30 Christmas Plants and Flowers to Bring Holiday Cheer to Your Garden and Home

Give them as gifts or enjoy Christmas plants and flowers in your holiday decor. Classic poinsettias and traditional favorites like Christmas cactus, Christmas rose, amaryllis, paperwhites, cylamen and kalanchoes add cheerful color everywhere, from fireplace mantles to tabletops to garden beds.

The Best Source for Christmas Trees and Plants

Your best source for living Christmas trees will probably be a local nursery, home and garden center or other nearby seller, since they're not usually available for shipping except as seeds or seedlings.

Dig Holes for Transplanting Before the Ground Freezes

Plan ahead, if you want to transplant your Christmas flower or plant, and dig holes before the ground freezes. Cover them with boards so no one gets hurt. Some plants shouldn't be moved outside until all danger of frost has passed. Others, like living Christmas trees, should be kept indoors for only a short time, because they dislike the warm, dry air in most homes. As soon as possible, move them into a sheltered, cool or unheated spot, like a garage or shed, for a week to 10 days to help them acclimate to outdoor conditions. When you put them in the ground, water them thoroughly and apply mulch to help retain moisture and protect them from the cold. Water again before and after a hard freeze, and water as needed when they're actively growing, until they're well-established.

Plan for Well Draining Soil

Drain away any excess after watering your plants; you may need to remove their foil or wrapping, at least temporarily. Most plants that you transplant into your yard or garden will need well-draining soil, so their roots won't rot, so amend yours if necessary.

Many Christmas plants and flowers will reward you by blooming again. Browse our gallery to find your favorites.

For star power at Christmas, it's hard to beat amaryllis. Their big, bold blooms are often forced to open in winter, and the plants, which grow from bulbs, need little care. Outdoors, they're hardy in USDA Gardening Zones 8 to 10. They flourish in full sun and easily draining soil--but expect them to go dormant for 8 to 12 weeks before blooming again at their natural time, which is in the spring. As a houseplant, this stunning Christmas beauty needs bright, indirect light and water when the top inch of soil dries out. Use stakes, if needed, to keep the top-heavy Christmas flowers from toppling over. You'll find amaryllis in a wide variety of sizes and colors.

There's a poinsettia for every color scheme. These popular, classic Christmas plants bloom in shades of white, red, pink and coral and can be marbled, bi-colored or speckled. The "flowers" are actually bracts, or modified leaves, and while they last a long time indoors, they'll eventually drop--but you can still enjoy the greenery as a houseplant. Give your Christmas flower bright, indirect light, keep it out of drafts and water when the soil feels dry. Poinsettias are easy to grow outdoors but can overwinter only in Zones 9 to 11.

Unlike their desert-dwelling relatives, Christmas cactus like partial sun and moist, loamy soil. Pink, red, purple, white and even orange blooms open in winter, making it a charming Christmas plant. Christmas cacti can grow 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches across and live for decades, so they're often passed down as heirloom plants. Because they're tropicals, they're hardy only in Zones 10 to 12. Don't toss yours after the flowers finish. It takes a little effort, but it can be coaxed into bloom again.

Fragrant, winter-blooming paperwhites (Narcissus) planted in containers make great holiday gift-s-even if you give them to yourself. For Christmas flowers, plant paperwhite bulbs 4 to 6 weeks before you want them. When you force these Christmas flowers, the bulbs seldom bloom again, so add them to your compost pile or plant them outside after all danger of frost has passed and cross your fingers. Paperwhites are hardy in Zones 9 to 11 and need sun and well-drained soil. Grow them indoors in shallow containers filled with pretty pebbles and just enough water to touch the base of the bulbs, or in a well-draining potting mix.

Easy-to-grow moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) can bloom for months. Give these Christmas flowers as presents or add them to your holiday decor. They'll thrive in a spot with bright, indoor light that's away from vents and drafts, and should be watered when the roots look gray, or, if they're planted in bark, when the bark gets dry. Use moth orchids as a centerpiece for your table, surrounded with tiny lights and greenery, add them to an open glass container with shiny ornaments or group them with candles on a mantle. These tropicals are hardy in Zones 10 to 12.

Kalanchoes are usually in bloom when they're sold as Christmas plants. Indoors, they can grow 8 to 12 inches tall and have flat, oval-shaped leaves that provide interest year-round. Look for kalanchoes with red, yellow, pink or white flowers and give them lots of light if you use them as houseplants. These succulents store water in their foliage, so water only when the soil feels very dry to the touch. Give them a sunny garden spot or move potted kalanchoes outdoors for the summer. They're hardy only in Zones 10 and 11.

Cyclamen are Christmas plants with beautiful blooms that almost look like butterflies. They thrive in cool temperatures indoors and out, and need bright, indirect light when they're used as houseplants. Look for cyclamen (C. persicum) with white, pink, lavender, red or purple flowers; some have round or heart-shaped leaves with marbling or patterns in silver and various shades of green. Under the right indoor conditions, they'll bloom for 2 or 3 months but are hardy outdoors only in Zones 9 to 11. It can be tricky to get cyclamen to rebloom, so some gardeners compost them after the flowers finish.

Slip on some gloves when you handle prickly Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii), also called Christ plant. These Christmas flowers come in white and shades of red, yellow, pink and orange and adapt well to average home conditions as long as they're given bright sun. Let their soil dry out between waterings, and they can bloom year-round. Use a potting mix labeled for cactus or succulents, and prune as needed to keep them bushy (don't forget those gloves). They're garden perennials in Zones 9 to 11, where they can reach 3 to 6 feet tall; 2 feet tall is more common when they're used as houseplants. Be aware that they're toxic to pets and people.

You can grow Christmas rose, also called Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) indoors, but because it needs a period of cold temperatures before it blooms, it's better to plant in partially sunny to shaded beds and borders. If you do use this Christmas flower--which isn't really a rose-- as a houseplant, gradually acclimate it to outdoor conditions before moving it into your garden. Also called buttercups, these Christmas plants bloom around the Lent season and top out at 1 to 2 feet tall and wide. The flowers come in white, pink, red, purple, yellow and green and the easy-to-grow plants are hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

'Yuletide,' as its name implies, is a camellia that typically blooms around Christmas; it can start as early as November and continue into February in some areas. The large, single blooms are fragrant, with bright red petals and yellow-gold stamens. While this ornamental shrub can tolerate a little sun, it prefers partial shade and slightly acidic soils and looks striking when planted with other evergreens. Encourage more blooms by applying a fertilizer made for camellias as directed on the product label. It's hardy to Zone 7, and the flowers are great for cutting.

Pruned into a mini-Christmas tree or left in its natural form, aromatic rosemary is a delightful holiday plant as well as a useful herbs. Give indoor plants a sunny window and regular water. To transplant rosemary into the garden, move it into a sheltered location for a week or so to let it acclimate from your home environment to natural outdoor conditions. Rosemary needs full sun in the garden. Depending on your climate, it may open blue or white blooms from late winter to spring, so you may get Christmas flowers. In mild climates, it can bloom year-round.

Most gardenias bloom in late spring or summer gardens but their fragrant, white flowers can be forced in the winter. The process is demanding, though, so they're typically sold as Christmas flowers when they're already in bud or bloom. As houseplants, they like warm temperatures, a sunny window and high humidity. Let your potted gardenia acclimate for a week or so in a cool, sheltered spot, like a shed or garage, before transplanting it into acidic garden soil enriched with organic matter. The plants are hardy in Zones 8 to 11. Some gardenia cultivars, called reblooming or winter-blooming gardenias, can bloom in late fall and hold their flowers into the winter, but they're not actually winter bloomers.

Dwarf citrus trees are fun to give as holiday presents, and many can be grown indoors as Christmas plants. This dwarf Meyer lemon has fragrance, white blooms and attractive green foliage. Better still-- if the growing conditions are right--it bears flavorful fruits. Dwarfs grow about 18 to 24 inches high and require at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day; you can substitute or supplement that with a grow light. Give your dwarf Meyer lemon lots of humidity and, if you repot it, use a potting mix and fertilizer made for citrus. Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, it can be transplanted into a sunny garden spot with well-draining, acidic soil after the temperatures are reliably warm. If your plants vacations outdoors for the summer, bring it back in before the temperatures drop to around 40 degrees F.

Coralberry shrubs form dark pink to purplish berries from late summer to early fall. The fruits remain on the bushes into winter, attracting hungry birds (they're toxic to humans and pets) and adding color to Christmastime gardens. These deciduous plants are native to North America and have blue-green foliage that matures at 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Grow them in part sun to sun. They're hardy in Zones 3 to 8, and deer usually leave them alone. Snip the berry-laden branches for indoor arrangements. Shown here: 'Proud Berry' coralberry (Symphoricarpus).

Who says bright yellow can't be a Christmas color? Mahonia 'Soft Caress' bears long-lasting, yellow flowers over feathery, bamboo-like foliage in early winter. Hardy in Zones 7 to 9, it needs part shade to shade and reaches 3 feet tall and 3-1/2 feet wide. Blue berries that attract birds follow the flowers. Try it in containers as a Christmas plant or use it in mass plantings. Just don't cut the stems for holiday arrangements while the plants are in bud or bloom, or you won't get any more blooms that season. If you want to shape these evergreen shrubs, prune after the flowers finish and just before new growth emerges.

Dress up your tabletop with white flowers and topiaries like these lemon cypress plants (Cupressus macrocarpa). Each small plant is tucked into an urn between the Star of Bethlehem flowering bulbs, which typically bloom in spring, but can be forced to bloom around the holidays. They provide a welcome touch of color on tabletops or mantles, says Karin Jeffcoat of Cote Designs, a floral and event studio in Aiken, S.C.

Need a filler for your vases of Christmas flowers? Or do you simply want a stunning shrub that holds its color year-round? 'Golden Oakland' holly (Ilex hybrid 'Magland') fits the bill, with its variegated, oakleaf-shaped foliage. It grows naturally into a pyramidal shape in full sun to partial shade and isn't picky about soil. At 15 to 20 feet high and 12 to 15 feet wide, this Christmas plant makes an attractive specimen plant, screen or hedge, or it can be grown outdoors in Zones 6 to 9 in a large, freeze-resistant container.

You'll need a male winterberry, like 'Jim Dandy,' to pollinate this female variety, 'Afterglow' (Ilex verticillata), if you want it to produce cheerful orange-red to orange berries in late winter. This deciduous, compact shrub is worth the effort, so you can cut the berry-studded stems for Christmas arrangements. In autumn, the glossy green leaves turn yellow-green to purple-bronze. The globe-shaped shrubs, which are hardy in Zones 4 to 9, grow 3 to 6 feet high and spread 3 to 6 feet in moist, acidic soil and full sun to part shade. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries, but they're toxic to people and pets.

Need a mini-Christmas tree? Evergreen Norfolk Island Pines are just the ticket. Because they're tropicals, they crave high humidity. They're not just decorative houseplants; they also make great holiday trees. Their after-holiday care is no different from their daily care. Give these tropicals high humidity and protect them from drafts and vents. They prefer bright light and should be watered when the top of the soil starts to feel dry. Don't keep them too wet or let them dry out completely. Feed with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer in spring and summer, following label directions.

Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) aren't just traditional Christmas trees; they're also evergreens that hold their soft, needle-like leaves year-round. Give them room in your landscape, as they grow fast and can mature at 40 to 80 feet high or more. These trees are actually conifers, not firs, and have a classic conical shape and pine scent. Choose a young tree if you plan to decorate it indoors, and don't keep it inside for more than 7 to 10 days if you want to transplant it. Help it transition gradually by moving it into an unheated garage or shed for a few days and then keep it watered and mulched, and protected from harsh weather, until it's well established. It's generally considered hardy in USDA Gardening Zones 4 to 6, although some sources say 4 to 7 or 4 to 8.

Native wintergreen, with its bright red berries, adds a burst of color to gardens; it can also grow indoors as a Christmas plant. Also called checkerberry, boxberry and creeping wintergreen, the plants grow 4 to 8 inches tall with a 6 to 12-inch spread and can be used as perennial groundcovers in Zones 3 to 7. Known botanically as Gaultheria procumbens, the plants need partial sun and acidic soil and produce white or pink flowers. Later, berries form and attract birds and small animals. Give a pot of indoor wintergreen a few hours of morning sun, followed by bright, indirect light, and keep it moist, not soggy.

Versatile Globe Blue Spruce (Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa') is an eye-catching conifer for the garden or landscape. Although it grows very slowly, it can eventually reach 3 or more feet high and 4 to 6 feet wide. The compact, rounded plants hold their classic blue needles upright on densely-spaced branches. Plant it in full sun to partial shade; it's hardy in Zones 3 to 7. While it lacks a traditional Christmas tree shape and isn't suitable for growing indoors, some people find it has a fresh, piney scent when the needles are crushed. It's a great outdoor Christmas plant, thanks to its year-round color. For a living Christmas tree to keep indoors for no more than a week to 10 days, look for a standard sized Blue Spruce.

Native to the northern U.S. and parts of Canada, balsam firs have conical forms and short, dense branches with bluish-green needles that have a spicy scent. They can grow into evergreen giants, reaching 100 feet tall and producing cones that grow upright. If you use a living balsam fir indoors, but want to plant it outside, do so as soon as possible. Let it adjust gradually by placing it in an unheated location for a few days and give it a spot with sun or light shade. Keep it well-watered and mulched. Since balsam firs may not ship until spring, your best source for finding one around Christmas will probably be a local nursery or home and garden center.

Winter Daphne is beloved for its rich fragrance, and 'Perfume Princess' is no exception. From midwinter into spring, this handsome shrub has a long flowering period (so it's a wonderful Christmas plant for gardens), and thrives in full to partial sun. The deep pink buds turn to soft pink and then white. This shrub's evergreen leaves make the plant look good all winter, and the stems can be snipped for Christmas flowers. Daphne needs acid, well-drained soil and matures at 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It's hardy in Zones 7 to 9.

Evergreen junipers are great for potting up and decorating as small Christmas trees. Some have a natural conical shape, like 'Blue Point' (Juniperus chinensis), and some types produce silvery-blue "berries," which are actually fleshy cones, from late spring into the winter. Most junipers need another juniper for pollination before they'll form berries, so do some research on the species you want to grow. When the holidays are over, move these conifers with needle-like foliage and a pleasant scent outdoors to a spot that gets full sun. While they're in your home, they need bright light, and the top inch of soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Hardiness zones and mature sizes vary between species; 'Blue Point' is hardy in Zones 4 to 9 and grows to 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

Noble fir, also called red fir (Abies procera), is a popular Christmas tree variety native to parts of the Pacific northwest; its stiff branches are strong enough to handle heavy ornaments and lights. The flat needles are bluish-green but look silvery because of the whitish "pores" underneath that let them "breathe." Like any Christmas tree you want to grow outside, living Noble firs should kept indoors for a short time and then moved to an unheated spot for a few days to acclimate. Give them full sun and moist, acidic soil. When grow in the average yard, they can reach 50 to 100 feet in height. They're usually hardy in Zones 5 and 6, but some sources say they'll overwinter in Zones 5 to 8.

Holly-shaped leaves frosted with silver and small, red blooms make Holiday 'Jolly Holly' begonias charming Christmas plants. The flowers don't open, but that doesn't matter, because they resemble the red berries you'd see on a true holly. Enjoy this one year-round as a houseplant, or grow it outdoors in full shade if you live where it's hardy, in Zones 9 to 11. It likes fertile, moist soil and forms mounds up to 17 inches tall and 19 inches across.

Encore azaleas will bloom in spring, summer (although less heavily) and fall. Some varieties rebloom late enough to use as Christmas flowers, like this white 'Autumn Lily.' Encore azaleas are evergreen shrubs for full sun to part sun or part shade, and may need more shade in hot regions with intense sun. Like all azaleas, they need acidic soil and shouldn't be allowed to dry out for the first year after planting. Encores are hardy to Zone 6, and, when heavily mulched, some can survive to Zone 5. This arrangement uses an artificial poinsettia bloom for a pop of red color.

Need an outdoor arrangement for your front door, porch or patio? This container is planted with 'Forever Goldy' Arborvitae (hardy in Zones 5 to 8), Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum, also called Chinese fringe-flower (hardy in Zones 7 to 10), 'Tapestry' Heucherella (hardy in Zones 4 to 9) and Dusty Miller. Be sure to use winter-hardy plants or expect to replace any that succumb to the cold, like Dusty Miller, which is hardy only in Zones 10 to 12. A freeze-resistant pot is a wise choice for cold-climate gardeners. Snip some arborvitae branches for Christmas wreaths or decorate the plants as mini-Christmas trees.