Plants you can use for Christmas: for trees, wreaths, and gardening.
When Christmas comes around, there are certain plants you often see, right?
You’re probably familiar with classics like fir trees and poinsettias.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of plants associated with Christmas.
Besides the well-known ones mentioned above, there are surprisingly many lovely plants that add color to the season, such as silver-leaf varieties and succulents.
Try gathering your favorite plants for a mixed planter, or decorate them to make a tree—have fun with it!
- [Christmas] Ideas for ornaments to decorate trees and rooms
- [Children’s Song] A Collection of Hand Play Songs Perfect for Christmas
- [For Seniors] Christmas Songs That Touch the Heart: A Collection of Popular Classics and Nursery Rhymes
- Add sparkle to glamorous events! Recommended Christmas songs for the relaxed generation
- [Christmas Songs] Christmas songs to sing with children
- Recommended Christmas songs for people in their 70s: A collection of classic winter hits from the Showa era
- Christmas songs sung at karaoke! Introducing easy-to-sing tracks
- [By Scene] Christmas Karaoke Song Catalog: From Classics to the Newest Hits
- Recommended for Christmas posts! Songs you can use for Instagram Reels
- A vibrant new Christmas staple! Christmas songs recommended for Gen Z
- [J-Pop] Showa-era Christmas songs: nostalgic yet fresh Christmas classics
- [For Seniors] Christmas Dance to Classic Songs That Will Get Everyone Excited, Plus Plenty of Seated Exercise Ideas
- Songs I want men to sing! Classic and standard Christmas hits
Plants you can use for Christmas: for trees, wreaths, and gardening (1–10)
fir
A Christmas tree adorned with festive, cheerful decorations is essential for the holiday season.
The trees used for Christmas are firs from the pine family, and here we’ll share how to grow fir trees and tips for keeping them in beautiful condition.
Robust, pleasantly fragrant firs prefer sunny locations with good air circulation.
Avoid harsh western sun, which can cause leaf scorch and drying, and be sure to water thoroughly.
Firs with glossy foliage and well-shaped branches are perfect for hanging Christmas ornaments.
Decorate with a striking fir tree and enjoy the Christmas season to the fullest.
mistletoe
Thanks to the legend that “passing under mistletoe brings happiness,” this plant has long been cherished as a Christmas decoration.
In Japan, it is found across a wide range from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and is known for parasitizing deciduous trees and forming clumps of branches.
In Europe, there has long been a tradition that “you may kiss a girl standing under the mistletoe,” and mistletoe is also adorned as a sacred tree symbolizing eternity—customs closely linked to Christmas that still remain today.
Moreover, mistletoe with red berries is recommended as a New Year’s decoration as well, making it a plant that shines throughout Japan’s year-end and New Year season.
Euphorbia
A plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, which encompasses a wide range of forms including annuals, perennials, succulents, and shrubs.
Its flowers are inconspicuous, while the white leaves called bracts are appreciated ornamentally; it is often used in a supporting role rather than as a focal point.
Since poinsettias—indispensable for Christmas—are also members of the Euphorbiaceae, this plant pairs well with them, helping to highlight the poinsettia’s red “flowers.” With its white appearance evoking snow, it’s a plant that adds a festive touch to Christmas.
Plants you can use for Christmas: for trees, wreaths, and gardening (11–20)
Amaryllis
Amaryllis, with its beautiful-sounding name, is stunningly vivid with its large, bright red blooms—perfect for Christmas.
In Germany, it’s even called the Christmas flower, and as the holiday approaches, many bulbs adjusted to bloom at that time are sold.
Since the natural blooming season is around May to June, it’s best to grow it indoors and water as needed.
Once in bloom, an amaryllis brings an overwhelming presence that brightens the mood in the cold winter.
You can display a single stem casually in a vase or give it as a gift.
Let’s decorate stylishly and enjoy a festive, glamorous Christmas.
Ficus umbellata
It’s the Christmas season—cold outside with nothing but fallen leaves—and we start craving some green.
By bringing the Christmas colors of green and red into your interior, you can lift your spirits.
In this video, we introduce the Ficus umbellata, a popular houseplant that really shows off its lush green.
It tends to grow as a single stem, but encouraging it to branch makes it even more beautiful and helps it produce vigorous foliage, so let’s try pruning.
The video by Kanako Yamada, who is both an announcer and a certified tree care specialist, is wonderfully easy to listen to and features clear, accessible explanations.
caladium
Caladiums are plants characterized by large leaves vividly infused with color.
Many varieties have green leaves accented with red or white, which might evoke a Christmas-like feel.
They typically grow with a single large leaf at the tip of each stem, so the denser the stems, the more vibrant the overall appearance tends to be.
Native to the tropical regions of South America and sensitive to direct sunlight, caladiums are best kept in a warm indoor environment to maintain their beauty during the Christmas season.
cranberry
Don’t many people think of cranberries as something used in dishes like jam? The sight of pale red berries nestled among green leaves is charming enough to serve as an ornamental feature as well.
Another appealing point is that they’re resistant to the cold, so they keep their beautiful appearance even during the Christmas season.
You could place them alongside a tree as part of your decorations, then harvest the berries afterward and use them as an accent for Christmas sweets—making the holiday even more enjoyable.