Well, let us start with Lettuce.  I actually started my seeds in mid-January but from now until about May may be just as good.  I used to plant a Mesclun mix but I didn’t like all of the varieties it had like the Chinese lettuces, they are rough textured and bitter.  I prefer the Loose Leaf varieties like Lollo Rosso and Oak Leaf.  The have a lot of color and therefore a lot of anti-oxidants…and a lot of flavor.  A good Butterhead variety is Sanguine Ameliore.  Its leaves with speckles of red against lime green make for a salad that is satisfying to both your palate as well as your eye.  My favorite Romaine variety of lettuce is Forellenschluss.  The name of this old Austrian heirloom refers to the speckles of a trout – another beautiful red mottled leaf to decorate your garden and your plate.

But if you are going to plant lettuce, be sure to plant an equal amount of Arugula.  This spicy mustard green has a flavor all it’s own, nutty, spicy, tangy – a must have for any spring salad mix.

Radishes go well in salads and there are a few good choices to plant with your lettuce.  Cherry Belle and French Breakfast are the two most common kinds that I grow but I like to leave some room in the garden for the giant-sized Black Spanish Radish.  Eating them is an intense experience as their black skin is quite hot and spicy.  And they are big – I grew one that was 4” in diameter!  Try grating them over the salad for a little zing in every bite.  They even make a good substitute for Daikon (another giant-sized radish) when making Asian Rice Vinegar Pickles.

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, and Cabbage are good to start this time of year but in my experience all three of these Mustard family plants are prone to getting aphids and spreading them to your lettuce!

Swiss Chard is one of my favorites to start in early spring.  The crisp stalks have a distinctive taste that is wonderful when they are stir-fried or even steamed.  The variety ‘Bright Lights’ has colorful stalks that can really light up your garden.

Carrots can be fun to grow but take a little more time.  I recommend the variety “Lunar White,” which is the color that carrots were before they were bred to be orange in the 17^th century.

These are but a few of the different ways you can take advantage of the cool weather while it lasts.  If you want to purchase seeds of some of these more unusual vegetables, a couple good sources are Nichols Garden Nursery  and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds .

Get that shovel going, cause it’s Garden Time.

Well, there’s always the three traditional old standby’s, cards, chocolates, and flowers, each with it’s own unique way of saying what can’t be verbalized but must be expressed on this most auspicious day.

Cards, nice as they are, seem to be the best choice for those loved ones who are out of state, out of touch, or just out of favor (which reminds me of grade school, when even the bully who beat me up gave me a Valentine).

And chocolates, well it’s hard to say anything bad about chocolates, but it may not be the best gift to get just prior to bathing suit season.

Which brings us to what is thought to be the most desired Valentine’s Day gift, flowers.  Flowers speak the language of the heart so one way to get your message across might be applying the proper syllables of inflorescence in the soliloquy of a bouquet.  But before you send that bouquet, you might want to check out my last blog about Floriography , for each of those posies has a meaning, and you might be inadvertently sending a message that might be better conveyed with chocolates or a card (like sending Yellow Roses to a romantic interest).

Personally, I think the best gifts are the ones that stay with us, ones we remember for years to come.  And those things aren’t things…they are moments and experiences – seeing aplay, movie, or concert, dinner at a great restaurant, a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast, or just holding each other tightly as you plummet from a bridge together on a group bungee  jump. You know, the kinds of things you’ll be talking about until the NEXT Valentine’s Day sneaks up on you.

What ever way you choose to celebrate the one American holiday that is banned in Saudi Arabia, I hope you can find the best way to say what we’d all like to hear this year, “I love you.”

Ok, so you’re wondering what I said when I sent you that bouquet out of the blue?  Well, there’s a number of dictionaries available online (http://www.victorianbazaar.com/meanings.html, http://www.iflorist.com/t-meaning.aspx, http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/flowerlanguage.html) for you to decipher the true meaning of your posies.  And once you learn the language just think of the new things you’ll be able to say in a whole different way.

Gardenia Flower

Looking to get your message to a love interest?  Try: Gardenia (You’re lovely, Secret love, Purity, Refinement), Coriander (Lust), or get out the big guns with Red Roses (Love ; I love you).

If you get into trouble try: Purple Hyacinth (Sorry, Please forgive me, Sorrow) or Olive Branches (Peace).  What ever you do, don’t send your girlfriend this one: Hydrangea (Thank you for understanding, frigidity, heartlessness).

And while you might have thought that flowers are all sweet and nice all the time, try these the next time you want to raise your voice a little: Lobelia (Malevolence) or Orange Lily (Hatred).

Oh, and this one’s my favorite, send your boss a pretty bouquet of Cyclamen (Resignation and goodbye; diffidence) along with your resignation letter.  Nothing says it like flowers, even when you’ve got nothing nice to say.

So whether you are secretly stalking the hot coworker the next cubicle over or just expressing the demands of the 99% to the powers that be, don’t forget the language of flowers when you want to send a clear message… and still get a way with it.

I’ve encountered many friends whom, when offered an indoor plant as a gift, strangely turn it down. They always seem to cite the same reason, they have pets that they fear will get sick and die from eating the plants.

Why?

Why must it be a choice between a pet and a plant?  Why can’t plants and pets find some common ground instead of us having to make a difficult choice between man’s best friend and man’s best indoor air cleaner?

I’m sure if it came down to it, your pet would win since a plant won’t lick your face when you scratch between its ears. But, why do people feel that plants are such a danger to their pets?

Why?

Is it because of fear mongering from the pet care community?  Maybe it’s from stories they heard about Poinsettias poisoning a friend’s cherished Doberman Pincher?  But whatever the reason, I doubt they took a close look at the studies of reported pet poisonings compiled by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC).

Why?

Why, because if they had they would have noticed that of the 425 fatal pet poisonings that occurred in the year 1990, only 6 were caused by plants, none of which were houseplants.  Now I’m not suggesting that all houseplants are safe but by following a few preventative steps you can enjoy the beauty and health benefits of both plants AND pets.

Which plants to avoid?  Well according to the American Veterinarian Medical Association’s Pet Poison Guide, the houseplants that are reported to have caused the most pet poisonings are in the plant Family, Araceae.  These include the genera Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema, Philodendron, Epiprenum, Monstera, Schefflera, Spathiphyllum, Syngonium, Zamioculcus, Alocasia, Caladium, Anthurium, Nephthytis, and Homalomena.  These plants contain varying amounts of calcium oxalate crystals in their sap which are released when bruised or crushed (or chewed or bitten) causing irritation and swelling in the mouth and throat and difficulty swallowing and breathing.  As bad as that sounds, it requires a lot of chewing to release enough oxalates to cause a negative reaction and the stinging and burning sensations are immediate and so discourage any further biting of the plant.

The AVMA’s Pet Poison Guide reports that the most dangerous of the plants are those with cardiac glycosides like Oleanders (Nerium) and Foxglove (Digitalis), but the only houseplants in that category are Azaleas, so you may want to avoid those plants entirely.  Even with that consideration, only 4 of the 425 reported fatalities were attributable to this group (less than 1%).

There are other houseplants that can cause some dermatitis from their sap or hairy foliage, primarily Ficus spp., some members of the Family, Euphorbiaceae (Poinsettia and Euphorbia), and Chrysanthemums.  These plants can be irritating but don’t present any significant health hazards for pets or their owners.

The California Poison Control System website has a list of safe plants and list of toxic plants and ranks them by toxicity.

The ASPCA has it’s own list of plants that are considered a danger to pets.  Both of them are good resources but there are many plants listed with contrary claims of safety and toxicity.  I’ve gleaned from them both the most and least animal friendly houseplants and listed them below:

Dracaena

Most Pet Friendly

• African violet – Saintpaulia ionantha
• Bamboo – Bambusa multiplex
• Bamboo, Golden – Phyllostachys aurea
• Bird of paradise – Strelitzia reginae, Strelitzia nicholai
• Bird’s nest fern – Asplenium nidus
• Cast iron plant – Aspidistra elatior
• China doll – Radermachera spp.
• Christmas cactus – Schlumbergera bridgesii
• Coleus – Coleus hybridus
• Dracaena – Dracaena spp.
• Easter lily – Lilium longiflorum
• Gloxinia – Sinningia speciosa
• Hare’s-foot fern – Polypodium aureum
• Heart-of-flame bromeliad – Bromelia spp.
• Hen and chicks – Echeveria spp.
• Lipstick plant – Aeschynanthus spp.
• Liriope – Liriope muscari
• Maidenhair fern – Adiantum spp.
• Neoregelia bromeliad – Neoregelia spp.
• Orchids – Cattleya spp., Epidendrum spp., Oncidium spp., Paphiopedilum spp.
• Palms – (Most houseplant palms are nontoxic except Fishtail palm, Caryota spp.)
• Peperomia – Peperomia spp.
• Persian violet – Exacum affine
• Pink polka-dot plant – Hypoestes spp.
• Ponytail plant – Beaucarnea recurvata
• Prayer plant – Maranta leuconeura
• Rattlesnake plant – Calathea spp.
• Spider plant – Chlorophytum comosum
• Sword fern – Nephrolepis exaltata
• Ti plant – Cordyline terminalis
• Urn plant bromeliad – Aechmea spp.(Other species in the genus may be toxic.)
• Vriesea bromeliad – Vriesea spp.
• Yucca- Yucca spp.

Dumb Cane

Least Pet Friendly

• Amaryllis – Hippeastrum spp.
• Anthurium – Anthurium spp.
• Arrowhead plant – Syngonium podophyllum
• Azalea – Rhododendron spp.
• Begonia – Begonia spp.
• Caladium – Caladium bicolor
• Chinese evergreen – Aglaonema spp.
• Chrysanthemum – Chrysanthemum spp.
• Croton – Codiaeum variegatum
• Cyclamen – Cyclamen spp.
• Dumb cane – Dieffenbachia spp.
• Euphorbia – Euphorbia spp.
• Fig, Weeping and Fiddle-leaf – Ficus spp.
• Fishtail palm – Caryota spp.
• Hydrangea – Hydrangea spp.
• Ivy, English – Hedera spp.
• Lily – Lilium spp.
• Ming aralia – Polyscias spp.
  

  Azalea

• Nephthytis – Syngonium podophyllum
• Philodendron – Philodendron spp.
• Poinsettia – Euphorbia spp.
• Pothos – Epipremnum aureum
• Rubber plant – Ficus spp.
• Schefflera – Schefflera actinophylla
• Snake plant – Sansevieria spp.
• Spathiphyllum – Spathiphyllum spp.
• Split-leaf philodendron – Monstera deliciosa

Another effective strategy is to discourage pets from chewing or biting plants by using Bitter Apple for dogs and citrus oil for cats.  Once sprayed on the plants these deterrents work well to keep the furry friends away from the plants in a safe and harmless way.

Sadly, the major causes of pet poisoning are not plants but Pharmaceutical drugs, Cleaning agents, and Antifreeze but you don’t see people banning those things from their homes.

Hopefully, I’ve assuaged your fears about having plants AND pets and now you and your pets can breathe easier with indoor plants cleaning the air.  And isn’t Fido worth it?

Hooray for Hollywood!  Da da da da da da da, Hollywood, da da da… Hollywood is named for the Toyon, the small shrub/tree (30’) that dots the foothills above L.A. with flushes of bright red berries during the winter months – yet most of its citizens are probably unaware of this fact.  Perhaps they’re busy chasing their dreams in the daily pursuit of stardom, seduced by the lure of Tinseltown, and the myth of the “big break”, or they’re basking in their celebrity, consumed by their own conspicuous consumption.  We doubt in either case that they’d be too interested in hearing about the uses of the edible berries, but you might be, so I’ll begin.

The simple, evergreen leaves are oblong, serrately toothed, 2”-4” long.  The clusters (cymes) of small white flowers persist from July through September, and the berries mature from December to February.  It occurs below 3500’.

The berries can be used to make an apple cider-like drink (1 part water/1 part berries) or jelly and jam.  You can even eat them raw, but we’ve found them to be a bit chalky and/or parching.  Additionally, they are legally protected in Hollywood, but fear not, the trees are available commercially if you find yourself especially fond of the taste, just have your people call my people.

-Patrick

This semi-parasitic plant grows mostly on Oaks and so ranges from 2000’- 6000’ in Woodland, Riparian and Chaparral communities.

Like A. campylopodum, its leaves are tiny scales and what look like leaves are really bracts.  Its bracts are elliptic-ovate, 1/2”- 3/4” long, and slightly hairy.  It is yellowish-green in hue and usually stands out amongst the tree’s foliage.  Small yellow flowers are formed in the bract joints, appearing from July to September.  The small whitish berries soon follow.

This plant should never be ingested – it is rather toxic.  It’s best just to rely on its faux aphrodisiac effects, but considering what love has done for me, perhaps eating it many produce a more desirable effect.

-Patrick

Well actually the fact is, you get quite a lot.  For the cost of some water, light, fertilizer, and a little attention, indoor plants can contribute quite a number of quite important benefits to those people living in their midst.  Yes, indoor plants wear many different hats – Oxygen Producer, Carbon Dioxide Reducer, Air Humidifier, Volatile Organic Vapor Destroyer, Noise Suppressor, Stress Reliever, Mood Enhancer, and all-purpose Room Beautifier.  You can even hang them on your wall as artwork (see my previous blog Got Green Walls?).

Plants are all that and more, so as promised, let me elaborate a little on some specific varieties and all the jobs they do for us.

1. Oxygen Producer – Happily for us and all the other animals on this planet, all green plants perform a process known as Photosynthesis, in which Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere is metabolized into Oxygen.  Most plants do this activity all day long and into the night if you leave the lights on and a few release their Oxygen more so after night fall such as Succulents, Bromeliads, and Orchids.  Every plant species differs some in their comparative rates of Oxygen released, but one rule seems to be true – the more leaf surfaces exposed to light, the more Photosynthesis occurs (and more Oxygen is produced).  With that in mind, it would be best to use plants with very large leaves or with many, many small leaves.  How many plants should you use?  Well that depends on the size of the room and the number of people in it.  According to the TED Talk by Kamal Meattle, incredibly a person could be placed in an airtight chamber with four 6 foot Areca Palms (Dypsis lutescens), eight 3 foot Mother In Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata), and an equivalent number of Golden Pothos (Epiprenum aureum) and have sufficient Oxygen to survive indefinitely!
2. Carbon Dioxide Reducer – As many are aware, Carbon Dioxide has been reported in the news lately as being the primary cause of Global Climate Change.  With levels of this gas rising in the earth’s atmosphere, plants are on the forefront in the battle to combat it.  As stated above, plants reduce C02 levels in a room and not too surprisingly the one major source of CO2 indoors is people.  It is known as bio-effluence but I like to call it breathing, and in some places such as airplanes it can make for some pretty stale air.
3. Air Humidifier - Plants transpire or release moisture to the air through small pores on the undersides of their leaves and in the process humidify the surrounding air.  This evaporative water also can cool the air as much as 4 degrees Fahrenheit, lowering cooling bills.  Again, plants with large leaves will do this the most efficiently.   Spathiphyllums and Philodendrons are two great humidifiers.
4. Volatile Organic Vapor Destroyer – No, we are not talking about the kind of Volatile Organic Vapors that you might get after eating a few too many bean burritos!  These VOC’s are airborne toxic chemical compounds that exude from a variety of sources.   In the interior environment, it is primarily home and office furnishings with plastic or finished wood that contribute the most VOC’s. Off-gassing is the term coined to describe this process (and to think some criticized my use of the word healthifying?)  Some of the worst VOC’s include Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene Benzene, Toulene, Xylene, and n-Hexane which are known or suspected carcinogens, but others like oxides of Carbon (CO2), Nitrogen (NOx), Sulfur (SOx), and Carbon Monoxide (CO) also persist in the air and create health risks associated with the Asthma, Heart Attack, and Stroke.  Most plants are able to absorb and degrade these air pollutants within a 24 hour period.  How do they do it?  The plants absorb the substances through the pores under their leaves, transport them down to their roots and release them to the microorganisms in the soil that break them down into useful nutrients for the plants.   The reason certain plants, like Golden Pothos (Epiprenum aureum) and Peace Lily (Spathiphylum sp.), are especially good at this is because they have higher transpiration rates than many other indoor plants.  This is all documented in the study done by Margaret Burchett, entitled, “Interior Plants for Sustainable Facility Ecology and Workplace Productivity.”  How many plants it takes to achieve a significant reduction varies depending on the size of the room and the level of pollutants.  According to Ronald Wood of the University of Technology, Sydney, AU, in a study of reduction of VOC’s by potted plants, found that three 6 foot Dracaena plants or six 6″ sized Pothos plants continually reduced the total VOC’s by 50-70% in a room that is 30’x36’x10’.  Even more interesting is that the plants continued to clean the air even during the dark of night when most photosynthesis ceases.  This is demonstrative of the fact that the microorganisms present at the root level are continuing the metabolism of the VOC’s day and night.  Even a relatively low level of VOC’s (100 ppb) can stimulate the plants and microorganisms to begin the process.  According to Dr. Bill Wolverton, the author of the definitive NASA study on indoor air, the 10 best indoor plants for cleaning the air are:
   • Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea seifritzii
   • Chinese Evergreen – Aglaonema modestum
   • English Ivy – Hedera helix
   • Gerbera Daisy – Gerbera jamesonii
   • Janet Craig – Dracaena deremensis ’Janet Craig’
   • Marginata - Dracaena marginata
   • Mass cane/Corn Plant - Dracaena massangeana
   • Mother-in-Law’s Tongue - Sansevieria laurentii
   • Pot Mum – Chrysanthemum morifolium
   • Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum sp.
   • Warneckii - Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’
5. Noise Suppressor – Plants can act as natural sound buffers, softening loud noises that reflect around a room.  Peter Costa, an engineer who authored, “Constructive use of Vegetation in Office Buildings,” states that plants that are most beneficial are large, full and are densely set with many small leaves rather than having fewer but larger leaves.   They work better in groupings than individually and best suppress noise if placed against walls and corners rather than in the center of a room.  Plants absorb, diffuse and reflect sound waves, so having them placed nearer to a reflecting surface is their most effective use.  They are also much better at quieting high frequencies than low ones (Sometimes I wish I could grow some plants in my ears when the neighbor boy starts to practice his violin!).
6. Stress Reliever / Mood Enhancer – Who couldn’t use a little stress relief these days, but before you think I’m suggesting you smoke your indoor plants, take a look at the study by Margaret Burchett again and you’ll see that she found that just being in the presence of a single plant had an effect of reducing negative mood states by 40-60% for a test group of 55 offices.  Now I’m not saying that plants are as powerful as Prozac, or that they will prevent a disgruntled and unbalanced employee from shooting up the office, but personally I would err on the side of caution and put a few plants around the place.  I mean, what have you got to lose?
7. Room Beautifier – Well, I don’t think you’ll find too many people who wouldn’t agree that plants are a great way to decorate.  They come in a multitude of different colors, shapes, and patterns and there seems to be one for every location whether it is brightly or dimly lit.  There is even anecdotal evidence that patients in the hospital recover faster and require less pain medications when plants are incorporated in their rooms or a view of plants is available to them.  Now that’s healthification!

 Sadly, many people only know indoor plants for their decorative value and are largely unaware of the many benefits they imbue to those who share their spaces.  I hope I’ve brought a few of those benefits to light and brought you all a new sense of appreciation for all the hard work that your indoor plants are doing everyday just for you.  So maybe you’ll stop asking, “What do I get out of it?”

-Patrick

Dracaena

Whether you’re entertaining guests or just being one, the home is the traditional center of holiday activities. It is where the joyous celebration begins with a toast and eventually is punctuated with heart felt “thank yous” and “good byes”.  But it’s still early in the season, so there’s still time to make your home a cozy, welcoming, and healthifying abode before the guests arrive.

Ok, so you’ve never heard of the term healthification before, that’s because I’m making it up for lack of a better word to describe the quality of an object or force that promotes health and wellness in others.

So what makes a home healthifying?  There are many factors that contribute to a healthifying home, such as keeping it clean and tidy, safe from hazards and such. These are all good but a truly healthifying home should provide benefits far beyond using hand sanitizer or not stubbing your toe.  It should enhance and refresh a guest’s physical health as well as soothe their mental disposition.  What could accomplish such a feat during these beleaguered and stressed out times?…Your old friend, the houseplant.

Yes, houseplants help healthify your home.  Firstly, due to their unique design, they consume Carbon Dioxide and produce fresh Oxygen in the indoor atmosphere, in which we live and breathe.  They also reduce Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s which are harmful chemicals such as Benzene and Formaldehyde that come from many home furnishings, especially plastics and wood finishes (and decorations!).

Golden Pothos

Plants also condition the air by releasing water vapor from their leaves and raising the humidity in a room (and when the Santa Ana winds blow here in SoCal, it is Dry with a capital “D”).  Hopefully a few plants around the house will prevent your guests from Chicago from saying that it’s windier here in L.A.!

And then there is the obvious esthetic value of plants.  They break up the square edges of a wall and soften a stark corner.  They seem to have the ability to take you out of the tedium of modern world and nurture a natural sense of ease that harkens back to a simpler happier time.

So if you really want to have the most healthifying, happy home this season make sure to include indoor plants on the guest list.  Happy Holidays,

-Patrick

Well for those who feel that Sin City is not the most appropriate place to celebrate the Holidays, I would invite you to experience the Winter Wonderland that is drawing crowds like a Guiding Star to the east.  I’m talking about the Winter in Venice Holiday Spectacular at the Venetian.  They’ve been checking their list twice and they’ve got the halls decked with the brightest shine on the Strip.  And if you know the Venetian, you know it is off the proverbial hook!

They have got the largest Ice Skating Rink on the Strip (yes, a skating rink!) and presiding over it is the most Majestic and Brilliant Holiday Tree in Las Vegas, an enormous, 65’ Towering Tree of Light, the masterwork of Associated Group’s fantastic Display Dept.

This Bastion of Brilliance is comprised of innumerous glowing globes of light bejeweled with copious crystalline snowflakes (over 6000 of them, all handmade!) and festooned with thousands of flashing lights that constantly change colors like a Fountain of Rainbows!

This One of a Kind, Amazing Holiday Masterpiece is really a huge metal frame that surrounds the fountain normally seen on the Square, and is hung with 4’x8’ decorated panels, each with it’s own lighting system.  The lights are all synchronized and computer controlled to blend seamlessly as they transform colors before your very eyes.  It is 12,000 lbs. of Glowing Holiday Cheer (and a feat of great engineering prowess!).  There is no brighter way to celebrate the Season and no greater gift to receive this year.

So when it comes to making the most of the Holidays this year, you would be best advised to follow the way of the Wise, and seek out that light in the East…the Holiday Tree at the Venetian!

Also make sure to look out for our Winter In Venice video, premiering soon!

Norfolk Island Pine

Many people want to have a living Christmas tree in their home for the holidays but are unsure what is the best way to go about it.  Although there are companies that will bring you a tree and then pick it up later and replant it, they recommend only having the tree in the house for 7-10 days max (some say 4 days max) or it will have a poor chance of replanting.  That’s because the trees they supply are meant to live outdoors, not in your hot dry house.  Well, one solution is to use a tree that is suited to the indoors and still makes a fine specimen of a Christmas tree.  And that tree is the Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla).

This tree is not actually a pine but does produce small cones.  It comes from a small island near New Zealand where the mature trees can reach 200’ or more.  This is a tropical to semi-tropical tree and will not withstand the freezing cold of the Midwest and Northeast but will do quite happily in Florida or the Southern California region.  They are supremely suited to the interior environment where they can thrive in a high light position preferably by a window. Keep them evenly moist avoiding extreme dry or waterlogged soils. These trees can be kept indoors indefinitely or moved back outside when the holidays have come to a close.  Remember, if planted into the ground they can eventually reach great heights, so you may want to keep it in it’s container either indoors or out, until the next season arrives and decorate it all over again.

One thing to remember when decorating a Norfolk Island Pine, the branches are not quite as stiff as a real Pine so try to use lighter weight ornaments (maybe Bows or Origami stars) and mini-lights.  Tinsel seems to be a good way to add sparkle without weight, but what ever you do, do not use any flocking on a living tree.

A great alternative to cut or artificial tree, you can find the Norfolk Island Pine at most nurseries for what it might cost for a cut tree.

Even better, unless you are putting lights on the tree, it doesn’t need any flame retardant like a cut tree is legally required to have.

Have a safe and sensible Holidays with the Norfolk Island Pine, the Living Christmas Tree.

-Patrick, Interior Department