What are those red Christmas flowers called?
Tis the season to be jolly… Christmas lights are being switched on. Secret Santa is the talk of the workplace. Wham’s Last Christmas is getting its annual airing and Home Alone is playing on an obscure TV channel…again. All the unmistakable signs that Christmas is on its way.
As the ‘season to be jolly’ nears, thoughts will also no doubt be turning to festive decorations, Christmas trees and that perennial question – what are those red Christmas flowers called?
The most famous answer to this question is the Poinsettia – also known as the Christmas Star. Originating from Mexico and with over eight million plants sold in the UK every year, the poinsettia flowers in December and January and is the ultimate Christmas decoration in the home – aside from the Christmas tree, of course. Interestingly, the large colourful bracts of the poinsettia are often mistaken for flower petals, but they are in fact leaves.
Poinsettia
While Poinsettias are the undisputed floral champion of the Christmas season, there are plenty of other red Christmas blooms – both cut flowers and houseplants – to choose from. Here are a few of our favourites to consider when getting Christmas flowers delivered
Roses
An all-year round favourite, red roses play a starring role in Christmas bouquets, just as much as they do at Valentine’s Day. Whether in a table centre paired with seasonal foliage and candles, or a festive hand-tied gift, the red hues of roses perfectly represent the traditional colours of the season, giving bouquets an instantly festive look.
Amaryllis
Another quintessential Christmas flower favourite is the Amaryllis. Long-lasting and beautifully showy thanks to their large, trumpet-shaped, bright red flowers that are perfectly festive, it’s no wonder red Amaryllis are enduringly popular. Snowy white versions are available too. Amaryllis are popular as plants, but can also be used as cut flowers in bouquets.
Gerberas
Another popular red Christmas flower, gerbera daisies are a florist favourite at Christmas, not least because they look great in festive arrangements combined with festive foliage and berries.
Chrysanthemums
White Chrysanthemums are historically taken into homes in some countries – Germany in particular – on Christmas Eve, believing that by doing so they are sheltering the Christ Child, making this an enduringly popular flower for the season. Red chrysanthemums are long-lasting – they’ll easily make it through the whole Christmas period and once again work wonders when combined with foliage and berries of the season.
Azaleas
Azaleas bring a wide range of colours to the house in Christmas, although the red varieties are the most popular choice. Azaleas are actually low-growing varieties of rhododendron brought into flower early by growers so you can enjoy the flowers at Christmas.
By Austin Clark 07 October 2020
