By Grace Rabano & The Clermont Garden Club
Every month from September through May, Clermont Garden Club members loan plants to Cooper Memorial Library and Clermont City Hall to promote horticulture awareness and connect our community to Clermont Garden Club’s programs, civic activities and community outreach.
For the month of December, Clermont Garden Club member Pam Molesky loaned a potted Norfolk Island Pine to Cooper Memorial Library. Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is not an actual pine tree, despite its name. Rather, these plants are a relative of the monkey puzzle tree. It is often cultivated as a landscape tree in subtropical climates in North America (USDA zones 10 to 11) and grown indoors elsewhere as a manageable indoor tree, where they grow around 3-8 feet tall or can be trained as a bonsai or miniature tree. Outdoors, the maximum height of a Norfolk Island pine is around 200 feet tall. Whether grown inside or outdoors, the Norfolk pine requires copious amounts of light to survive. Water your Norfolk Island pine regularly, keeping the soil damp but not soggy.
Lor Toth loaned a potted poinsettia to Clermont City Hall. Poinsettias (Euphorbia Pilcherrima) are flowering plants native to Mexico famous for their bright red (or pink, white or marbled) leaves…which are actually modified leaves called bracts. The small yellow centers are the true flowers. Poinsettias are a popular holiday plant and are not poisonous, though their sap can cause a skin rash. Potted poinsettias need at least 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight and consistent temperatures between 65-70F. Water when the top of the soil feel dry, but avoid overwatering.
Clermont Garden Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Come join us in the New Year to attend our monthly meetings at the clubhouse located at 849 West Avenue, Clermont. The meeting dates are Jan 21, Feb 18, March 18 and April 22 at 10:00 am-noon. Light refreshments are served at 9:30 am. Guests and prospective members are always welcome.
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Photos attached: [filename Library: Pam Molesky is pictured with Bianca Valentin, Librarian Assistant at Cooper Memorial Library, with a potted Norfolk Island Pine.]
[filename CityHall: Lor Toth is pictured with Janet Contreras, lobby receptionist at Clermont City Hall, holding a festive poinsettia.]
