Gifts for the plant lover

Last Sunday was National Poinsettia Day. Poinsettias are a great gift for this time of year. While they are not edible and could cause mild illness, they aren’t poisonous to kids or pets. Use them to decorate your home without fear but know that it can take some effort to keep them alive and healthy in Colorado. If the gift recipient isn’t a dedicated plant lover, you might consider a different, hardier gift plant.

If indoor houseplants are more their speed, consider a snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), which does well even with a little neglect. It can handle a chilly night or low light conditions, making it versatile to place in nearly any room of the home.

For a gift they can keep outdoors in a container or plant in their landscape when spring comes, consider Rocky Mountain juniper, a native evergreen that is beautiful and aromatic. Outdoors it can withstand Colorado’s cold, harsh conditions.

A green gift is a nice way to give a friend or loved one a bit of nature during the winter months.