The 10 Most Beautiful Christmas Plants And How To Care For Them Properly

Not only the branches of coniferous trees are popular in Advent, but other plants are also popular at Christmas decoratively placed or given as gifts and bring a Christmas atmosphere into the house. Which Christmas plants are the most beautiful and what care they need to spread their magic in the apartment for a long time, you can learn here.

Christmas cactus

For a long time, it was quiet about the Christmas cactus (Schlumberga), but in recent years this Christmas plant also appeared more and more often and enjoys growing popularity.

Especially the flowers, which shine from pink to red to yellow and white, make the charm of this succulent because it blooms during the Christmas season. At the same time, the Christmas cactus requires little care, which is very convenient for many in the stressful pre-Christmas period: it should only be watered regularly and should not be placed directly above a heater, as in this case, its sensitive root system can heat up too much.

However, the temperature does not only play a major role in the roots – the flowers of the Christmas cactus also depend on the warmth. If new plants sometimes bear yellow or orange flowers, their color can change to pink when the temperature rises above 59 °F. More detailed information on the care of Christmas cactus can be found in this article.

Holly

Indoor plants aren’t the only part of Christmas – the garden can benefit from Christmas plants as well. A classic among Christmas plants in this regard is the holly (Ilex), also known as Ilex. This evergreen deciduous shrub impresses in winter not only with its dark green, leathery leaves but also with its red berries, which remain on the plant until spring.

Especially in England and America, the holly has long had great importance as a Christmas decoration: Thus, the branches of the holly as a wreath or arrangement with other plants look very festive and are extremely well suited for crafting and decorating.

However, caution is advised with small children and pets, because the small berries of the holly look tempting, but are – like the leaves – highly poisonous. In the garden, the holly is an extremely undemanding and low-maintenance companion: once a year you should fertilize the plant and cut it back as needed.

Amaryllis

Also very popular at Christmas time is the amaryllis (Hippeastrum) with its up to 11.8 in. large inflorescence, which often blooms – fitting for Christmas – in December.

The amaryllis shows an impressive variety with almost 600 cultivated forms and presents itself in different flower colors from dark red to bright white.

During flowering, the amaryllis should always be well supplied with water, the watering method with a saucer has proven successful, so that the plant can suck the necessary water with the roots.

But even if the amaryllis has faded, you should not throw away the plant: Continue to water and fertilize the amaryllis regularly after flowering, place it a little cooler in September and keep it dry – by December, the amaryllis will sprout new, beautiful flowers again.

Poinsettia

The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is especially popular as a gift and is, therefore, one of the best-known Christmas plants. Especially its colored bracts make it a decorative eye-catcher.

Most often, the plant is seen in festive red, but the leaves can also shine in white, yellow, or pink. But if you think that this beauty can be admired only in Advent, you are wrong: with proper care, the poinsettia can bloom until Easter.

At normal room temperature without cold drafts and with a weekly fertilization poinsettia feels most comfortable. In spring, you can also cut the plant back and put it in the bed. If you bring it back in the fall and put it in a room without artificial light, you can make the poinsettia bloom again next year.

Orchid

Not only at Christmas, orchid (Orchidaceae) is a popular houseplant, but also in the rest of the year, it decorates numerous houses and apartments. No wonder – after all, these graceful plants impress with their beautiful large flowers, making them a real feast for the eyes. Among the variety of orchid species, especially red and white orchids look festive in Advent, but at the same time elegant and beautiful.

However, proper care of the orchid is crucial to keep it beautiful for a long time: First, the orchid needs a bright location with a constant temperature of 64.4 to 77 °F. Also, rot quickly appears in the root area of the orchid if it is watered excessively – proven when watering the orchid is a weekly immersion in a water bath.

Care should also be taken when fertilizing orchids: for example, you should only use orchid fertilizer and use it sparingly so that the plant can thrive optimally.

The Real Rose Of Jericho

A gray, withered tangle – when you first see the Real Rose of Jericho (Anastatica hierochuntica), it’s hard to believe that anyone would voluntarily put this plant up as a decoration. Nevertheless, in many families, the rose of Jericho belongs to the Christmas tree and presents.

This initially boring-looking plant is distinguished by a very special feature: If you put the withered Rose of Jericho in water, the branches unfold within a few days and even regain their olive-green color.

Unfortunately, this “resurrection” is not permanent – it is a purely physical effect, while in reality, the plant is still dead. However, this also makes the Rose of Jericho extremely low-maintenance: the plant can remain in the water for up to a week, but after that, it might start to mold.

If you then let the Rose of Jericho dry thoroughly and stow it away in a warm, dry place, it will keep almost indefinitely and you can repeat the “resurrection effect” as often as you like.

Camellia

Hardy yet a mimosa, the camellia is both. While it can easily tolerate temperatures as low as – 59 °F outdoors, it is very sensitive as an indoor plant and quickly fades if it is too warm. A maximum of 59 °F should be the temperature in the room where the camellia experiences the holidays – if this is given, its beautiful blooms can last up to five weeks.

Besides, you should pay special attention to the care of the camellia: so it should be watered only with low-lime water (for example, rainwater), because, like the rhododendron (rhododendron), it is very sensitive to a high lime content in the water. In return, the camellia will give you beautiful flowers up to 5.9 in. size, strongly reminiscent of the peony and ideal for Christmas decoration.

Barbara Branches

Cherry blossoms at Christmas? What sounds like a joke at first, is found in many households during the winter holidays. But how can this be? The so-called Barbara branches are traditionally cut from a fruit tree on December 4 and placed in a vase with water. Due to the warmth in the house, the cut branches begin to germinate and just in time for the holidays, the whole branch is often in full bloom.

But not only cherry branches can sweeten Christmas in this way: other fruit trees – such as the apple or the plum, but also birch, hazelnut, and horse chestnut – also blossom at Christmas when they are brought into the house on St. Barbara’s Day. In full bloom and placed in a beautiful vase, the branches are then wonderful decoration and can decorate your home at Christmas.

You will learn in our article about the Saint Barbara Branches.

Azaleas

For many years, indoor azaleas (Rhododendron simsii) have been in demand as Christmas plants and a popular decoration. No wonder – after all, hardly any other houseplant displays such beautiful, almost lavish blooms in winter.

And the variety and versatility of azaleas are also truly impressive. With well over a hundred varieties with flower colors ranging from elegant white to bright pink, there is something for everyone. However, when caring for them, there are a few points you should keep in mind: Azaleas are very sensitive to calcareous water and should therefore ideally be supplied with rainwater.

The plants also do not tolerate waterlogging well, yet the soil should always be kept moist – so a delicate touch is required. However, those who pay attention to this will be rewarded with an exceptionally beautiful and flowering Christmas plant.

Christmas Roses

When the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) starts to bloom, Christmas is not far away. In the middle of winter and even in the snow and ice, the Christmas rose blooms and thus acts like a small miracle. Not surprisingly, the Christmas rose has a long tradition as a Christmas flower.

The beautiful flower even has its own Christmas legend: on Christmas Eve, a shepherd boy is said to have set out to meet the baby Jesus but had nothing to give him. When he then cried, a beautiful flower blossomed on the spot where his tears fell, and he joyfully brought it to the child at the manger.

Even today, the Christmas rose has not lost any of its charms. To keep it that way, you should follow some tips when caring for it. Thus, the Christmas rose should be in a cool room, because it does not tolerate heat. The plant also does not tolerate waterlogging and should therefore be watered only carefully.

Care Tip For Christmas Plants

So that the plants can give joy during the Christmas season, as well as long after, and not look dreary, it is worth giving them a Christmas gift right at the beginning: High-quality potting soil.

This is the be-all and end-all for houseplants, but there are often serious differences in quality between the various offers. Inferior potting soil often can not meet the requirements that the plant to thrive optimally.

Instead, much more time and effort must then be put into care, so that the plant still becomes an eye-catcher and not a tragedy. High-quality potting soil, on the other hand, can boast an excellent soil structure, improved buffer capacity, and an adapted nutrient composition – the perfect mix for healthy, happy, and, above all, long-lasting plants, not only at Christmas.