Rockin' Around the Xmas Tree

The silly season is well and truly upon us. Ever since the Halloween decorations have been taken down Xmas has been shoved in our face with all the might retailers can muster. In fact in 22 days the world will descent into chaos, no wait - that's the boxing day sales!

Apart from Santa, reindeer, and presents, what else symbolises Christmas most? The tree of course! Where else is Santa, travelling all around the globe, pulled along by his band of merry reindeer, going to put all your presents???

The tree is the centre piece to any festive household, that shiny, sparkly beacon that reminds us of the holiday season (and presents, don't forget the presents). There are two main options when it comes to Xmas Trees: real or fake. Both have their advantages and disadvantages of course.

The fake ones usually have a pretty long shelf life with a tiny amount of stress while putting them up and packing them away (sometime in the new year...). These can be bought in a variety of stores, in a variety of sizes and colours at a variety of prices to suit everyone's needs and wants. They are practical and not too much fuss.

The real ones will give you more of a warm and fuzzy feeling. There is also the sense of adventure you'll get as you trek around town looking for the biggest and best, always trying to keep up with the Jones's. The 'Real McCoy' will give you that authentic smell of Christmas in your home.

Oh Christmas Tree - Pinus radiata

Generally to get the 'real deal' you'll be chopping down a Pinus radiata or the Monteray Pine - must be a throw back to the hunter/gatherer mentality of the caveman. In Sydney there is many places you can buy a tree, from going to a 'farm' to select and fell your own or heading to one of many retail  nursery outlets to get a pre-cut one.

Sorry, but I have a slight issue with real Christmas Trees. "Bah Humbug" I hear you yell at your laptop and other devises - but honestly, cutting down a tree, taking it home to decorate, then tossing it to the curb once it's lost it's veneer, sounds a bit wasteful doesn't it?.

Look there are options when you want to dispose of your pre-loved, real Xmas Tree and no it doesn't include taking it to the the tip. Best be trying to recycle that thing, some tree farms can take them back to mulch and reuse on their farms. Certain councils will collect trees after Christmas and those with wood chippers - go nuts and put that tree to good use - ashes to ashes, dust to dust, so to speak.

So what's my suggestion? Have you ever considered a potted specimen? As a southern hemisphere country that has summer Christmas' we do love being outdoors celebrating. Why not have a tree that can join in on all the festivities, by being allowed to be moved around, from inside to out.

There are the traditional potted options of course:

Picea abies - The Norway Spruce

Picea pungens - The Blue Spruce

Picea glauca - The White Spruce

Thuja  occidentalis 'Smaragd'

Juniperus 'Spartan'

Now us plant loving people don't really like common do we? So let's have a look at a few left of field choices you may not have considered. A little disclaimer before we start, I do like my native plants, so you'll probably see a theme developing pretty quickly in my following list:

1. Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis)

Up until 1994 this tree only existed in fossil records, you see this plant was supposed to be extinct, until a chance find by a adventurous National Parks employee brought it right back to life. It was reintroduced to the world and available for gardeners in 2006.

Wollemi Pine - a living fossil

Not only would the Wollemi Pine make a one of a kind Xmas tree, you'll be also doing your part to help conserve this endangered species - Wollemi nobilis has a very restricted range and is limited to fewer than 100 plants in the wild.

If it's relatives are anything to go by (Hoop Pine, Norfolk Island Pine & Kauri Pine) this rare find could get quite big, so keep it in a pot. There is a specialised Wollemi Pine potting mix available from nurseries, use it when potting up or re-potting (every 1-2 years).

It will tolerate short periods indoors with moderate light, outdoors it will prefer a part sun spot. So try one as your next Xmas tree, you can tell your friends and family you have a living fossil that was once food for the dinosaurs.

2. Lilly Pilly (Syzygium/Acmena species)

A fairly popular group of plants in the landscape world due to their quick growing nature and response to pruning, Lilly Pilly's have become much loved as hedges and topiary specimens right around the country.

It's that last point that makes them a good choice for an Xmas Tree. Selecting a medium to tall growing variety like Syzygium 'Resilience', S. 'Bush Xmas', S. 'Northern Select/Select Form', Acmena 'Firescreen', A. 'Hot Flush' or 'A. Sublime' as a potted specimen and pruned regularly will give it a 'cone' shape, keeping it dense and giving you something that you can dress up with ornaments.

Almost all Lilly Pilly's like a good deal of sun, so best to keep these guys outside where they'll get at least a half days worth. Use a good quality potting mix and water well when the temperature  rises. A prune and a feed 4-8 weeks before Christmas will help keep your potted Xmas Lilly Pilly looking in good shape.

Once a year, after the sting goes out of summer its a good time to pot up/freshen up the soil. The good thing with the Lilly Pilly is that it's something that will be quite comfortable if you planted it into the garden, so if you have a space that needs filing or a eyesore that needs screening, don't let it go to waste in a pot.

3. NSW Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum)

How can you go wrong with a plant that has the common name "Christmas Bush"? Each state of Australia has a species that represents them as a Christmas Bush, New South Wales lucked out when we got Ceratopetalum gummiferum.

Lady in Red - Ceratopetalum gummiferum

This tall shrub/small to medium tree grows primarily up and down the east coast of New South Wales, east of the great dividing range. It is well known for the bright red display it puts on prior and up to Xmas. But did you know the red colour that draws attention isn't actually the flower?

The flowers of Ceratopetalum gummiferum are actually cream or white and aren't as striking as what follows. The bright red produced by this plant is actually the colouring of the flower bracts, much like what happens with Bougainvillea and Poinsettia - the true flowers are usually secondary to the colourful outer parts that surround the flowers.

Now the NSW Christmas Bush can be a tricky one when it comes to growing in a neat, dense and uniform specimen. So to undertake this species as a potted Xmas tree will mean a longer term mission of love or simply finding a nice, ready to go specimen at your local nursery.

There is a variety called "Albery's Red" which is a bit smaller growing and has a more vivid, darker red colour - I would suggest his be a better option for your Xmas tree project. Either way, use a good quality native potting mix and as with the Lilly Pilly it's best to have this guy outside in a spot with half a days sun. Prune off the spent flowers to encourage a more bushy habit and more flowers the following season.

4. Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria hetrophylla):

If you have ever been anywhere remotely coastal I am sure you have seen these statuesque giants along the foreshore adjacent to beaches or in parks nearby. If the sand, the salt water air and sea gulls harassing you for a chip don't give it away, these plant sentinels are a great indication you are near the sea.

The common name is a dead giveaway of where they originate, but they are not a true pine tree although they have some similar characteristics. Araucaria has been kept as periodic house plants in Europe and also have been kept in atrium's of some of the Northern Hemisphere's biggest botanical gardens as they won't tolerate cold winters to well.

So it makes sense in the north of the world to keep them potted and indoors for Xmas. In cooler parts of Australia, younger plants will suffer during cold winters, often having their growing tip damaged and dying out. So potted plants should be given some protection through their 'formative' years.

The toast of the coast - Norfolk Island Pine

The form & branch structure of the Araucaria makes it an ideal tree to decorate, the right angled branches scream "lay some tinsel on me" and "hang those baubles off me". These factors make it a pretty good choice when it comes to potted Xmas Trees BUT a word of warning: they are a 'biggun' so I suggest you only ever have these in a pot, unless of course your background is a football field.

Re-plant or pot up to a bigger pot with a good quality potting mix, suitable for native trees, every 1-2 years. Use an slow release fertilizer recommended for trees in spring and increase watering as it warms up. In our part of the world, they'll be better off more outside than in.

5. Albany Woolly Bush (Adenanthos sericeus):

Hailing from the south of Western Australia, our last contestant enjoys long walks along the beach (but dislikes the water) and also enjoys the Mediterranean (the climate mostly). Once you see and touch this plant it doesn't take long to see why it get's it's common name. The handsome soft, velvety foliage begs to be touched and the small red flowers it bears are attractive to native birds.

It's a fine bush but it's no sheep - it's Silver Streak

Adenanthos are small to medium, fairly compact shrubs ranging to 1-5 metres tall and 1-3 metres wide. The variety known as 'Silver Streak' is particularly fitting for a potted Xmas tree, it's silvery foliage adds that 'just snowed on' look. It's a smaller, more compact variety, that will suit pots better. As a smaller potted Xmas Tree these little native beauties will brighten up the outdoor dining area and make a great table centre piece come Christmas Day.

The dating profile I provided above means the woolly bush is pretty easy going on the watering requirements but does prefer a warm, dry summer (low humidity) so if you do want to try this, a  potted specimen is a good way to start, because you'll able to move it around and find the ideal spot in your patio/garden/backyard.

As summer becomes autumn, a light tip prune will help encourage dense growth and even shape. In pots these guys will do well in a quality native soil mix containing native fertilizer. If you want to add it to your garden, ensure there is adequate drainage and the soil light and open, as they won't tolerate heavy clay soils.

So there you go, a few ideas for a potentially new kind of Xmas Tree this year. You should be able to find most of the plants mentioned in your local retail nursery, especially this time of the year - they'll usually be dressed up and in red pots to make them stand out.

Just remember, a lot of the ones mentioned here and that are available through nurseries naturally grow outdoors, so they should only be used as a short-term prospect indoors. Put them somewhere they'll get a good amount of sunlight and warmth and pop them outside periodically, maybe on the way out the door on your way to work every other morning.

Who says they have to be indoors anyway? You can have second or a third tree outside - 'tis the season after all! Don't be scared to try something new and different, you may just inspire someone else to give it a go next year!