Christmas decorating traditions reflect the culture where the holiday is celebrated. The use of red and green as the colors for the celebration arrived with the European settlers centuries ago.
Without the readily available accessories which could be delivered to home porches with the click of a button, the newcomers had to innovate. Local foliage was the quickest and most affordable option.
One genus of native plants is displaying its brilliant seasonal tones, complementing the traditional color scheme of red and green. Local hollies are heavily laden with red berries and deep green leaves.
Ilex, as hollies are scientifically known, is common in the temperate to tropical parts of the globe with species on every continent except Antarctica. There are approximately 500 individual species in this genus of evergreens.
Yaupons are a common holly in north Florida. They are tolerant of the soils, the salt air, and are prolific berry producers.
The greatest diversity of holly species occurs in the Americas. Curiously, Europe has a single well-known species which has long been associated with the Christmas season.
Plants in this genus have simple, alternate glossy leaves, usually with sharp spines on their leaf’s edge. Their inconspicuous flower is greenish white with four petals and is a source of food for native pollinators during the warmer months of the year.
The berries now appearing are an important source of winter food. In return, the birds spread the undigested seeds to establish the next generation of this plant.
Humans and other mammals should not eat the berries because they can cause gastric upset. Hollies native to the area have red berries, but other colors appear in different species.
Generally slow growers, hollies can be either trees or shrubs. Fossil records indicate the earliest known ilex members have been around since the last days of the dinosaurs.
Another tradition which has not changed for centuries is a kiss under the mistletoe. This parasitic plant commonly found growing in panhandle Florida’s hardwood trees has a long and storied history in religion, folklore, and pagan rites across several continents.
Mistletoe plants can grow in a variety of local hardwood trees, most typically in pecans and oaks. Across its range mistletoe can be hosted by more than 200 different shrubs and trees.
Mistletoe plants occupy the upper branches of this mature pecan tree. This plant, which lives off the nutrients of its host, usually goes unnoticed until the tree loses its leaves in the autumn. It has a long tradition of decorating homes during the Christmas season.
This plant’s sprouts are equipped to utilize available nutrients and water until they are firmly attached into a host’s system which will do most of the work for them. Classified as hemi-parasites, mistletoe does engage in some photosynthesis while deriving most of its sustenance from the host plant.
Mistletoe is easy to spot in the tops of trees which are shedding their leaves in autumn. The growth position in the tree provides mistletoe with several advantages.
Because of its ability to produce fruit and seeds in the winter months and other unique qualities, a number of early cultures credited mistletoe with mystical powers.
Kissing under the mistletoe was first noted in the early 1500’s, no doubt by a watchful parent keeping a sharp eye on their daughter. Not surprisingly, the custom caught on and has remained popular for centuries.
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