Native Plants for the Christmas Spirit

Merry Christmas! For this blog we are going to discuss fun Christmas-themed native plants for the Steward Garden. Kick back, relax, and enjoy your hot cocoa or egg nogg or whatever your favorite Christmas drink is.

The first thing that comes to mind for me when thinking of Christmas is the Christmas tree which is usually an evergreen conifer like a fir, cedar, or a spruce. Many people don't realize Illinois has its own native evergreen trees that are great in the garden for winter interest – especially to remind us of Christmas! Starting with the pines, we have both the Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus, and Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana. Not only do they make great garden decor, they are also incredibly underrated for their wildlife value. The nuts from their cones are sought out as a food source, especially by birds like Blue Jays and overwintering Pine Siskins. Also, they are used as host plants by a plethora of moth species!

We also have our cedars which provide winter interest: Northern White Cedar (also known as Arborvitae), Thuja occidentalis, and we have the Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana - note it is actually a Juniper and not a true Cedar. Sadly, the ERC, though valuable for wildlife, is incredibly invasive into grassland ecosystems. They aren't the greatest for suburban landscaping due to their aggressive spread and ability to invade grasslands. That being said, many homeowners love them – they just need management as they will spread offspring. I usually have to pull up a handful to a dozen saplings each year due to my neighbor having one. Both trees host multiple moth and beetle species, as well as provide food and habitat for birds. Note there are other evergreens native to Illinois, these four happen to remind me most of Christmas trees.

What about plants that can be used for general decor? Wreaths? Flower displays? Two plants commonly used for these are holly and bittersweet. For holly, one might have trouble finding the evergreen, Ilex opaca, as it is not native to the Chicagoland region and is further south. However, there are two deciduous hollies that would be easier to find which have their berries on display: Possumhaw Holly, Ilex deciduosa, and Winterberry, Ilex verticillata. It is important to note hollies are dioecious so the plants are individually male or female - only the females have the berries. For the home garden it is best to have an odd number, at least three, to ensure pollination between male and female flowers. The flowers of Ilex support many pollinators as a food source. I have seen these covered with bees and wasps. Ilex do not host the larvae of many insects and birds eat the berries throughout winter.

Let us now discuss Bittersweet. The plant commonly used in winter flower displays is not native. It is actually the invasive Oriental Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus. This plant is highly invasive and I have needed to remove it many times from clients’ yards. You can tell the difference because the native American Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, has flowers in terminal clusters at the end; whereas, the invasive C. orbiculatus has axillary clusters along the vine. Also, like hollies, Bittersweet is dioecious so female plants are needed for the decorative berries. American Bittersweet is a great plant for bees and birds enjoy the berries. Homeowners are encouraged to grow this vine on perhaps a trellis or pole so that it doesn’t climb a tree and choke it out.

The last plant for us is commonly known as Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides! This fern is considered evergreen, with its fronds showing off their green color when not covered in snow. Christmas Ferns do not have high wildlife value; however, they make for excellent ornamental value in the Steward Garden, especially in shady spots.

While there are many plants that retain their green foliage through the end of the year, only a select few bring forth the Christmas spirit! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and are considering adding one of the aforementioned plants to your yard!