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Christmas plants and animals: 12 festive species
By one estimate, more than 30 plants and animals have Christmas in their names. And they all come bearing gifts: vital ecological roles that underpin valuable ecosystem services that directly or indirectly support human well-being. Here are 12 of the most popular among such organisms—one for each day of Christmas—and their major ecological roles.
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
In the middle of a white Christmas, this perennial native of eastern North America remains green even when leveled by snow. Growing in well-drained, dry-to-damp soil with little or no acidity, this evergreen fern grows well in partial-to-full shade. It produces clumps of dark green, shiny fronds (compound leaves) that bear stocking-shaped leaflets, which likely give the species its common name. The use of its green leaves as decoration at Christmas—a time when few other green plants are found in the forest understory—may also have inspired its name.
Ecological role: The Christmas fern prevents soil erosion and is often used in landscaping, particularly on slopes. It provides shelter and nesting materials for songbirds and ground-feeding and ground-nesting birds, particularly in the winter. Deer may feed on the fronds when vegetation is sparse.
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Christmas box (Sarcococca confusa)
For the greater part of the year, there is nothing remarkable about this low-growing, dense shrub believed to be native to China and grown in gardens around the world. However, when winter comes in the Northern Hemisphere, it produces intensely sweet-smelling tiny white flowers that have earned it the name Christmas box, or sweet box. The fragrance, which some describe as similar to vanilla, can spread over several meters. Usually reaching a height of about 1–1.5 meters (3–5 feet), this shade-loving evergreen plant grows well in most soil types.
Ecological role: The Christmas box, like other members of the genus Sarcococca, is a good source of nectar for pollinators such as bees in the winter, when other flowers are not in bloom.
Christmas rose (Helleborus niger)
A perennial herb growing to a height of 0.1–0.5 meter (0.3–1.6 feet), the Christmas rose is a poisonous evergreen plant native to the mountain forests of central and southern Europe. Its tissues contain medicinally active ingredients, many of which are toxic, such as cardiac glycosides and bufadienolides. The herb has been used as a medicine since ancient times. It grows well in moist, nonacidic soil under partial shade. The whitish- to pinkish-green bowl-shaped flowers bloom during the Christmas season in regions with mild winters. The name of this plant originates from a Christmas legend. According to the tale, these flowers sprang from the tears of a young shepherdess who wished to offer a gift to the infant Jesus but had nothing to give. Moved by her sorrow, an angel parted the snow where her tears had fallen, revealing the Christmas rose.
Ecological role: Blooming when very few nectar-producing flowers are around, the Christmas rose is an important forage plant for pollinators such as bees.
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Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera × buckleyi; alternatively, S. bridgesii)
Called the May flower in Brazil, this perennial plant blooms about Christmastime in the Northern Hemisphere—hence its name, the Christmas cactus. This long-lived cactus is a hybrid of Schlumbergera truncata (also called the Thanksgiving cactus) and Schlumbergera russelliana, both native to the Brazilian rainforests where they grow as epiphytes. The Christmas cactus is a popular houseplant for its vivid cerise blooms and has been gifted during the holidays since the mid-19th century, when the first hybrid was developed in Europe.
Ecological role: Members of the genus Schlumbergera produce abundant nectar that is particularly attractive to hummingbirds. Experts also believe that the fruits of these cacti are eaten by birds.
Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)
If its name gives it away as an animal, its looks will certainly deceive. Found on tropical corals worldwide, these polychaete worms (segmented marine annelids) are identifiable by their crown of two Christmas-tree-shaped radioles—feeding and breathing appendages that protrude from the coral surface while the rest of the animal remains hidden inside a calcium carbonate tube that it secretes around itself once it settles on a coral. The feathery spiral radioles are usually brightly colored in shades of orange, yellow, red, pink, and blue, completing the illusion of a decorated Christmas tree. These worms retreat inside their tubes when threatened, slamming a trapdoorlike operculum shut to seal the tube entrance (and ending the Christmas party!).
Ecological role: Christmas tree worms are important filter feeders of marine ecosystems, helping to maintain the flow of nutrients, energy, and debris around the corals that they occupy. Despite some reports of soft tissue damage in corals due to the shutting of the worm’s hard, calcareous operculum, which often bears antlerlike defensive spines, experts believe that the relationship between the coral and the worm is mutually beneficial. The coral provides the worm with shelter, while the worm fends off predators such as the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) that otherwise damage the coral. These polychaetes are also thought to prevent algal smothering and coral bleaching.
Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus genus)
The 36 species of beetles belonging to the genus Anoplognathus are considered as iconic as the koala and the kangaroo in Australia, where they occur naturally. These large and brightly colored beetles appear during Christmas, when it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere. They are found in open woodlands and pastures and feed on eucalypt leaves as adults and grass roots as larvae.
Ecological role: Although large numbers of Christmas beetles feeding on eucalypt leaves can cause dieback, these arthropods also provide important ecological benefits. Their mass emergence coincides with the reproductive period of many animals (such as mammals and birds), making them an accessible food source for breeding wildlife. In addition, the beetles’ burrowing larvae contribute to nutrient recycling and soil aeration.
Christmas Island red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis)
Named for their place of origin—Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean—these land crabs might just as well have been named for their vivid Christmas-red coloration. These solitary arthropods live in burrows mostly on forest floors for the greater part of the year, emerging in October–November to embark on a breeding migration to the coast. Millions of crabs move over fields and across roads to reach the ocean, halting traffic and painting the landscape red. The females spawn in the ocean; after developing for a month in those waters, the young crabs make the reverse journey back into the forest.
Ecological role: The Christmas Island red crab is a scavenger, cleaning up the forest floor by consuming leaf litter and occasionally dead animals. They also aerate the soil and recycle nutrients when they excavate burrows.
Christmas wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum)
In Hawaii this fish is called ‘awela, meaning “hot.” The mature adult male sports a hot reddish-pink (or salmon pink-to-orange) body patterned with prominent bluish-green lateral ladderlike markings and blue fins. Females and juveniles are less vivid than these terminal-phase males but still display a distinctive green with brown or black marks. The bright body coloration of this fish has inspired its festive name, although it is also called the ladder wrasse, green-barred wrasse, green-blocked wrasse, or parrotfish across its range, which extends from the East African coast in the Indian Ocean to the Pitcairn Islands, Ryukyu Islands, and Rapa Island in the Pacific Ocean. Like some other species of wrasse, these fish are capable of sex reversal, and a female may change into a male when the dominant male of a group dies.
Ecological role: Several species of wrasse set up underwater cleaning stations where they eat external parasites from the bodies of larger fish. The Christmas wrasse is an integral part of coral reef ecosystems, where it preys upon crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and echinoderms, controlling their populations and maintaining ecosystem health.
Christmas darter (Etheostoma hopkinsi)
Flashing Christmas red and green, this fish is found exclusively in the fast-flowing rocky streams and creeks of South Carolina and Georgia in the United States. Individuals of this species have alternating red and green transverse bars on their body, a horizontally striped front dorsal fin, and a red- or brown-flecked rear dorsal fin. Males are more colorful than females (see also, Why Are Male Animals More Colorful?). Their small size (not longer than 7.1 cm [2.8 inches]) and quickness when hunting prey give this group of fish the name darter.
Ecological role: Christmas darters regulate populations of small aquatic insects and crustaceans, which are the fish’s prey. These fish themselves are food sources for other animals such as larger fishes and birds and therefore serve as important components of the food web. Their presence in an aquatic ecosystem indicates its good health.
Christmas Island imperial pigeon (Ducula whartoni)
Measuring 42–48 cm (16.5–18.9 inches) in length and weighing 450–700 grams (1–1.5 pounds), this large purplish-gray pigeon gets its name from Christmas Island, where it is endemic. Its dark plumage is iridescent and appears bronzy-green, bluish-green, or bronzy-purple, and it has bright yellow or orange eyes. Found in the island’s rainforests and planted forests, this pigeon is among the few species of forest birds found on Christmas Island.
Ecological role: This fruit-eating bird is an important seed disperser and is vital for maintaining the structure of the forests it inhabits.
Christmas boobook (Ninox natalis)
Also called the Christmas Island boobook or the Christmas Island hawk-owl, this small bird weighing 130–190 grams (0.29–0.42 pound) and measuring 26–29 cm (10.2–11.4 inches) in length is the only resident owl species on Christmas Island, its native range. Its chestnut-brown plumage camouflages it in the dense rainforests of the island—its primary habitat—but its bright yellow eyes sharply contrast with its muted body color. Once threatened by mining activities and invasive species, populations of this bird have stabilized as of 2022.
Ecological role: As an apex predator of insects and small vertebrates on Christmas Island, this bird acts as a natural pest control measure, keeping the populations of its prey in check.
Christmas Island frigate bird (Fregata andrewsi)
This large-winged seabird (wingspan 2.05–2.30 meters [6.7–7.5 feet]) may appear to be inspired by Dr. Seuss’s mean Christmas-hater, the Grinch, as it chases, harasses, and attacks other seabirds, forcing them to drop or disgorge their catch, which it then steals. Experts believe that this behavior, called kleptoparasitism, may be a potential route of avian influenza virus transmission among wild birds. The Christmas Island frigate bird currently faces threats from overfishing, which depletes its food supply, along with hunting, cyclones, and invasive species. Although this species breeds exclusively on Christmas Island, nonbreeding individuals frequently roam long distances from the breeding colonies, landing as far away as Kenya.
Ecological role: As a carnivore, the Christmas Island frigate bird preys upon marine vertebrates and invertebrates, controlling their populations. It is also ecologically important as a generalist scavenger.