These 16 Festive Plants Will Fill Your Home with Holiday Cheer
- 1/17
These 16 Festive Plants Will Fill Your Home with Holiday Cheer
Chrysanthemums and marigolds may be your go-to flowers for fall—but once they've had their moment to shine, it's time to get into the holiday spirit with some winter-blooming favorites. Try decking out your home with some of these festive beauties—in your standard red and green color scheme, of course, but with a few colorful surprises, too. Featuring the classics like mistletoe and holly alongside a few intriguing flowers set to put a new spin on the conventional—candy cane sorrel, anyone? You can even add a potted rosemary plant or two (both for their miniature tree-like looks and to complement your favorite holiday recipes!).
Whether you're going all out for the holidays or you like to keep things simple for your festivities, these Christmas-inspired plants and flowers are sure to add some extra flair to your wintertime decor.
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Poinsettia
It's the signature Christmas houseplant, but the broad red petals didn't always dominate the holidays. One clever florist figured out how to transform the plant from a gangly weed into a festive display in the '20s. By sending free plants to television stations in December, his family business then drove the association home.
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Holly
Growing up to 50 feet tall (!), holly bushes don't exactly belong inside. However, little shrubs or wreaths can pep up your home. Either way, only female varieties will produce the bright red berries.
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Christmas Rose
Nope, this isn't your traditional red rose. In fact, hellebores don't belong to the rose family at all. The perennial plants earn their Christmas ties because of an old European legend.
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Amaryllis
If you receive one of these slender gems this season, don't toss the pot once the flowering ends. Store the bulb in a cool, dark place and soon it'll be ready to put on another show.
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Mistletoe
Pucker up! Mistletoe has been associated with a friendly smooch since the 18th century, with Victorians solidifying the tradition. Legend goes if you refuse a kiss, you'll be cursed with bad luck!
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Candy Cane Sorrel
Breck's
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$21.98
These petite, trumpet-shaped beauties look just as sweet as the holiday treat they're named after! The whimsical perennials are best grown in full sun or partial shade, so park them by a sunny window or your front door.
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Paperwhites
Growing fragrant, tall flowers is as simple as adding water. Nestle narcissus bulbs in a dish with stones, and a little H2O can do the rest.
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Christmas Cactus
The succulent trend does not die come wintertime. This popular houseplant, also called the Thanksgiving cactus, hits the market just in time for the holidays. The "linked" segments look interesting on their own, but the leaf-like pads also produce white, pink, red or purple flowers.
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Rosemary
AmericanPlants
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$29.00
If you've got no room for a 6-foot fir, a potted herb might do the trick. Florists often shear the fragrant sprigs into a cone for a sweet-smelling topiary.
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Cyclamen
The signature upswept petals pop up in grocery stores every winter, and with pretty silver foliage, what's not to love? While cyclamen also comes in white, pink and purple, stick to the crimson variety for extra holiday cheer.
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Pansies
Especially in a deep shade of red, pansies are a surprising but still perfectly festive floral for the holidays, whether grown indoors or out. Pansies can still thrive in cooler climates, according to Almanac—they can even bounce back after a frost and extra cold weather.
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Phalaenopsis Orchid
This winter-blooming beauty is a great way to add a pop of color to your home when it's cold and dreary out—make sure it gets plenty of light (but not direct, scorching sunlight) and keep it in an area that's between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for a happy orchid all holiday season.
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Pear Tree
All that's missing is a partridge. Okay, okay, so a pear tree might not be a winter plant, but it is a part of one of the most iconic holiday songs of all time, so it had to make the cut. And if you do want a pear tree, here's how to care for it.
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Christmas Tree
And of course, the Christmas tree. You could go the fake route, but there's something special about a fresh-smelling tree. The best-selling evergreens come Christmas time include Balsam, Douglas and Fraser firs.
Shop the best fake trees in our roundup.
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