9 ‘Other’ Festive Plants for Holiday Decorating

There’s the good ol’ Poinsettia, sure, but there are also many other Christmas plants and flower alternatives to brighten up your space this Yuletide season. Let’s look closely at some of them and see what makes them wonderful holiday decorations.

Christmas Rose. Scientifically known as Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose blooms abundantly and delivers pure white long-lasting flowers. Simply place them in a decorative pot in Christmas hues like red, gold, or emerald, and watch them transform into a merry and magical centerpiece.

Azalea. Perfect for bringing holiday cheers are the flamboyant flowers of azalea. This plant blooms lavishly and offers white, pink, red to burgundy blossoms.   

Holly. A popular ornament to enliven spaces for the holidays is this prickly green plant with red berries. Use fresh holly berries and leaves as a table runner and pair them with candles. Holly sprigs can be used as napkin toppers.

English Ivy. A climbing vine, the Hedera helix or common ivy or English ivy makes a versatile houseplant decor. For the holidays, you can shape them into wreaths or hanging balls, draped with ribbons or garlands.

European Mistletoe. The Viscum album is an evergreen shrub with smooth-edged leaves along woody stems. The berries are white and waxy, borne in clusters of two to six. To use mistletoe as Christmas decor, just tie sprigs of it using a Christmas ribbon and hang them above a door frame or from the ceiling in a hallway.

Cyclamen. Get yourself a potted flowering plant that will be happy to provide beauty after the holiday season ends. Cyclamen persicum is a petite plant with long stems bearing small, fragrant blooms. Cyclamen flowers come in pink, purple, red or white. For Yuletide decorating, you can paint the pots in a metallic hue or just decorate them with Christmas ribbons. You can place potted cyclamens beneath the Christmas tree or on the mantel.

Amaryllis. This brightly coloured flower is perfect not just as a Christmas decor but also as a Christmas gift. The vivid and lively colour and the big, showy blooms of amaryllis made them the second most popular Christmas flower. Amaryllis blooms, in red and burgundy, make elegant and dramatic Christmas table centerpieces.

Norfolk Island Pine. A compact, easy-care, pet-friendly houseplant, the Norfolk Island Pine makes for a charming tabletop Christmas tree. Decorate it with small Christmas balls and other metallic lightweight baubles. Miniature glass ornaments and string lights also look perfect with this small but charming holiday tree.

Succulents. One fantastic alternative to poinsettia is a succulent or a pot of mixed succulents. The bright and colourful Flaming Katy or Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is loved for its thick and shiny dark green leaves and brilliant flower clusters in red, orange, yellow or pink. You can have pots of succulents in varying colours as centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table. Decorate them together with string lights and other foliage. Fill a glass lantern with a small pot of succulent and add fairy lights for a magical Christmas decor. You can also make a ball, garland, or wreath using succulents.

Using Christmas flowers and plants will surely make your space look and feel extra festive. Now, you have plenty of options other than the easily recognizable poinsettia. With these less-expected Christmas plant alternatives, you can make this holiday season extra memorable.