Easy Holiday Plant Gift Ideas for Christmas

There are so many options for hostess gifts during the holiday season, especially if you want to give something a little different from the usual bottle of wine or box of…

There are so many options for hostess gifts during the holiday season, especially if you want to give something a little different from the usual bottle of wine or box of chocolates. Plants make beautiful gifts, and with the right container and a few simple accessories, they can easily become part of your holiday décor as well.

If you love a classic green-and-white holiday palette, these plants are especially easy to work with. You can give them as gifts when visiting friends and family, use them to decorate your own home, or even buy yourself something a little special for the season.

1. Choose a rosemary tree

A tree-shaped rosemary plant is a wonderful choice for the holidays because it already looks like a miniature Christmas tree. It also smells fantastic, particularly when you rub the leaves between your fingers.

Best of all, this is a gift that can live well beyond the holiday season. Once Christmas is over, the rosemary can be planted in the garden, where you can continue harvesting it for cooking.

To make it feel more festive, place the rosemary in a decorative container and add a strand of delicate fairy lights. You could also hang a few tiny ornaments from the branches and treat it just like a miniature Christmas tree.

2. Create a classic look with a living wreath

For a classic English-inspired look, try a living wreath. It can be displayed flat as a tabletop decoration or placed in a container outside.

If you're decorating an entryway, consider using two matching wreath arrangements to flank the door. For a larger space, you could even create a group of three coordinated arrangements.

The greenery is beautiful on its own, so you don't necessarily need to add much. A simple container can be enough to turn it into an elegant holiday display.

3. Add a cypress for a different shade of green

Holiday greenery doesn't all have to be the same deep green. A small cypress with a lighter, almost lime-green color adds variation while still fitting beautifully into a green-and-white holiday theme.

The different shade helps break up all the traditional dark greenery and makes a tabletop arrangement more interesting. Cypress also has a wonderful natural scent, adding another seasonal element to your display.

Place it in a decorative pot and use it alone or alongside other holiday plants.

4. Bring in color with kalanchoe

If you want something brighter, kalanchoe is an easy option. These plants come in a huge variety of colors, including red, pink, yellow, and orange, so you can choose one that coordinates with your holiday décor.

Kalanchoes are also relatively easy to care for and bloom prolifically. They work well on tabletops and can instantly add color to an otherwise neutral arrangement.

Instead of leaving the plant in its basic nursery pot, slip it into a decorative container before displaying it or giving it as a gift. That simple change makes the plant look much more finished.

5. Use containers to create height and variation

The container you choose can make just as much of a difference as the plant itself. Think about where the finished arrangement will be displayed and whether you want it to sit low on a table or provide some additional height.

Try combining plants and containers of different heights if you're creating a larger display. This adds variation without requiring lots of additional decorations.

For gifts, a pretty container also means the recipient can display the plant immediately without having to repot or dress it up first.

6. Add fairy lights and mini ornaments

Once you've chosen your plant and container, add a few small holiday accessories.

Fairy lights are ideal for miniature trees and plants because their scale is appropriate for the arrangement. Large lights can overwhelm a small plant, so keep the accessories proportional.

For a rosemary tree or small cypress, wrap a strand of fairy lights around the branches and add a handful of miniature ornaments. You can even let the kids decorate their own little Christmas tree as a holiday activity.

Put it all together

You don't need much to create a beautiful holiday plant arrangement. Start with a plant, choose a container that complements it, and finish with a few carefully scaled accessories.

Whether you're putting together a hostess gift, decorating a holiday table, or simply adding something festive to your own home, these living arrangements are easy to customize. And because many of the plants can continue growing long after the decorations come down, they're a holiday gift that doesn't have to disappear when the season is over.