10 Christmas Plants for Your Garden and Home

Christmas is right around the corner, but there’s nothing quite like embracing the festive spirit than enhancing your garden and home with holiday plants. From iconic poinsettias to charming mistletoes, there are a lot of options that offer a colorful touch to your home.

If you want to take care of Christmas plants and want them to last through the winter months and beyond, check out these 10 most famous picks and their primary care requirements.

1. Poinsettia

There’s no doubt poinsettia, also known as the Christmas Star flower, is the most festive of all florals in this list. Many people use this as tree decor or a centerpiece because of its star-shaped leaves that embody the festive season. The red variants are the most celebrated, followed by white and pink varieties. 

If you plan on planting or displaying poinsettias at home or in your garden, expose them to plenty of sunlight daily. These beautiful blooms prefer soft water. You can mix tap water with distilled or use a filter. Remember to water when the soil is dry.

2. Yuletide Camellia

There’s nothing quite as festive as a yuletide camellia. With bright yellow centers and pink petals, these flowers make great additions to your festive vases. The winter season can be hectic, but luckily, these colorful blooms only require low maintenance.

Yuletide camellias should get sunlight in the morning and afternoon shade. Even better, it thrives on moderate watering. If you plan on keeping them in your garden blooming for a long time, use fertilizer to preserve their beauty.

3. English Holly

This spiny, dark green plant with red berries is reminiscent of the holiday season because of its vibrant colors. It’s excellent for growing in pots and planters. Placing it in a festive pot is also a wonderful gift for your plant-loving neighbors.

When growing English hollies outside, the holiday season is the perfect time to cut some branches and bring the bloom inside your home. Choose strong stems at least a quarter inch in diameter with full leaves. Like poinsettias, English holly thrives in full sun or shade. It can also live for years with proper care and trimming.

4. Mistletoe

If you’re into a romantic Christmas season, mistletoe is a must. Hanging this bright green plant in the doorway is a tradition many people love. In the Norse culture, mistletoe symbolizes love and peace. 

In case you’re wondering, mistletoe grows on various trees, including apple, willow and oak. If you plan to hang it in a doorway, keep it out of reach of children and pets, as this plant can be poisonous if eaten.  When buying one, look for a bundle with six branchlets and long, bright green leaves. 

5. Frosty Fern

While its name suggests it’s a plant, frosty fern is a type of moss with white tips resembling snow. Although stunning, it can be demanding compared to other foliage on this list. A frosty fern grows in partial shade at about 65 to 70° Fahrenheit, in moist and at least 70% relative humidity.

If you plan to grow this foliage, it’s best to put it inside a pot saucer with water and an inch of pebbles. If you can provide its humidity requirements, frosty fern is easier to maintain. It only requires low to medium lighting, although you can expose it to direct sunlight during the colder months.

6. Christmas Cactus

This succulent can serve as a beautiful home decor. It comes in various colors, including red, magenta and pink. Since this can live for decades — 100 years even — it’s a great indoor plant that can withstand years. Even better, this plant is safe for pets, making it one of the most pet-friendly plants on this list.

Like other succulents, the Christmas cactus is easy to take care of. It only requires water when the top one-third of the soil is dry and bright diffused light. After the holidays, it hibernates. To rebloom, ensure to give it total darkness from the latter part of September every night until the start of the festive season.

If your cactus is not blooming, it may only mean three things — you’re using too much water, it’s getting too much light or high heat levels. What you can do is provide 12 to 24 uninterrupted hours of darkness every day. 

7. Amaryllis

Another statement flower is the amaryllis, often gifted to loved ones with a decorative pot. The vibrant shades of red and white make it perfect for the holidays and winter. 
Amaryllis grows from a bulb, which is why it’s easier to buy a bulb in a pot. It blooms about six to eight weeks after planting, so plant in early November to enjoy the fruits of your labor just in time for Christmas.

After achieving its full bloom, cut off the bloom stalk and leave the plant for it to grow further. Fertilize once a month and water when the top two inches of the soil appear dry. Keep this out of reach of pets, as this can be toxic.

8. Winter Honeysuckle

The winter honeysuckle is a broadleaf shrub that grows and expands to 10 feet. Its lemon-scented, pleasant fragrance makes it a natural home fragrance. This plant comes in shades of white, cream and gray, contrasting with dark green leaves and red berries.

Bring winter honeysuckle clippings inside your home. Put them in festive vases to enjoy their fragrance and beautiful blooms. While this plant can thrive in occasional dryness, remember to keep its soil moist now and then.

9. Pear Tree

Even without a partridge, the pear tree is a sight to behold. It comes with glossy, serrated leaves that glimmer in the morning. It is a medium-sized tree that grows up to 30 feet tall, though there are smaller varieties. Pear trees bear aromatic pears, making them an excellent addition to your Christmas dinner menu.

When planting a pear tree, provide plenty of sunlight. It also requires watering but not soggy soil. Regularly water it — especially during hot weather — to keep it happy and thriving.

10. Cyclamen

This flower comes in shades of pink, red and white, making it a great addition to your festive garden or decor. When placing it indoors, keep it in an area that has a temperature between 40 to 60 degrees. 

When caring for your cyclamens, give it enough sunlight and water when the soil looks dry. These flowers go dormant in summer, but placing them outdoors in a shaded spot will let them bloom in fall. Cyclamens are poisonous for pets, so put them out of their reach.

Take Care of Christmas Plants Today

Deck the halls with holiday plants! Take care of some in your garden or home to add color to the season. Which plant on this list are you most excited add to your festive collection?