Table of Contents
Christmas is one of the best times of the year, and that is celebrated around the world. The Christmas tree with its twinkling lights with gifts placed under it, the Christmas décor that comes with the season along with the warm and sweet odors of freshly made festive cuisines.
Being in the northern hemisphere, winter days are chilly and the shortest days of the year, and if you are lucky, it will be magical with snow. If you are in the southern hemisphere, it would be a summer Christmas with warmer weather. Whatever your location might be, it is a good idea to plan and get organized with your decorations, and what better way than to add some plants and flowers to make your Christmas holidays merry and bright?
Here are 14 best Christmas plants and flowers that you could include in your decorations to add that extra touch of Christmas cheer.
Poinsettia
The festive red and green color of this plant makes it a symbol of Christmas celebrations. Poinsettia originates from the subtropical climates of Mexico. Remember that overwatering can destroy the roots of this plant. The container should have drainage holes and when you feel that the top 2 inches of soil are dry, then water the plant. Poinsettias grow well in bright, filtered sunlight.
| Soil | Well-drained and loamy |
| Sunlight | Partial shade |
Mistletoe
Although they need little care and maintenance, they are a type of parasitic, which makes them need a healthy host plant to stick to. Female Mistletoe produces a plethora of white barriers, which look very pretty in the evergreen foliage.
| Soil | No need for soil, as it is parasitic and grows on a host tree |
| Sunlight | Partial shade |
Yuletide Camellia
To keep the oval and pyramidal shape of Camellia, you need to prune it from time to time. This evergreen shrub may grow as high as 6 to 10 feet and has dark green leaves with white flowers, blooming in winter. The bright red blooms of the Yuletide variety suit well with the Christmas festive season.
| Soil | Well-drained, moist, and loamy |
| Sunlight | Partial shade to bright sunlight |
Yew
Yew shrubs can serve as Christmas trees with their evergreen foliage and vivid red berries. Even after Christmas, you can make holiday decorations using their sprigs. These are slow-growing, and as part of the care they need, they need to be pruned to remain in shape. Remember to fertilize it annually. The key to growing yew well is to have the right soil drainage.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, and moist |
| Sunlight | Partial shade to bright sunlight |
Amaryllis
The Amaryllis flowers add color and beauty to the dull and gloomy winter days. The trumpet-shaped blooms may take about six weeks to grow out of the bulbs, so plant it beforehand to get it ready for Christmas. You can choose from red, pink, and white Amaryllis, as per the home decorations for Christmastime.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, and moist |
| Sunlight | Partial shade, or bright sunlight |
Ivy
The star-shaped leaves of ivy symbolize Christmas and are grown to bring in luck and ward off evil spirits. It grows well alongside a vertical structure, and you may have to prune it from to time. The leaves of this plant are used to make different Christmas ornaments and wreaths.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy |
| Sunlight | Partial or full shade |
Douglas Fir
These are used as Christmas trees in many places around the world. With their dark green needled foliage, and bearing 5-inches long cones, these evergreen trees can grow quite high in the wild. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, while growing them, and give them plenty of space for the pyramid shape that they grow in.
| Soil | Well-drained, moist |
| Sunlight | Full, bright sunlight |
Christmas Cactus
Even though called a Christmas cactus, it is a succulent. Unlike the other succulents, it needs regular watering to stay healthy and to bear colorful flowers. These flowers are in shades of pink to red and bloom in time for Christmas.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, moist |
| Sunlight | Partial sunlight |
Holly
This is another Christmas-themed plant having evergreen foliage and bright red berries. You must care for the soil needs of this plant and it is low maintenance. The soil should be well-drained, as the plant will die in waterlogged soil.
Furthermore, maintain an acidic pH of the soil, as Holly cannot tolerate alkaline soil pH and its leaves start to wilt and turn yellow. This plant never dies, so it has been used as a good luck gesture for friends and family since ancient times.
| Soil | Acidic, well-drained, and moist |
| Sunlight | Partial sunlight or full bright sunlight |
Blue Spruce
These low-maintenance trees are popular during the Christmas season because of their pyramidal shape and green, silver-green, or blue-green needles. As part of many Christmas decorations, blue spruce has a fresh and nice evergreen scent. It is good to mulch the tree close to its base to help the plant retain moisture.
| Soil | Acidic, well-drained, loamy, and moist |
| Sunlight | Full bright sunlight |
Paperwhites
The tall green stems of paperwhites bloom bunches of tiny, scented, snowy white flowers during winter. Just put the bulbs in a pot full of gravel and water and wait for 4 to 6 weeks for the plants to sprout and start blooming. You can start growing it indoors, but when the roots come out, it is better to put it in a sunny location.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, and moist |
| Sunlight | Partial shade to full, bright sunlight |
Balsam Fir
With its beautiful pyramidal shape, strong evergreen scent, and deep blue-green needles, balsam fir proves a great Christmas tree. You only need to water the fully grown trees in prolonged periods of dry weather, but water the young trees every week. Two things that grow balsam fir well are having good soil drainage and adding mulch around the base of the trees. Good needle retentions make use of this tree for Christmas ornaments such as wreaths.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, acidic and moist |
| Sunlight | Partial shade to full, bright sunlight |
Juniper
The evergreen needles and lovely fragrance make Juniper plants an alternative to Christmas trees. These low-maintenance plants need moist, but not soggy soil to grow well. The young plants may need stakes for support, but the mature plants grow on their own. Juniper plants come in many different varieties, some are proper trees, while others are shrubs or low-growing ground covers.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, and sandy |
| Sunlight | Partial shade to full, bright sunlight |
Rosemary
Many people shape this plant like a Christmas tree, so it is also associated with Christmas festivals. The divine fragrance and their appearances like mini fir trees and green needles make these trees great. But they are frost sensitive and need at least six hours of daily sunlight. So, if you are growing indoors in places deprived of direct sunlight, you should add grow lights. Ensure good drainage and balanced watering are tips to grow them well.
| Soil | Well-drained, loamy, and sandy |
| Sunlight | Full, bright sunlight |
An Expert Tip
If you plan to keep the plants after Christmas, have them inside in the chilly weather, till you can plant them outside. Plants that need a lot of sunlight can grow well with grow lights. These fulfill the sunlight needs of these plants and they grow happily indoors.
Wrapping Up
Hope our collection of plants and flowers for Christmas will help with selecting the right Christmas décor for your home. While there are a lot of artificial décors during Christmas, going with the above plants and flowers will add a unique touch to making your holiday season merry and bright.
