All About Holiday Plants

What are Holiday Plants?

Holiday plants are really just any plant that is used during the holiday season. You can make a holiday plant from a variety of flowers. But, there are a few plants that are more associated with the holiday season.

Holiday plants are often the only ones that are still alive during the winter months. Yes, that is a little bit morbid. However, it is a well-known fact that most flowers and plants die off in the winter. Thus, the popularity of evergreen plants during the holidays is explained! They are some of the only plants that still have leaves and are green.

We will get into the history of some of the most popular holiday plants below. But, here is a quick overview of the top holiday plants.

1) Amaryllis

Amaryllis are extremely impressive flowers. They work well as the centerpiece in arrangements because they are so tall. Amaryllis are native to Australia and West Africa. There are many different types of Amaryllis, but the most common has a large red flower. What better color is there for a beautiful holiday bouquet?

Even though Amaryllis is a tropical flower, it is known for blooming in the winter. It actually blooms between November and April. While it will not survive winters above zone 9, that still makes it one of the few flowers to blooms over the holidays. No wonder it is such a popular holiday flower.

2) Evergreens

There is no way to talk about holiday plants without mentioning evergreens. We’ve lumped all of the evergreen plants into one category here because if we were to discuss each individually this article would be 5000 words long. Some of the most common evergreens are:

• Pines
• Firs (like the Douglas fir)
• Spruces
• Holly
• Cypress
• English Yew
• Juniper

Each of the evergreens listed above is quite distinct from one another. However, they are united in the fact that their green needles do not change color in cooler weather. They are green all year round, hence the name evergreen.

Evergreens have been popular during the winter for centuries. They are one of the few plants to remain green when it is very cold out. Whether it is a Christmas tree or a sprig of holly, holiday decorating has to include evergreen plants.

3) Holly and Ivy

There is a Christmas song called “The Holly and the Ivy” for a reason. Holly and Ivy are both common plants to see at holiday time.

Holly is an evergreen tree and shrub. They are many types of holly. In addition to the green limbs of the holly, it also has red berries in the wintertime. The red and green plant makes a great holiday decoration. It includes the colors of the holidays and stays nice looking for a long time.

Ivy is a climbing evergreen plant. It can often be seen trailing along paths or up on the outside of houses. Ivy makes a wonderful natural garland. Because it too is an evergreen plant, it adds some much-needed color to your holiday decorations.

4) Mistletoe

Mistletoe is known as the holiday plant most associated with love. Most of us have kissed a loved one under the mistletoe—or at least seen this tradition in action in the movies.

Mistletoe is actually a hemiparasitic plant. It attaches itself to a shrub or tree and then extracts water and nutrients from the host. This is also an evergreen plant. The main species of mistletoe, Viscum album, is the only species native to the British Isles. You will also find this species of mistletoe in Europe. Viscum album is the type that is hung in homes during the holidays.

5) Poinsettia

And, finally, no list of the top holiday plants would be complete with mentioning poinsettia. Poinsettias are THE classic holiday flower. We offer a wide variety of poinsettia arrangements for the holidays. Consider this, this, this, and this one.

Poinsettias are originally from Mexico. They were not popular in the United States until the 19th century. However, since that time they have been integrally linked with Christmas. The shape of the flower is said to recall the shape of the star of Bethlehem.