Holiday season plants are a must have for many celebrants but so often they are treated as throwaways once the season is over. There are many non-traditional, unusual holiday plants that can be used as décor or gifts well after the season has ended.
Interested in incorporating different plants for Christmas? Read on to learn about unique Christmas plants.
Holiday Season Plants
We all know which holiday season plants will be available: poinsettias, Christmas cactus, amaryllis, and the like. Once the season has passed, many of us toss them out but there are a number of unique Christmas plants available that will keep on giving long after that season has passed.
Non-Traditional Holiday Plants
When looking for different plants for Christmas, think about plants that can be maintained year-round. Some alternative holiday season plants even have names appropriate to the season. These include:
- Peace Lily - Peace lily is easy to grow even in low light conditions and its dark green leaves and white blooms complement Christmas décor.
- Star of Bethlehem - Star of Bethlehem produces aloe-like leaves atop which spikes of white blooms loom. These small, white blooms, as the name suggests, resemble stars. Native to Africa, it can be grown indoors or outside in USDA zones 7 to 11.
- Christmas fern - Christmas fern is a glossy evergreen with a tidy growth habit. These unique Christmas plants weather winter well and hang on to their 3 foot (91 cm.) long green fronds well into the season and make incredibly beautiful houseplants.
- Lenten rose - Lenten rose, also referred to as hellebore, is an evergreen perennial that blooms even in heavy soils and shade. They can be grown as unusual holiday plants indoors and then transplanted out into the garden.
Other Unusual Holiday Plants
- Succulents have become increasingly popular over the years and with good reason. There are many shapes, colors, and sizes of succulent. They can be mixed in a larger container or grown separately and then when temps warm moved outside.
- Croton sports large leaves of vibrant orange, green, and red, perfect hues to warm the home during the holiday season.
- Air plants are nifty little plants that can be used in a multitude of ways. Tie them onto a wreath, use them as centerpieces, or use them instead of a bow on presents.
- Orchids make lovely but slightly different blooming plants for Christmas. One of the easiest orchids to grow are slipper orchids with their mottled green leaves and striking blooms.
- Staghorn fern is one of the coolest looking plants and definitely a unique Christmas plant. Also known as elkhorn fern, these plants are epiphytes meaning they don’t need to be planted in soil. The unique array of fronds looking just like a rack of antlers make them anything but a ho-hum Christmas plant.
- Lastly, not so long ago, a popular Christmas stocking stuffer was an orange or clementine. Think a little broader and grow your own fruit by growing a dwarf citrus tree indoors. The tree can grow until the spring when temperatures warm and then be brought outside, plus you have the added bonus of homegrown citrus fruit.