17 Unexpected Holiday Plant Ideas for Your Home

The lovely thing about decorating for the holidays is that it involves living arrangements to enhance our connection to nature, especially as many of us spend more time indoors.

As a symbol of life and light since ancient winter days, greenery brought indoors warms chilly days and nights with a reminder of perseverance. The late fall landscape that surrounds us now is full of natural adornments (berries, dried seedheads, cones, and evergreen boughs) ready to embellish the display.

Winter Cherry

	common name Winter Cherry
	botanical name Solanum pseudocapsicum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-36”
	hardiness zones 8-9

Also called Jerusalem cherry or Christmas cherry, this bushy nightshade is evergreen and native to tropical South American climes. Starry white summertime blooms lead to “cherries” in yellow, orange, and red. The bright fruits begin in fall and last through winter, ornamenting the season as an indoor specimen.

While showy and vibrant, the berries (and all plant parts) are highly toxic if ingested by people or animals. Avoid this one if you have small children or curious pets. If not, winter cherries make an attractive statement grouped in pots cloaked in burlap, fabric, or evergreen boughs. Glossy, dark green leaves let the fruits pop.

Jerusalem cherries enjoy warm seasons outdoors, where insects naturally pollinate them at bloom time. Grown indoors year-round, they benefit from hand pollination to fruit. Use a cotton swab or soft paintbrush to collect and transfer pollen. Gently swirl or “brush” the center of the flowers, moving from bloom to bloom.

Silvery Tillandsia

	common name Silvery Tillandsia
	botanical name Tillandsia xerographica
	sun requirements Bright, indirect light
	height 12-36”
	hardiness zones 9-11

Xerographic air plants are a wild design piece. Their unique epiphytic adaptations allow versatility as they don’t require soil or water to root. At holiday time, suspend them as natural ornaments or tuck them in wreaths, centerpieces, or glass-globed terraria.

Tillandsia species are fine-leaved, silvery-green air plants that absorb water and nutrients from the air. Depending on the species, their leaves grow spiky and upright or in long and curly ribbons like xerographica.

Air plants need bright light and an occasional soak, usually every week or two, to flourish. An east-facing window is ideal. They do well, too, resting or mounted on a piece of driftwood.

Succulent Wreath

Succulents such as sedum, echeveria, and crassula bring colorful, textural contrast to a traditional wreath form. With varying scales and shapes, their thick, fleshy foliage offers lasting visual interest.

To arrange a succulent wreath, start with cuttings from your own collection or purchase an assortment of small ones (it always takes more than I anticipate to make a full wreath). Pre-soak dry sphagnum moss for a few hours (again, it always uses more than I think) and densely fill a wreath frame. Use floral pins and wire to secure the varying cuttings all around the form. They’ll become more stable as they root in the moss.

Enjoy the wreath in a spot with bright, indirect light and protection from freezing temperatures. Hang as you would a traditional wreath, or use it as a table decoration that steals the show. Water thoroughly as the moss begins to dry.

Meyer Lemon Bush

	common name Meyer Lemon Bush
	botanical name Citrus x meyeri ‘Improved’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 8-12’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Meyer lemon trees produce sweet lemons in abundance. The rich green evergreen foliage is an attractive and unexpected holiday plant. They offer twice-a-year blooms with a sweet fragrance before the bright fruits. Citrus x meyeri is a hybrid between a lemon and a sweet orange or mandarin, making the yellow-orange fruits sweeter and less acidic than other lemon varieties.

Meyer lemons are also more cold-hardy, but they don’t tolerate frost. In cold climates, grow them in containers for overwintering indoors in a sunny location. They need at least six hours of sunlight to thrive, so a south-facing window is ideal.

The ‘Improved’ Meyer lemon bush is a younger form of the tree with a more compact growth habit. The shrubby form makes it easy to grow in containers, especially indoors, and to prune. At holiday time, a burst of vitamin C fresh from our own tree does us good.

Eucalyptus

	common name Eucalyptus
	botanical name Eucalyptus cinerea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-55’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Eucalyptus, or gum tree, is known for its refreshing menthol fragrance, silver dollar foliage, and peeling bark. In attractive blue-green, all aspects of the plant lend a soothing spa-like feel to interiors.

The silver dollar gum is one of over 700 species of Eucalyptus, all native to Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding islands. Silver dollar has upright stems lined with silvery, round leaves and is excellent for flower arrangements and drying.

‘Silver Drop’ is a dwarf grower at two to three feet tall. This is a good one to overwinter indoors, as it’s well suited to container culture while producing those attractive stems perfect for clipping. Use them in wreaths and garlands during the season, and toss a sprig in the shower for a bit of aromatherapy.

White Cyclamen

	common name White Cyclamen
	botanical name Cyclamen persicum
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 6-16”
	hardiness zones 9-11

Cyclamen is an unexpected showstopper plant for the holidays, boasting heart-shaped leaves in silver and dark green patterning. Their winter flowers in white, pink, purple, and red brighten the seasonal display with rich colors well before spring.

White cyclamen adds grace and simple elegance to winter planters. Their upright blooms rise in a bunch above the deep green base. Tuck in a florist’s variety to a pretty pot or unique vessel to highlight the arrangement.

In addition to florist’s cyclamen (C. persicum) are cold-hardy selections that perennialize well. Look for Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum. C. hederifolium is the hardiest and easiest to grow, with fragrant pink blooms in October and November. C. coum blooms mid-to-late winter with a profusion of pink-purple flowers.

Blue Star Fern

	common name Blue Star Fern
	botanical name Phlebodium aureum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-4′
	hardiness zones 8-13

Blue star ferns have silvery blue-gray fronds with deep lobes and slightly wavy margins. One of the easiest ferns to grow as a houseplant, its unique color, texture, and structural foliage bring a tranquil, contemporary aesthetic.

Blue star ferns are epiphytes native to tropical regions of the Americas. They boast Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit status with its unique fronds and strong performance, growing mostly as a houseplant.

Relatively carefree, blue stars need medium to bright, indirect light and tolerate dry conditions. Water when the soil surface feels dry, but avoid overwatering the crown and epiphytic roots. Oversaturation is a top cause of decline.

Kokedama Display

For an exceptionally rare and unexpected holiday plant display, try a kokedama arrangement which embraces the Japanese art of growing plants in a living planter. Mossy globes surround the roots in a centuries-old method derived from bonsai.

The process involves encasing roots in a ball of moistened soil surrounded by dampened moss. Rope, string, or monofilament tied around the orb secures it in place. The ball can then suspend or rest on a surface, and the result is an enamoring and artful composition.

Many houseplants make good kokedama specimens. Amaryllis, Norfolk Island pine, peace lilies, ferns, and anthuriums make excellent holiday embellishments. Make one as a focal point or several as foliar ornaments.

Begonia

	common name Begonia
	botanical name Begonia spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 12-24”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Begonias are durable bloomers with arching stems and thick, glossy leaves. Clusters of pendulous blooms hang from tuberous stems, and the foliage is as equal a draw. From angel wing to polka dot to rex begonias, striking leaf patterns, shapes, and colors vary widely.

To mix up the seasonal arrangement, opt for rich leaf tones like burgundy, purple, silver, and olive green. Wing-shaped with silvery dots is a festive pick, too. Contrasting red undersides add to their appeal.

Begonias thrive in warm conditions and bloom continually until frost. They appreciate summers outdoors, but enjoy them as houseplants for winter protection. They live indoors year-round, lovely on a windowsill or hanging basket. 

African Violet

	common name African Violet
	botanical name Streptocarpus ionanthus
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 6-9”
	hardiness zones 11-12

African violets are sweet tropicals with thick, velvety leaves and delicate, ruffled blooms in a rainbow of hues. Particularly striking during the holidays are scarlet, royal purple-blues, and white against their dark green foliage. Cluster violets for a show of color, or dot them along evergreen boughs as floral ornaments.

African violets bloom year-round, growing indoors or out with warm temperatures. A little humidity and a draft-free spot help them flourish. Well-draining potting mix, or a soilless mix, can protect their roots from oversaturation.

Christmas Hellebore

	common name Christmas Hellebore
	botanical name Helleborus niger
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

This Christmas hellebore (also Christmas rose or black hellebore) emerges before the H. orientalis species, blooming around the holidays in warmer areas and late winter/early spring in cooler climates. Large bowls of white nodding blooms have open centers with yellow stamens. Petals fade to blush pink as they age.

Dark green palmate leaves are handsome as a holiday specimen. They join others among the genus as a woodland groundcover, though a bit more challenging than H. orientalis. They colonize slowly in consistently moist, average soil and dappled light.

Staghorn Fern

	common name Staghorn Fern
	botanical name Platycerium bifurcatum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 9-13

Staghorn fern fronds are blue-green, broad, and deeply lobed, resembling the forked antlers of deer or elk. Feature them in a container, or mix with other plants on a mounted on a piece of wood or bark for an unexpected holiday display.

As added visual interest, staghorns form coppery, papery shields around frond clusters. The shields multiply and overlap as the fern grows. Each shielded “pocket” is a pup to propagate or allow to develop on the primary plant. With its stately form and long-lived nature, the species earned the Award of Garden Merit.

The tropical rainforest natives have epiphytic roots that absorb water and nutrients from the air. Their pocket shields also serve to collect plant debris from tree canopies for added nutrition. Consistent moisture is best, though mature specimens tolerate dry spells. Allow media to dry slightly between waterings.

In addition to wood mounting, wire hanging baskets make a gorgeous show as the fern envelops its support structure. Use peat or sphagnum moss as a rooting media, and wire the fern to the structure.

Caladium

	common name Caladium
	botanical name Caladium spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 9-10

Caladiums have decorative, arrow-shaped leaves in greens, whites, reds, and pinks. With blotches, venation, and mottling, they create flags of color. ‘White Christmas’ features crisp white leaves lined in dark green veins and edges, brightening its spot in the garden or home.

Extremely easy to grow, caladiums make a spectacular display in a mass or as a border planting under a tree canopy, but even a singular pot brings colorful interest to the indoor collection. Most varieties prefer bright, indirect light, but several tolerate more sun.

Caladiums grow quickly and easily from small tubers. Purchase them nursery-grown for a ready display. Given more time, plant them a few inches in the soil and water regularly for fast growth. Move them indoors in late summer before temperatures dip, or grow them inside all year.

Dwarf Olive Tree

	common name Dwarf Olive Tree
	botanical name Olea europaea ‘Montra’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Olive trees have a clean, uncomplicated elegance that works year-round. They’re also long-lasting in a pot. Their slender, deep green leaves have silvery undersides, and dwarf varieties like ‘Little Ollie’ have a shrubbier habit. They’re well-suited to topiary and training as standard tree forms or enjoying as full foliage growers.

To tailor a winter look, use warm lights to highlight the evergreen. Ornaments, too, lend a festive feel. Stems in wreaths or garlands add textural richness.

‘Little Ollie®’ doesn’t bear fruit and is seedless, so it won’t drop or spread. Olive trees need plenty of direct sun, and a south-facing window is a good spot. Gritty, well-draining soil helps roots against rot from overwatering.

Living Christmas Trees

Unexpected evergreen plants add depth to any holiday design. We love traditional trees, with their sugary pine fragrance and layered needles in deep green – bonus points for enjoying a living tree for years to come in the landscape. After the holidays, move the party outdoors with a selection that is hardy to your growing zone.

Fraser fir, Colorado blue spruce, and Hinoki cypress make interesting living trees. Other potted evergreens that make excellent holiday arrangements include boxwood and arborvitae topiaries and small-scale growers like lavender and rosemary pruned into a conical form.

A grouping of potted evergreens of different scales is a simple, natural aesthetic. Keep them in bright light, away from drying drafts. Plant them soon after the festivities or move hardy trees and shrubs to overwinter in an unheated space.

Peace Lily

	common name Peace Lily
	botanical name Spathiphyllum spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Peace lilies symbolize hope, love, and, of course, peace, perfectly timed for the holidays. They produce single stems of long, broad, dark green leaves. Their tall spathe flower is creamy white and long-lasting, usually appearing in spring and recurring in fall and winter.

Peace lilies are resilient and tolerate a range of conditions, even thriving with a little neglect. They’ll perform best in bright light with humidity and even moisture but tolerate lower light. They won’t withstand overwatering, though they usually rebound from dry spells. Take note that peace lilies are toxic to people and animals if ingested.

Jade Plant

	common name Jade Plant
	botanical name Crassula ovata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 11-12

Native to southern Africa, the jade plant is a slow-growing succulent with fleshy, glossy leaves and sturdy branching. In the right amount of light, new leaves are fresh green with red-tinged edges. These are unexpected holiday plants, but they shine in deep olive against bright reds, deep blue, or white.

Jade plants flower in clusters of small, starry white and pink blooms. In the fall, shorter day lengths and longer nights, along with cooling temperatures, initiate flowering. 

These long-lived holiday plants add unexpected festivity and require little care. They adapt to dry conditions and low light (though they show the best form in bright light and up to four hours of sun). In well-draining soils, jade lives for years in a single pot.