From festive Christmas trees to welcoming wreaths on the door, there are numerous ways to embrace the winter season and Christmas plants offer a charming addition. Enhance your home’s seasonal decor with Christmas houseplants—beyond being popular traditional gifts, they also infuse a lively and fresh atmosphere into your living space.
List of Christmas Plants for Home Décor
Across the globe, the vibrant blossoms of Christmas plants bring a delightful seasonal cheer that often lingers well beyond the festive period. Going natural is among the list of popular Christmas home décor ideas. With a plethora of holiday plants available, ranging from classic Christmas flowers to evergreens, you have numerous options to enhance your home decor throughout the winter.
Here is a list of 11 popular Christmas flowers and plants to add a festive touch to your home décor.
1. Poinsettia
Due to its rich traditional significance, the poinsettia is widely acknowledged as the official Christmas flower. This Mexican native is often referred to as ‘la flor de Nochebuena’ or the flower of the holy night. The plant bears a striking resemblance to the Star of Bethlehem.
Among all plants, the poinsettia is perhaps the most symbolic representation of December and Christmas.
Despite being technically a flowering shrub capable of reaching heights of 10 to 15 feet, the potted poinsettia typically stands around a foot tall. It features vibrant scarlet bracts and green leaves, with small green or yellow flowers nestled in the centre. This iconic red Christmas plant thrives in bright light, though direct sunlight should be avoided and it prefers moist (but not saturated) soil. These plants can also help decorate kids rooms for Christmas.
2. Christmas Cactus
Cactus is also on the list of known Christmas plants. Originating in Brazil, this plant thrives in the wilds of rainforests, showcasing a vibrant array of pink, red, purple, white, yellow or orange blooms. Moreover, to stimulate flower bud development, the cactus should experience at least 12 hours of darkness daily during the fall.
3. Amaryllis
Due to its convenience as a bulb gift, the amaryllis stands out. Adorning tall stalks that can reach up to 24 inches, clusters of large trumpet-shaped flowers in various hues such as red, white, pink, salmon, or red-and-white stripes captivate the eye, accompanied by strap-like leaves.
Typically boasting a blooming period of up to 7 weeks, the amaryllis graces homes with its vibrant flowers during the Christmas and holiday seasons. It’s advisable to start with sparing water and gradually increase as the stems develop.
Post-blooming, this tropical native of Central America can be stored in a cool, dark place, setting the stage for a potential rebloom in the upcoming holiday season.
4. Ivy
This evergreen climber, thriving in shaded areas, is among the outdoor Christmas plants ideal for enhancing a home’s exterior. Common ivy’s trailing tendrils, with their flexible nature and distinctive three- or five-point green leaves reminiscent of bird footprints, are often used in wreaths and garlands. Cut ivy plants can maintain their decorative charm for approximately 3 weeks.
Belonging to the ginseng family, this plant has a historical presence dating back to pagan times, symbolising virtues of faithfulness and friendship.
Varieties of ivy, including variegated forms, are often integrated into festive container gardens. They create visually appealing combinations such as pairing variegated ivy foliage with poinsettias to accentuate the vibrant red bracts. The outdoor plant also helps increase a home’s curb appeal.
Ivy plants are also used in vertical gardening – a popular summer landscaping idea to beat the heat in the UAE.
5. Paperwhites
These perennial bulbs are commonly encouraged to bloom as indoor Christmas plants, needing only a bit of soil or a bowl with water and pebbles. Initiated 5 to 6 weeks before the intended blooming period, once the tall stems reveal pure white flowers, they can endure for 2 to 3 weeks. Emitting a potent fragrance during blooming, paperwhites are relatives of daffodils. Indoor plants no only beautify the environment, they also have a positive impact on the mind. Here are some other reasons to use indoor plants at home.
6. Holly
Originally a symbol of the Roman festival of Saturnalia, today’s holly embodies the classic Christmas image with its spiky, glossy green leaves adorned with tiny, bright red berries (found on the female plant only).
With over 400 species worldwide, American holly bushes are particularly linked to Christmas. This is an evergreen Christmas plant that grows in a pyramid shape, reaching heights of up to 30 feet and widths of 20 feet. The leaves and berries of this plant are commonly used to create garlands and wreaths. Among other plants, numerous plant shops in Dubai provide the Holly Christmas plant.
7. Norfolk Island Pine
The subtropical plant, closely related to the monkey puzzle tree bears a striking resemblance to a Christmas tree, making it a popular choice during the holiday season. With a straight trunk that can reach up to 8 feet indoors, it features symmetrical branches adorned with soft, inward-curving needles, ideal for hanging Christmas ornaments.
After the holiday festivities, remove the ornaments and place the pine in full sun, away from drafts, to enjoy it as a beautiful houseplant. To thrive, it requires weekly misting and regular watering.
8. Cyclamen
A traditional winter bloomer, cyclamens showcase dark green heart-shaped leaves adorned with pale green patterns radiating from a central point. The gracefully arched petals, available in white, red, lavender, pink or multicoloured patterns make up for great Christmas home decorations. These blooms have the potential to endure for a minimum of 8 weeks.
Compact in size, growing up to a foot in height and width, this low-maintenance houseplant is susceptible to both overwatering and underwatering. It thrives in cooler temperatures and requires ample indirect sunlight. While the perennial goes dormant after flowering, it has the potential to bloom again a few months later with proper care.
9. Azalea
Much like potted mums signify the arrival of autumn, small potted evergreen azaleas have become a popular choice as a Christmas flower. Displaying vibrant blooms in an array of colours including white, pink, lavender, red, and orange, these azaleas create a dazzling spectacle that lasts up to four weeks.
With over 10,000 registered cultivars, each boasting a unique number of blooms and petal shapes, some even emit a fragrant aroma. These plants thrive in bright light, moist soil, and cooler temperatures, making it advisable to keep them away from heat registers.
10. Conifer
A true Christmas tree, a conifer encompasses a diverse group of trees that produce seeds in cones. Most conifers, recognised as evergreens, retain their needles throughout the year. With over 600 species in this ancient plant group, many are commonly chosen as traditional Christmas trees.
While it’s a common practice for people to cut down evergreens specifically for Christmas, it is also possible to have a living Christmas tree indoors for the holidays—though only for approximately 10 days. This is feasible as long as the tree receives ample sunlight and is adequately watered.
After the holiday season, it is advisable to transplant the tree outdoors and avoid bringing it back inside. Moreover, here is a list of places to buy Christmas trees and decorations in Dubai.
11. Orchid
Often used for flower décor in homes, an unconventional yet sophisticated Christmas plant option is the orchid. Among the various orchid genera, the Cymbidium stands out as an excellent choice because it naturally blooms in winter, thriving in cooler temperatures. These orchids produce large flowers in white, pink, yellow, or green, decorating plants that grow to about 2 feet in height with apple-green foliage.
For optimal growth, Cymbidium orchids require:
- Bright, indirect light
- A cool
- Ample water during the growing season
- A loose and nutrient-rich potting mix
- High humidity
Blooms can last on the plant for 4 to 10 weeks or 1 to 4 weeks if cut. To encourage reblooming in the following year, they should be placed in indirect light with temperatures between 40- and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
FAQS
Are Christmas trees and decoration items available in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi?
Yes, you can easily find Christmas trees and decoration items in Sharjah. As for the capital, here is a list of places to buy Christmas trees in Abu Dhabi.
Are Christmas trees and decoration items available in RAK?
Yes, there are many places to buy Christmas trees and decorative items in RAK.
Christmas plants help brighten up your home’s festive decor this holiday season. The use of Christmas plants marks a transition from the regular decor to a special and festive arrangement. It helps create a distinct seasonal atmosphere, signalling the arrival of the holiday season and making the home feel unique and set apart for this special time of year.
As the Christmas season signifies the conclusion of the year, consider commencing the new year in a new home. Explore this list of New Year decoration ideas to welcome the new year in style. Additionally, if you’re contemplating a move to a new home, check out these properties for sale in the UAE.
For those interested in rental options, here is a selection of properties for rent in the UAE to browse through.
Stay tuned to UAE’s property blog for more on different decorative ideas for various seasons.
