Let the ‘star of
Bethlehem’ light up your lawn
COME December and one thinks of Christmas. As a horticulturist, the season reminds me of plants and flowers that are associated with Christ and Christianity. We see some of them around us but are unaware about the significance attached to them. At times, we ignore them as they are not impressive to look at. The ‘Star of Bethlehem' is one such plant.
A cactus with strap-like
'stems' and 'leaves', it needs the support of a tree or a building roof
even though it is not a parasite Its nocturnal blooming and strong
fragrance have made this plant very popular. Also known as the 'queen of
the night', its giant blooms appear in the dead of the night and
disappear before dawn. 'The spectacular bloom symbolises Christ's birth
in a manger. Look inside the open flower', says Harold Carver,
Principal, St Stephen's School, explaining the various flower parts,
'and you will see angels hovering around, announcing the birth of Jesus
who is wrapped in a flower-decked bed and the 'stable' in the backdrop
(the big petals).' The plant takes a few years before it begins
flowering. The 'Star of Bethlehem' in Carver's garden flowered last week
and the blooms can still be seen on the plant. This plant is tropical in
nature and easy to grow in this region. The one at the Sector 19 Church
flowers quite often.
A plant that adorned the Holy head is the euphorbia milli, normally called euphorbia. It has poisonous milk sap and long, rigid and piercing spines. It has insignificant flowers at the terminals surrounded by two bright red blood drop-like bracts, representing the oozing blood of Christ. The plant strikes root very fast when a few-inch long terminal segment is inserted in sand for a few days. Then it can be transplanted. But when you make the cuttings, the milky sap that oozes out should first be washed with water and then the cutting left out in the shade to dry for a day or two before inserting it in the sand.
A gardeners' favourite, the poinsettia, is another plant that is associated with Christmas due to its bright red, star-shaped magnificent bracts surrounding insignificant yellow flowers. The plant is also known as the Christmas Star and it adds colour to a Christmas tree and other decorations. Remember, this is not the double-flowering poinsettia, which is also known as the fireball. With so many blooms associated with Christmas, you can amply fill your garden and home with the Yuletide spirit. Happy decorating!