'Tis the season to trim the tree and deck the halls to set a festive mood for the holiday season. While there may not be a ton of fresh-flower options available during the wintertime, there are still some beautiful Christmas decoration options to choose from, including vibrant greenery, berry branches, and colorful wintertime blooms. Decorating your home for the holidays doesn't have to be extremely time- and labor-intensive; in fact, our best advice is to choose just one or two areas in your home as focal points and spend your time and energy on making those spots shine. In this post, we will review 10 Christmas flowers, greenery, and plant options to consider when dressing up your home for the holidays. We will also provide a step-by-step guide to making your own holiday garlands. Let the holiday decorating commence!
If you've ever wondered "What is the name of the red Christmas flower?" or "What flower represents Christmas?” here's the answer you've been looking for: poinsettias! You'll see these brightly colored blooms everywhere during the holiday season, such as for sale at the grocery store, decorating hotel lobbies, and lining stairways or porches. Poinsettias are synonymous with Christmas and it's not hard to see why. Their deep-red color is the perfect complement to your holiday decorations and Christmas tree. While classic red is the most traditional and widely available variety, poinsettias also come in several other colors, including white and cream, pinks, oranges, and beautiful variegated tones.
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Photo: Better Homes & Gardens
Poinsettia Garden Wrapping Paper designed by Wildfield paper co.
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Holiday Explosion designed by Chris Griffith
Decorating with fresh berry branches is a quick and easy way to make your home look merry and festive for the holidays. In December, there are a wide variety of berry branches available, including:
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Amaryllises are another popular Christmas flower as well as holiday plant. Known for their tall, graceful stems and showy, trumpet-like blooms, amaryllises would act as a beautiful addition to your holiday home decor and Christmas dinner table setting. The flowers are available in classic holiday colors like red, peppermint stripe, and crisp white, as well as varying shades of pink, yellow, green, burgundy, and variegated hues. If you're stumped for holiday gifts this year and wondering what Christmas plant makes for a popular present, amaryllis bulbs make a wonderful choice. The bulb is ready to bloom on its own and all your gift recipients will need to do is place the bulb in water or soil, then watch it grow.
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Decorating with wintry evergreen boughs is a beautiful (and affordable) way to spruce up your space for the holidays. Here are a few favorite varieties:
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If you're in the market for colorful Christmas plants this winter, consider the Christmas cactus. These hardy plants have flat, glossy-green branches with flowers that bloom right in time for the holidays. The flowers come in many vibrant colors, including holiday red, as well as magenta, orange, coral pink, fuchsia, orange, and yellow.
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Poinsettia Pretty in Pink wrapping paper designed by Erika Firm
Paperwhites are another popular Christmas plant known for their perfume-like fragrance and delicate white blossoms. Similar to amaryllis plants, paperwhites are also grown from bulbs and are a popular plant to grow indoors during the wintertime. Paperwhite plants also make a wonderful holiday gift idea! Wrap the blooming plant in kraft paper and tie it with ribbon. Or you could gift a paperwhite-growing kit that includes paperwhite bulbs, small river rocks, and a decorative vase.
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Every holiday season, couples hang sprigs of mistletoe and kiss beneath it to celebrate their love. But have you ever wondered how the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began? Historians are a little fuzzy on the origin story, but some believe the connection between kissing and mistletoe comes from ancient Norse mythology. Legend has it that Ggod Baldur was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. His mother wept on the arrow and her tears turned into white berries, which she placed on Baldur's wound, healing him and bringing him back to life. Amazed and overjoyed, his mother blessed the mistletoe plant and vowed a kiss to everyone who passed beneath it. Fast-forward several centuries later and the tradition of kissing underneath mistletoe has become ubiquitous with Christmas cheer. Learn more about unique Christmas traditions practiced around the world.
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Merry Christmas designed by Anupama
Decorating with pine cones is an easy and affordable way to bring nature indoors this holiday season. Collect a variety of pine cones on a winter walk and then recycle them throughout your home in various locales. You could also purchase pine cones from your local craft store or flower shop.
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Photo: Victoria Pearson
Citrus fruits are juicy and plentiful this time of the year, which makes them an unexpected yet festive way to brighten your home this winter season (not to mention they smell absolutely wonderful!).
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Photo: Lindsay Salazar Photography
Sometimes called "Christmas roses," hellebores are a popular winter-blooming flower that features delicate cup-shaped petals. Despite their nickname, hellebores are not related to roses; rather, they belong to the buttercup family. The flowers come in a wide array of colors, from whites, creams, and pinks, to lavender, green, and nearly jet-black.
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There's nothing more festive than decking the halls of your home with lush and fragrant Christmas garlands. Whether you decide to hang the greenery garlands over the front door, draped over the mantel, or wrapped around the staircase banister, decorating with greenery has endless possibilities. Not sure how to pull it off? We've got answers to all of your greenery garland questions.
If you're making a garland yourself, it's best to work with what you've got and forage greenery from your own property. Or, you could purchase bundles of winter greenery from your local flower shop. Ask for cedar, pine, or fir to create garlands with that perfect holiday look.
Turning freshly cut greenery into a lush Christmas garland is easy. Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a lush and fragrant decoration for your dining table or fireplace mantel.
Photo: Anna Williams
Follow these tips to ensure that your Christmas garland is the perfect size and scale for your holiday decorations.
If you prefer to purchase your holiday garlands, you can order them in any length you'd like from your local flower shop. You might be able to buy them from home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, as well as Costco (usually in pre-made lengths). You can also check with local Christmas tree farms and nurseries, which usually have plenty of garlands available in a variety of greenery types and lengths.
Once your garland is set in place, personalize the greenery with some creative embellishments:
Love the look of Christmas garlands but not sure where to place them? Here are our favorite spots in the home to spruce up and adorn with fresh greenery. Be creative—the decorating possibilities are endless!
If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace mantel in your home, make it the focal point of your living room. Drape a lush garland over the mantel or ledge. For a more traditional look, have the ends drape down in a symmetrical fashion. Or, for a more modern look, have the garland cascade down on just one side. Add pine cones for texture and candles (or LED candles) for extra glow. Want even more ideas? We have a full post dedicated to Christmas mantel ideas.
Photo: Erin Francois
For your holiday dinner table, place a garland of fresh evergreens down the center of the table. Accent the greenery with candles at varying heights. Make sure you don’t take your eye off the candles, as combining an open flame close to Christmas greenery can quickly turn disastrous. You could also opt to substitute in electric candles.
Photo: Lauren McBride
Welcome visitors with a festive and inviting entrance. Hang a stylish wreath from your front door using a brass hook. Accent the entry with large, oversize modern urns overflowing with fresh evergreen boughs, branches, and pine cones.
Photo: Donna Griffith
Make your staircase banister a major focal point by adorning the entire railing with lush garland swags of cedar and eucalyptus. Add in complementary elements such as pine cones, satin ribbon, and bows.
Photo: Donna Griffith
Hang a grouping of simple, miniature greenery wreaths at varying heights to create a beautiful window display.
Photo: Johnny Miller
Frame the doorway to the living room by affixing garlands overhead to create a festive and inviting entrance.
Photo: New Darlings