Deck the Halls With the 20 Best Christmas Plants

Poinsettias, a Christmas plant

Once the cold weather hits and the spring flowers start to go away, it's time to think about some new plants. Fortunately, some of the prettiest and most elegant flowers bloom in the winter. Whether you want to enjoy new plantings outside or bring some festive plants inside, there are plenty of beautiful options to choose from. Poinsettias are a popular choice to display at Christmas. However, there are also other unique Christmas plants that you may want to consider.

Typically, we tend to focus on the Christmas tree the most when it comes to decorating our homes for the holidays. However, it's also nice to add even more fragrance and color with an assortment of Christmas flowers and plants. We have put together a list of some of the best additions that will fill your home with a festive mix of red, white and green.

Related: Elevate Your Evergreen’s Look This Year With These Easy Steps on How to Flock a Christmas Tree

20 Best Christmas Plants

1. Poinsettia

Most of us are familiar with poinsettias. They are the most popular Christmas plant out there. While red is the most traditional color, poinsettias do come in a lot of other colors as well. From white to shades of pink or even marbled varieties, there are plenty of options to choose from.

If you plan on displaying some poinsettias in your home for Christmas, make sure to set them where they will get plenty of daylight. You will also want to avoid areas near fireplaces or heat ducts as these may dry the plant out. The soil needs to stay moist.

Related: 100 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Everyone on Santa's Nice List

2. Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a must if you expect any kisses this Christmas! Hanging mistletoe is a fun Christmas tradition. If you are wondering where mistletoe comes from, you may be surprised to find that it is a pesty plant that grows out of deciduous tree branches. It also doesn't grow everywhere—it is mainly found in North Carolina.

If you plan on hanging some mistletoe, make sure to keep it high enough—away from pets and where kids can reach. This Christmas plant is actually poisonous if ingested.

3. Christmas Cactus

A Christmas cactus is another great plant to have inside your home. The blooming succulent comes in a variety of colors and mixes, including red. Since the Christmas cactus can live up to 100 years, it's a great choice as an indoor plant. It's easy to care for and the blooms are so beautiful.

Related: What Are the Christmas Colors? Why Red and Green Became the Shades of the Holiday Season

4. Amaryllis

Amaryllis is a beautiful flower to have on display for Christmas decor. The vibrant reds or red-and-white mixes are perfect for the holiday season. This flower grows from a bulb, and it's easiest to buy the bulb already planted in a pot. However, you could also grow your own in the fall in warm climates or with a greenhouse. It only takes six weeks after planting for them to be in full bloom.

5. Rosemary

Rosemary isn't just for cooking! This plant also has a decorative look that is perfect for the Christmas season. It has sprigs that remind you of Christmas evergreens. You can also cut some of the sprigs to decorate napkin holders or drinks for an easy festive look.

6. Holly

Holly is another plant that is extremely popular to have around at Christmas (you can even deck the halls with it). The plant looks beautiful both inside and out. If you grow holly bushes outside, Christmas is the perfect time to cut some of the branches to bring into your home. The vibrant red and green give a burst of holiday color. And a quick warning—although the rich red berries may look tempting to taste, they would, unfortunately, make you sick.

7. Winter Honeysuckle

Winter honeysuckle is not grown indoors as it gets too large. However, the honeysuckle clippings are great to bring inside in the winter. Just put them in vases and enjoy the sweet fragrance and gorgeous blooms.

8. Winterberry

Winterberry stems make a beautiful Christmas arrangement when placed in a vase. Winterberry is actually a deciduous holly which means it drops its leaves in the winter. These would be great to have growing in your yard where you could easily view them—after all, the red berries make such a striking contrast to the white snow.

Related: Deck the Halls with Christmas Cactus

9. Gardenia

This elegant flower would definitely add a classy touch to your Christmas parties. The gardenia will keep on blooming inside as long as the right conditions are met. The best place to keep the Christmas flower is near a window where it will get about four hours of direct sunlight. As with most indoor winter plants, it's good to provide some extra humidity with a small humidifier.

10. Moth Orchid

Moth orchids have a delicately elegant look and are beautiful to have on display at Christmas. They are gaining in popularity as many people like to decorate their homes with them or give the plants as Christmas gifts.

11. Cyclamen

The cyclamen in vibrant red is a beautiful winter flower to fill your home with Christmas cheer. Indoor plants can be purchased in the fall and winter seasons and will bloom inside as long as they are in an area that is between 40 and 60 degrees. If it gets warmer, the plant will go dormant until next fall. Once your indoor plant stops blooming, don't throw it away! You can just store it and plant it again the next fall when it will bloom once again.

12. Yuletide Camellia

This beautiful shrub blooms from fall through winter. The vibrant red flowers and waxy green leaves make this a perfect flower to have on display throughout the holidays.

Related: Grow Your Own Mini Living Christmas Tree

13. Anthurium

Anthuriums are tropical plants that look so Christmas-y. They do well as indoor plants and even have an extra benefit—along with their holiday appeal, they also work to purify the air and get rid of toxins.

14. English Ivy

With its beautiful and vibrant green leaves, English ivy helps to add a festive Christmas hue to your home. You can also use the vines to form a Christmas wreath or topiary.

15. Lemon Cypress

This little evergreen is a perfect plant for the Christmas season as it is like a miniature Christmas tree! By regularly pruning the tree, you can keep it small and use it indoors indefinitely.

16. Snowdrops

Snowdrops (such an adorable name) are beautiful to look out at in the winter or use inside for a darling wintery display.

17. Juniper Berries

This evergreen shrub produces berries in various shades of blue. What is special about juniper berries is that they actually have some health benefits instead of being toxic to ingest—they're a good source of vitamin C, are anti-inflammatory and promote heart health. So, along with enjoying the winter beauty of this plant, you may want to also try a small amount of berry in a marinade or cocktail!

18. Paperwhites

The delicate look of a paperwhite plant makes them such a pretty addition to the home, especially around the holidays. You could say that this is one way to have a white Christmas, no matter where you live!

19. Wintergreen

Wintergreen makes a festive house plant for the Christmas season. The vibrant green leaves and red berries are similar to holly.

20. Hellebore (Christmas Rose)

The hellebore (or Christmas rose) blooms in the winter and is super hardy. Depending on where you live, they will bloom in mid to late winter. They add beautiful holiday color to your yard and the clippings can be brought in to bring that beauty inside.

Next up, It's a Holiday Drink You Either Love or Hate, But What Is Eggnog, Exactly?