Live Plants for Christmas

Living plans as holiday decorations have benefits! Studies show that plants boost our mood, make us more productive, and help us to concentrate better. Not a bad idea during the rush of the season! Live plants reduce stress and they clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, adding humidity, and producing oxygen. And because we live in a mild climate, when the tinsel comes down some holiday plants can find new homes in our own backyards!

Let’s explore some of Florida’s best live plants for Christmas.

Rosemary looks and smells like the spirit of Christmas. Use on the kitchen counter to snip for use in savory holiday recipes, then let this sweet topiary live on—indoors in good light or in the garden—to grow your own rosemary all year long.

Amaryllis can be forced to produce stunning flowers indoors during the Christmas season. After the holidays, just plant its bulb it in the garden and enjoy stunning color in the spring.

Cyclamen is comfortable indoors or outdoors during the cooler Florida season. It’s dark-green-to-silvery leaves accent red, pink, or white flowers that twist and turn throughout this beautiful, dependable bloomer.

Norfolk Island Pine trees are often used as miniature Christmas trees for small spaces. They stay small indoors, but when planted outdoors, can grow to an impressive height of 60 – 80 feet! So choose your plant’s location judiciously.

Holly doesn’t do well indoors, but thrives in a patio container or in landscapes where it can grow quite large. Red berries burst from dark green foliage for that perfect holiday look.

Christmas Cactus is a holiday gift that anyone would be happy to receive. It’s a breeze to care for and its blooms are often considered an early warning system for shorter days and cooler temps. They can survive outside as long as they are protected during a rare freeze.

Living Christmas Trees in pots can be replanted, and live cut trees in Palm Beach County can be recycled and turned into mulch that is given out free to county residents.

Poinsettias are the classic Christmas icon that can be enjoyed either inside or in your Florida landscape. With a little love and care your poinsettia will survive the holiday season and thrive for years to come. Learn how to care for your poinsettias indoors and when to plant them outdoors.

Ask your Jenkins gardener to recommend holiday bloomers and plants that are best suited for your existing landscape and which plants are a good fit for your particular light and moisture conditions.