences, pools and houses. Wrapping the trunks of palm trees with LED lights will make the fronds seem to glow.

The availability of outdoor LED lights means individuals can save money on their electric costs and even add more lights if they want. LEDs shine brighter than traditional bulbs, so it takes fewer to create the desired effect. Multiple types of LED trees are offered for outdoor use. Structures can be decorated with icicle lights and for a unique appearance, “meteor” lights provide a glittering, twinkling and cascading effect that will mesmerize all that view them.

Inflatables

There are dozens of inflatables available to decorate lawns ranging from snowmen, Christmas trees and snow globes to Nativity scenes, Santa and his sleigh, and polar bears. A number of inflatables are also offered for those that have an appreciation for TV and movie characters. The Grinch and baby Yoda are among the top 12 favorites for 2020. They all feature lights making them popular for nighttime displays.

Animatronics

The decorations feature lights and motion, making them particularly appealing. Individuals can select from reindeer, a Jack-in-the-Box, and Santa, along with rocking horses, soldiers and nutcrackers inspired by The Nutcracker ballet.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

With Southern Florida’s tropical climate, many people assume that plants grow and bloom year-round without a break and never experience a dormant period. Most deciduous plants require a dormant period in which they prepare for a time of less water, fewer nutrients, less sunlight, and lower temperatures. Dormancy is when plants go into survival mode.

Dormancy periods are a little different in South Florida. Lawn grass, for instance, experiences a form of dormancy. It remains green and grows at a much slower rate, but doesn’t completely “sleep.” Unless there are extreme or unusual fluctuations in weather conditions, lawn grass won’t experience the same type of dormancy as those in northern locales.

The South Florida climate is the primary reason that some plants don’t grow well. They don’t have an adequate dormancy period. Perennial plants have a type of “memory” triggered by hormones that tell them when it’s time to resume growing based on temperature and increased light.

Succulents are popular in Florida and they also undergo a period of dormancy during which they don’t grow as quickly as they do at other times of the year. Succulents tend to be opportunistic growers and will flourish as long as their desired growing conditions are being met.

The South Florida climate doesn’t offer enough of a chilly period for some trees and plants to succeed. Tree leaves may or may not turn colors and fall in the autumn. Some plants will do well at first, then die out without enough of a dormancy cycle. Others may adapt by dropping their leaves and entering into a short period of self-induced dormancy.

Florida does have a dormancy period, but it’s not like that of even other areas of the state. A wide variety of native species have dormancy periods that align with the specific climate. Others engage in a near dormant state that lasts for a very short time – instead of months as in northern states – and enables them to marshal their resources for another round of growth.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Poinsettias and mistletoe add color and interest to homes during the holiday season, providing a festive environment. What you may not know is that many of those traditional decorative plants can cause a rash at the very least and some are highly toxic to children and pets.

It will be safer to purchase imitation plants with which to decorate. If you absolutely have to decorate with live plants, be sure they’re well above reach of children, dogs, cats, ferrets, birds and other pets. The following are some of the most popular plants for decorating during the holidays that you should know about.

Holly

The berries of the holly plant resemble candies to children and a plaything to pets, but eating the berries can be fatal.

Amaryllis

The big, beautiful blooms of amaryllis are a sight to behold and popular for decorating and gift giving. The bulbs and leaves are both toxic and can result in abdominal pain, convulsions and irregular heartbeat.

Calla Lily

The tubers are the primary danger. Ingesting them causes nausea and vomiting, along with convulsions and paralysis.

Cyclamen

Available in multiple colors, the tubers can result in nausea and vomiting, convulsions and paralysis.

Christmas Cactus

None of the cacti sold around the holidays is poisonous, but it causes nausea and vomiting in cats.

Christmas Trees

While cedars, firs and pines are only mildly toxic, ingesting the needles can result in perorations to the intestinal system. It’s unlikely that kids or pets would try to eat the needles, but it’s something of which you need to be aware.

Jerusalem Cherry

The plant is a species of nightshade and the fruits are poisonous. The fruits resemble cherry tomatoes, which make them attractive to children and pets, but they’re extremely dangerous to people, dogs, cats and birds.

Mistletoe

It may be fun to kiss under the mistletoe, but the plant produces a deadly toxin. Ingesting any part of the plant can cause nausea and abdominal pain, along with blurred vision and changes in blood pressure.

Peace Lily

The large white flowers of the peace lily beautiful, but they’re toxic to people if eaten and poisonous to dogs and cats.

Poinsettia

The brightly colored holiday flower isn’t poisonous, but the sap can cause varying degrees of irritation to the mouth, esophagus and stomach, resulting in nausea and vomiting.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760