With Christmas fast approaching, you may begin planning your gift list for friends and family. While traditional gifts such as slippers, jewelry, and games are appropriate, consider a living gift that will continue to give all year.
Giving a plant as a gift is a beautiful way to honor life, happiness, and friendship. Many low-maintenance, health-promoting plants are a lovely addition to any home and do not necessitate the recipient having a super green thumb.
Lavender
Lavender is beautiful, smells lovely, and has powerful, therapeutic properties known since ancient times. Giving a lavender plant for Christmas is an excellent present for your busy friends who need to unwind and smell the flowers.
According to studies, lavender has a calming effect on the nervous system and can even act as a sedative when inhaled. Inhaling lavender vapor has also been shown in studies to reduce oxidative stress in the brain and improve cognitive performance. Some people claim that simply rubbing a few lavender leaves together can help relieve headache pain.
Lavender is not only therapeutic, but it is also a desirable culinary herb. Lavender buds enhance the flavor of baked goods such as muffins, bread, and cookies, as well as butter, syrups, and spreads.
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Holy Basil
Holy basil, also known as tulsi, is an excellent choice for the culinary enthusiasts on your shopping list. The aromatic leaves of this ancient spice have a peppery flavor and are an essential spiritual herb in India. “Holy basil is one of the most sacred plants in India and has incredible spiritual and health significance,” says herbalist and acupuncturist Michelle Polk.
According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, holy basil promotes antioxidant activity in the body, which slows down DNA damage and aging while also lowering the risk of cancer.
Holy basil is also high in vitamin K, an essential fat-soluble vitamin important for bone and heart health. One cup of basil leaves contains more vitamin K than the daily recommended value. This vitamin is also good for your brain, bones, and digestive health.
This plant is an excellent gift for friends attempting to reduce caffeine consumption. Tulsi tea is a popular drink in India that is frequently substituted for coffee.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a woody, perennial shrub that thrives in pots. It has many health benefits, including improving memory, reducing inflammation, relieving pain, reducing anxiety, and protecting the immune system. This fragrant herb can also help stimulate circulation, detoxify the body, prevent premature aging, treat skin conditions, and protect against bacterial infections. Fresh or dried rosemary leaves are excellent for flavoring meat, stuffing, and Italian dishes. It can also be steeped in herbal tea to aid digestion and relieve headaches.
Giving rosemary as a gift is regarded as a token of love and remembrance, and rosemary is frequently shaped into small trees, making it ideal for spreading holiday cheer.
Aloe Vera
This attractive succulent enjoys neglect, making it the ideal companion for a busy friend who lacks a green thumb! Unlike other plants, it prefers poor, dry soil and can go for weeks without being encouraged! Aloe vera’s medicinal properties have been well-documented for at least 6,000 years. The most well-known advantage is its ability to speed up burn healing. This plant can hold its own as a kitchen companion. Its leaves provide immediate burn and wound relief. The sticky gel within the leaves has a calming effect on skin inflammation and itchiness. Aloe is also used to treat sunburn.
The yellow pulp under the outer part of the leaf also has healing properties. When taken orally, aloe latex is an effective remedy for constipation. One study discovered that drinking two tablespoons of aloe vera juice daily for two weeks helped people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar levels.
Peace Lilly
A Peace Lilly plant is an excellent Christmas gift for friends and family who live in dry climates. They are not only stunning but also low-maintenance and can help promote humidity. This elegant plant with a sweet fragrance was also included in a NASA study of clean-air plants. This beauty removes toxins such as ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and richloroethylene from the air.
Related: Are Succulents Bad Luck?
Chili
Chili plants are exceptionally healthy and, with their gleaming red fruit, are also seasonally appropriate. For several months, a couple of plants will produce an abundance of fresh and delicious chillis. Chili plants are both decorative and functional, and they look great on any sunny windowsill. Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a bioactive plant compound that gives them a spicy kick.
Also, capsaicin, an antioxidant, causes an endorphin rush, allowing the compound to be an effective pain reliever and other treatment. It is used to treat arthritis and neuropathy pain, and it can even boost immunity. Chili peppers contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, which aids in the body’s defense against pathogens. Chilis contain vitamin C, which helps white blood cells fight germs.
Orchid
Orchids are not only enchantingly beautiful, but they are also highly beneficial. The therapeutic properties of these tropical treasures are well-known in the alternative medicine world. Dendrobium orchids have been shown to improve vision, boost immune function, and have anti-inflammatory properties. Cymbidium orchids are frequently used to boost fertility in both men and women. Vanda orchids have been used to treat fevers, arthritis, and bronchitis.
The stems and bulbs are frequently dried for medicinal purposes, and the flower can be dried and used to make tea. The plant’s root contains potent antimicrobials and essential oils. However, using orchids for health purposes should be done with extreme caution and only by those knowledgeable in this field. As a result, giving an orchid as a gift is about lifting a friend’s spirits through its immense beauty. One cannot help but feel warm and happy when seeing an orchid. Because there are so many different types and colors to choose from, orchids are easy to care for, long-lasting, and very personal.
English Ivy
English ivy looks just as good in a cute basket as it does in a retro tin, making it very easy to customize. It can also be trained as a climber, adding to its versatility. English ivy will brighten up any low-light area in the home and does not require much maintenance. English ivy is a well-known natural remedy for eliminating mold spores in the home. If you have a friend who is allergic to mold, English ivy is an excellent holiday gift.
Ferns
Who can resist the majestic beauty of a fern? Lemon Button, Maidenhair, Rabbit’s Foot, Fiddlehead, and Boston ferns are among the most popular types of ferns that thrive indoors.
Ferns traditionally represent sincerity toward others and the hope that the recipient has confidence, shelter, wealth, and happiness. Fiddlehead ferns are an excellent gift for food-loving friends. Fiddleheads are high in protein, zinc, and vitamins A, C, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. Maidenhair fern tea has traditionally been used to treat coughs and nasal congestion. However, ingesting ferns, like orchids, should only be done by those knowledgeable about their use. Caution is also required because many greenhouse-grown ferns may contain herbicides and other chemicals.
Boston ferns, the most popular of the above-mentioned species, are effective air cleaners that can even trap and eliminate formaldehyde, which is commonly found in furniture and carpets. All ferns are happy, easy-to-care-for plants that will make any recipient happy.
Spearmint
Your herb-loving friends will appreciate receiving plants in the mint family as a Christmas gift.
Spearmint is high in vitamins, antioxidants, and essential nutrients, and it has an irresistible sweet aroma. Spearmint, which is sweeter than peppermint, is commonly used to flavor teas, desserts, smoothies, salads, and other foods. Aside from looking adorable on any windowsill, Spearmint has some beneficial medicinal properties. Along with peppermint, spearmint is commonly used as a digestive aid and is famous for nausea relief during pregnancy.
Spearmint contains more than 100% of the daily recommended iron intake, which can aid in the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin while also increasing circulation to the extremities and boosting energy levels. The most potent ingredient in spearmint, menthol, has a calming effect on the body, reducing anxiety and easing the mind.
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Sage
Sage is an aromatic herb native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, with beautiful and soft greyish-green leaves. Sage and rosemary are so closely related that they are often referred to as sister herbs. Sage has numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, improving digestion, strengthening bones, treating skin conditions, and preventing diabetes.
Many Native American cultures revere sage, which is thought to have restorative and cleansing properties. Sage is a delicious culinary herb that has long been used to flavor stuffings, cured meats, sausages, and pork dishes. Sage is drought tolerant, low maintenance, and looks lovely in small pots in any sunny window.
Conclusion
There are a lot of plants you can give as a gift this Christmas, but of course, giving gifts is all about choosing the best depending on your friend’s personality. We hope that we helped you a lot in your gift-giving journey. Happy Holidays!
