How to decorate your home with festive plants this Christmas

We're dreaming of a green Christmas.

A white Christmas cactus is planted in a pale clay pot, and sitting on a terracotta shelf next to a series of candles and magazines.

The typical centrepiece of many festive celebrations is a lovely, green Christmas tree. But that doesn’t mean it has to be the only star of the show. There are many ways you can spread yuletide cheer in even the smallest corners of your home. By using plants to decorate, you’ll complement your Christmas tree and make your festivities extra lush and green. Sparkle not included, but actively encouraged.

Look to festive favourites

It’s not all fir trees and pine needles at Christmastime. The likes of holly, ivy and mistletoe are festive classics and a great way to add some yuletide cheer to your home. Why not hang a holly wreath on your front door, or brighten your doorstep with a holly tree? In Celtic mythology, holly trees symbolise peace and goodwill, making them a warm welcome in both sentiment and style.

With the right care, plants are for life, not just for Christmas. Nod to the festivities with greenery that looks great all year round, such as ivy. Effy the English Ivy is a firm fan favourite both indoors and out. Bring her inside for the festive season and let her trailing vines add a touch of Christmas magic to your home – why not trail her along a mantelpiece as an alternative to a festive garland?

An anthurium 'livium' with red spathes sits in a white pot on a pine wood cupboard. An abstract artwork in pink colours is seen in the background.

A pepperomia rosso with green leaves and a red underside sits in a blue pot on a wooden sideboard.

Embrace the colours of Christmas

What's more festive than red and green? Luscious leaves add a verdant touch to the occasion, while pops of burgundy complete the look. Plants such as Ross the peperomia rosso, Liv the anthurium ‘livium’ or Aggie the red Chinese evergreen will nod to the traditional festive colour palette.

For a subtler Christmas look, why not pair green and white? Jennifer the philodendron ‘white princess’ and Pharrell the epripremnum ‘happy leaf’ have pretty variegated leaves.

A white helebore plant sits on a stack of books on a kitchen worktop

Select seasonal plants

Lots of plants thrive during the cooler months, making them a great choice for festive decorating. Christmas cacti are popular at this time of year, and not just because of their suitably seasonal name – during winter, they produce beautiful flowers in vibrant colours, making them a great addition to tabletops and mantelpieces. We love the pink and white blooms of our Francisco and Francisca plants.

If you have access to outside space, why not take the festivities outdoors? Plants such as cyclamen and hellebore flower during Autumn and Winter in beautiful white, red and jewel shades, perfect for Christmastime. Add our potted Helen or Vinnie to your balcony, garden or windowsill for a pop of festive colour.

Birds-eye-view of a dining table with plants scattered down the centre.

Create a leafy table arrangement

Bring Christmas magic to the table by making a centrepiece out of plants. Choose just one or two standout pieces, or go for lots of smaller plants depending on the size and shape of your table.

For longer surfaces, stagger different-sized plants along the middle to create some dynamism. For round tables, put taller plants in the centre and smaller ones in front to create visual levels. Try to avoid making your display too tall, so people can still see and talk to each other. If you want to keep your arrangement low, why not repurpose hanging plants as festive garlands? Drape their trailing vines across the table and add some fairy lights for extra sparkle.

A mini Christmas tree decorated with red and white baubles sits on a bookshelf.

Give tradition a twist

If one Christmas tree isn’t enough, or if you simply haven’t got the space for a big one, you could always opt for smaller spruces, pines and firs. Put Bruce the mini spruce on any small, forgotten surface and he’ll make it feel like its own winter wonderland. All of our trees are potted, so they can continue life for many Christmases to come.

To get started on your festivities, explore our Christmas page or discover our festive edit below.