What types of foliage last well? Which ones retain their needles and can withstand the warm indoor temperatures we experience during Christmas?
What can I harvest from the garden?
Creating a cozy, beautifully decorated home is something we all desire during the festive season. However, with our busy schedules, constantly rearranging flower arrangements—even in a vase—can be impractical.
By selecting your foliage wisely and caring for it properly, you can easily create a lasting display throughout Christmas.
Here are our top ten recommendations:
Laurel
Ivy
Holly
Pine and spruce
Rosemary
Griselinia
Eleagnus
Aucuba
Choysia
Conifers
Aucuba (left)
This is also known as spotted Laurel, great for holly wreaths, displays outside. The stems tend to be shorter and the leaves more compact than Laurel so will not work so well in a tall vase but are really happy in wet foam.
Choysia (middle)
Mock orange may even grace you with its sweet-scented flowers this time of year. It is the least robust of all the foliage chosen here, but it's such a great foliage for flower arranging that it stands up remarkably well inside in wet foam or a vase. It may be affected by frost if very cold in a door wreath.
Conifa (right)
Inside, outside in a wreath, wet foam, or a vase, this is a great foliage. Its long stems are pliable and can be coaxed into different shapes, which makes it excellent for using as a base foliage in Christmas wreaths.
Elaeagnus (left)
This glossy leaf has a silver underside and is one of our favorites to use in the winter. It comes in all green, but here you see the yellow variegated version. Its long stems are very long-lasting in a vase. Its leaves will not drop in wet foam and will add a touch of sunlight to a Christmas wreath.
Griselinia (middle)
This is a hardy and lime green leaf. Its long stems make it ideal for a vase, and it is super happy in wet foam. Variegated varieties are available but are slower growing. This will last in a Christmas wreath but may catch the frost if very cold and exposed.
Holly (right)
We could not leave out this Christmas staple. The picture shows both its yellow variegated and green forms; a white variegated version is also available. This is also a variety that is not so spiky, which is easier on the hands. It is a great all-rounder, happy in water, foam, and wreaths.
Ivy (left)
There are just so many varieties of ivy with both large and small leaves. All of them are extremely hardy and can be used both inside and outside. Some varieties this time of year also will have their flowers showing or black berries, which always add a new texture to a design.
Laurel (middle)
Hardy to the max, and great for adding a touch of gloss and shine texture to a design. The long stems are happy in a vase or outside in a wreath, while the single leaves work well in wet foam and last even in a hot room.
Pine & Spruce (right)
The quintessential foliage along with holly and ivy for the season. All work well but will dry out inside if it is very warm. They always benefit from being sprayed with water or taken from the room as the temperature rises. This is great to forage after a strong wind as the trees will naturally shed their fronds.
Rosemary (below)
Don't forget hardy herbs. Rosemary will not mind a warm room, and as the foliage dries, it will release its oils and scent the room. It is more than happy in a vase if your stems are long enough or will sit in wet foam. This also works well in a Christmas wreath and will scent an entranceway.
All the foliage above will always benefit from having a spray with a little fresh water as they also drink from the leaf surface. Make sure their stems are placed in a wet medium, whether moss or wet foam. If you are able to move the displays to a cooler room overnight, the arrangement will thank you by lasting a little bit longer. For your Christmas wreath, leave it on the grass overnight to drink the dew.
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