November flowers in Switzerland: from All Saints' to Advent

The chrysanthemum. In the birth flower tradition, it stands for November. The name comes from the Greek chrysos, gold, and anthemon, flower, as its blooms were originally golden yellow. Native to Asia, it has been grown in China since the 15th century BC, where the young shoots and petals were eaten in salads and the leaves brewed into a drink.

Why does it bloom in November?

The chrysanthemum is a short-day plant: it sets its buds as the nights grow longer. In the garden, that means it flowers in the fall, right in time for All Saints'. Growers shift its bloom time by blacking out their greenhouses to lengthen the night.

Long life in Asia, mourning in Europe

In China it symbolizes long life, and in Japan it is the emblem of the imperial family. In parts of Europe, by contrast, it is still tied to mourning and cemeteries. We look at what each flower expresses in the meaning of funeral flowers.

Potted and cut chrysanthemums

In early November chrysanthemums are everywhere: in pots on graves, in bouquets at the florist's, on balconies next to the heather. They come in yellow, orange, white, pink, red and purple. To pair them with heather and cyclamen on a balcony, see our October flowers.

The Christmas rose blooms in midwinter

The Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is not a rose at all but a member of the buttercup family. According to Info Flora, it flowers from December to March and grows 15 to 30 cm tall. In Switzerland it is native only to southern Ticino, where it grows in beech and oak woods and is fully protected. So leave it in the wild and buy it in a pot. Like crocuses and snowdrops, it flowers without any heating.

It likes partial shade and rich, somewhat alkaline soil that drains well. In a container, choose a tall pot, as its roots go deep. Every part of the plant is toxic.

Amaryllis to pot up for Christmas

The amaryllis sold by florists is really a Hippeastrum, a South American plant. The true genus Amaryllis comes from South Africa and has just two species. The Royal Horticultural Society advises potting the bulb between October and January, in a pot only slightly bigger than the bulb, with two-thirds of it above the soil. Water sparingly until new leaves appear, then regularly.

In a bright spot at around 21 °C, it flowers six to eight weeks later, so a bulb potted in early November blooms around the holidays. Once the flowers open, a cooler room at 15 to 18 °C makes them last longer.

Four weeks after All Saints', Advent brings greenery back into the house. The Advent wreath comes from Hamburg. In 1839, the theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern hung a cartwheel in the prayer hall of the Rauhes Haus, a home for children, with one candle for each day until Christmas: large white ones for the Sundays and small red ones for the weekdays. The fir branches came later.

Holly, yew or fir in the wreath?

The red berries of holly (Ilex aquifolium) brighten up wreaths, but they are toxic. According to Tox Info Suisse, a small child who swallows up to five of them usually gets nothing worse than a mild upset stomach. Yew, sometimes suggested for wreaths, is highly toxic to people and animals, apart from the red part of its fruit. In homes with children or pets, Tox Info Suisse recommends fir instead.

To send flowers over the holidays, see our Christmas flowers and our Christmas flower card messages.

There is still time to plant tulips: the Royal Horticultural Society recommends planting them in the fall, through November, at two to three times their own height, and deeper where winters are very cold.

Potted plants that cannot take frost, such as oleander, citrus or geraniums, should move to a bright, cool place before the first frost, like a stairwell or an unheated conservatory. Hardy container plants can stay outside. Wrap the pot in horticultural fleece or jute, raise it on wooden blocks and cover the soil with brushwood. On frost-free days, check the soil and water a little if it is dry, without leaving water standing in the saucers.

Before the hard frosts, empty rain barrels and turn off outdoor faucets. Around Christmas roses, don't dig: a mulch of well-rotted compost is enough.