When it comes to decorating the halls, don’t forget about real plants! Many plants have a distinct Christmas vibe and provide a pop of color and intrigue to end tables, foyers, and kitchen counters. Many Christmas plants are great presents!
After the holidays, you may continue to admire their beauty in your home and yard. “Many holiday plants can thrive for years with the right conditions and care,” says Tim Pollak, an outdoor floriculturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Some Christmas favorites may be grown in your garden when spring comes.
However, some Christmas plants are only designed to be appreciated during the holiday season. They may be temperamental and may not be worth the additional work if they are demanding about reblooming or dislike the hot, dry indoor conditions found in our houses throughout the winter. If you don’t want to care for a plant, dump it in the compost pile and get a new one next year.
Ahead, read on to learn about our favorite Christmas plants to give friends and family (or yourself!) this holiday season:
1. Hellebore
Hellebores often bloom outside in the winter or early spring. However, this beautiful perennial is often marketed as a Christmas gift plant.
CARE: Provide your hellebore with strong indirect light, and water when the top inch or two of soil seems dry.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! This lovely plant is as tough as they get. Plant in your shade garden in the spring and enjoy it for many years. It is also deer-resistant!
2. Wintergreen
Wintergreen is a low-growing ground cover plant that is often offered around the holidays due to its lovely small red berries and dark green glossy foliage. Of course, when crushed, the leaves emit a pungent, minty aroma.
CARE: Give wintergreen plenty of light inside and keep the soil mildly damp.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! In the spring, transplant this hardy ground cover outside. It will ultimately span many feet wide.
3. English Ivy
English ivy is a beautiful vining plant that comes in plain green or green and white variegated variations. It is sometimes trained onto a hoop during the holidays to mimic a live wreath.
CARE: Provide bright, indirect light and keep it out of drafts. Water whenever the top inch or so of soil seems dry. It’s susceptible to spider mites in hot, dry indoor environments, so keep a watch out and treat as required.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep if it is doing well. However, discard it if it becomes spindly or if spider mites cannot be controlled after one or two treatments.
4. Gardenia
Gardenias are beautiful, aromatic plants with creamy white blooms. They are big bushes that grow outside but are often marketed as Christmas gifts.
CARE: Place these plants in bright, indirect light and keep them regularly hydrated. If you allow them to dry out, they will get irritable and drop buds instantly.
KEEP OR TOSS: If you live in a warm area and your plant survives till spring, move it outside. Otherwise, enjoy while they are fresh, then compost.
5. Dwarf Alberta Spruce
This slow-growing shrub maintains its exquisite Christmas tree-like form, making it ideal for holiday décor. However, it dislikes hot and dry interior environments, so keep it outdoors to enjoy it.
CARE: Spruces like full sun but can take moderate shade, so they may be planted anywhere in the yard or potted on the front porch. Even though evergreens are dormant in winter, they need water. If it hasn’t rained recently or is beneath a covered porch, give it a drink every now and then.
KEEP OR TOSS: Definitely, keep! This is a particularly cold-tolerant shrub that you may plant in your garden in the spring.
6. Lemon Cypress
These lovely tiny trees maintain their pyramidal structure. The wonderful lemony aroma of their leaf and lively green color provide a lovely contrast to the reds of poinsettias.
CARE: These tiny trees need a lot of light, so try to plant them where they will receive direct sunlight. Keep the soil equally wet.
KEEP OR TOSS: They could decide for you! These trees may be rather picky. However, if the proper circumstances are met and maintained, they will survive for many years.
7. Citrus Tree
Citrus trees, such as Meyer lemons or calamondin oranges, are excellent present plants (maybe for yourself!) since they are not often found. Their little fruits are edible — and adorable!
CARE: Citrus plants need bright or direct sunshine. If you don’t have a sunny window, use a grow light; otherwise, they’ll suffer. Allow them to dry out somewhat before watering.
KEEP OR TOSS: Definitely, keep! Simply keep an eye out for pests and treat any that you find as soon as possible. These trees like spending time outside in the summer, but be cautious to gradually adapt them to full light before bringing them within before the temperatures dip into the low 50s. Also, spritz or treat them with insecticidal soap before bringing them inside for the winter.
8. Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe is an easy-care blooming succulent that is often offered around the holidays. It will bloom for weeks and weeks with little maintenance.
CARE: Provide bright indirect light and water when the top few inches of soil seem dry.
KEEP OR Toss: Toss! These plants are not costly, but getting them to rebloom requires a lot of care. Get a new one next year!
9. Olive Tree
Olive trees feature thin branches with a lovely airy texture. They make surprisingly beautiful Christmas gift plants.
CARE: Place olive plants in bright light or use a grow light. When the top inch or two of soil has dried up, water it.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! With proper care, your miniature olive tree will grow and survive for a decade or more!
10. Lavender
Lavender is a popular garden plant, but it’s commonly offered around the holidays shorn into the shape of a Christmas tree or in topiary form.
CARE: Give lavender strong light otherwise it will not be pleased. If your windowsill is not sunny, you will need to use a grow light. Allow it to dry somewhat before watering, and water until the top inch of soil seems dry.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! However, lavender may be quite finicky inside throughout the winter. If you can maintain it alive until spring, you may plant it in outdoor pots or in the garden.
11. Amaryllis
These beautiful blooms bloom four to six weeks after you plant the bulb. Some types produce flowers first, followed by leaves.
CARE: Keep in bright light, not stowed away on the coffee table because low light levels may cause it to get floppy and tip over. Turn the container every few days to ensure that the plant grows erect. Maintain an equal moisture level in the soil without drowning it.
KEEP OR TOSS: It’s your decision. The bulbs covered in wax are very difficult to rebloom. Plants in a potting media may have a greater chance of reblooming. Once the blossoms have faded, remove the stem but retain the leaves. When the risk of frost has passed, go outdoors to a shady place. Allow the plant to become dormant in late summer and store it in the garage or basement. Cut off the yellowed leaves and neglect them (no water!) until November, when you may resume watering and restart the growth cycle.
12. Orchid
These delicate-looking plants are not as fragile as they seem and may bloom for months with no maintenance, according to Pollak.
CARE: Place orchids in bright, indirect light. They like it colder inside. Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations, which cause buds to drop. Water once a week until water runs out the bottom of the container (they are often placed in a soilless planting media).
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! Maintain a south, east, or west window. Feed orchids with a special fertilizer. Water frequently, but in late summer, allow the leaves to dry out or wrinkle somewhat to encourage the plant to form new buds. Once you see a new stem, resume watering but discontinue fertilizing.
13. Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus are so lovely that they may match the splendor of your tree’s decorations. “These are one of the hardier holiday plants and can last for decades,” according to Pollak. Different kinds bloom at different periods of the year, such as Thanksgiving and Easter.
CARE: Place in a well lit window. Warm temperatures or too dry soil may cause flower buds to droop before they bloom. When dry, water the plant, but do not let it sit in water. “They’re a succulent so the pads get soft and mushy if you overwater,” suggests Pollak. Check the pot every 7-10 days.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! To induce bud set, expose them to unbroken darkness beginning in the autumn. They like to be pot-bound, which eliminates the need to repot for years. Between April and October, fertilize once a month.
14. Poinsettia
Poinsettias are almost as timeless as Christmas movies! “Select plants with little yellow flowers, called cyathia, in the center of the colored leaves,” advises Gary Vollmer, product and technical manager for Selecta North America, a poinsettia breeder. If you choose a plant that is oozing pollen or has lost its yellow blossoms, it is beyond its peak and will not endure the season.
CARE: Cover your poinsettia before transporting it home, particularly if the weather is in the 20s or below, and do not leave it in the vehicle while doing errands. Water is dry to the touch. When you acquire a plant, remove the foil or pot cover (or poke holes in it) to check that it is not resting in water. Water gently, then let to drain entirely in the sink.
KEEP OR TOSS: It’s up to you, but reblooming will need effort! To encourage blooming the next year, plant in a light window after the holidays. After April 1st, remove the colorful leaves. In September, relocate to a room that receives solely natural light with no artificial lighting after sundown. Return to your normal living location in early October and cross your fingers!
15. Christmas Tree
Whether you’re cutting your own evergreen or buying a pre-cut tree, look for insects and pests, as well as any damage, like as broken branches. Pull on a limb of a pre-cut tree to check its freshness; it should be pliable and free of needles. Also, does it have a pleasant green color? Is it fresh-smelling?
CARE: Before placing your cut Christmas tree in water, shave off approximately 1/4 inch straight across the bottom of the trunk. Place it away from heat sources, fill with water, and keep it full. A cut Christmas tree will drink a lot in the first week, therefore you should check it every day! Despite tips you may have read online, experts agree that there’s no need to feed it anything other than water—which is what it drinks in the wild.
KEEP OR TOSS: With appropriate care, a cut Christmas tree may keep fresh for about a month.
16. Cyclamen
These cool-season plants can withstand temperatures as low as the 40s, making them attractive throughout the winter. They may bloom for more than eight weeks under the correct circumstances.
CARE: Place in moderately diffused, not very bright, light. To prolong blooming, avoid warm drafts and deadhead wasted flowers and yellow leaves by removing the whole stem along the leaf line. Water from the base, not the top, by placing it in a saucer of water and allowing it to soak for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the plant. Avoid spraying water upon the leaves.
KEEP OR THROW: Toss! Cyclamen may be difficult to rebloom.
17. Norfolk Island Pine
This long-lived plant is native to the South Pacific, thus it cannot be grown outside in most of the nation, according to Pollak. If you don’t have enough space for a larger tree, it makes an excellent tabletop tree; nevertheless, its limbs are prone to being burdened down, so use lightweight decorations.
CARE: Place it in medium-bright light, such as an east or west-facing window. It requires around six to eight hours of light every day. Low light conditions might lead lower branches to droop. Water when dry to the touch, but don’t allow it dry out too much or the branches will dry out (and won’t grow back at the bottom of the tree).
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! Every two years, topdress the planting medium with new soil. It likes to be pot-bound. You may move it outside in late spring if you choose, but keep it shaded. Bring indoors before temperatures drop below 40 degrees. Fertilize every 6 to 8 weeks with a standard fertilizer. Toss when it gets too leggy.
18. Frosty Fern
These charming small fern-like plants, which are really a form of moss, are a new addition to the Christmas collection. Keep them on your dining room table or workstation; simply seeing them will spark some heartfelt Christmas messages!
CARE: Keep in low to medium lighting. They require regular humidity, therefore they thrive in terrariums. Keep the soil gently damp. Use water that is room temperature rather than frigid. Water from below by putting in a saucer of water and allowing it to soak for 15 minutes, or use a self-watering container.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep if you’re fortunate. The plant is picky and often dies before you weary of it. Don’t worry. Enjoy its delicate shape for as long as you can.
19. Paperwhites
These are often sold in kits or as loose bulbs with planting material included. Pot them and enjoy their fragrant blossoms in two to three weeks.
CARE: Keep them in a cool, sunny spot. Overly warm environments promote lanky growth. As soon as the blooms appear, attach the stems to a decorative stake to keep them from falling over. Water periodically to keep the soil equally wet.
KEEP OR THROW: Toss! They’re cheap enough to repurchase next year, and since they’re tropical, they can’t be transplanted outside.
20. Rosemary
This culinary essential produces a hardy indoor or outdoor shrub that is sometimes cut into a topiary or pyramidal form to resemble a Christmas tree. Its fresh piney aroma is energizing in the midst of a bleak winter, and it’s a great savory addition to roasts. You may also bake with it or use it to flavor salt.
CARE: Place in a well lit south or west-facing window. The more light the better, otherwise it will drop leaves. Check the pot every few days to ensure that the soil is uniformly hydrated. “The number one most common mistake with rosemary is underwatering,” according to Pollak. These plants are Mediterranean, although they dislike being entirely dried up.
KEEP OR TOSS: Keep! Move it outdoors as soon as your location is frost-free, which is usually around May. Fertilize every few months using a slow-release pellet-type product and let it to develop organically. You are not need to keep the topiary or pyramidal form unless you choose it.
Also See: How to Pet-Proof Your Christmas Trees
