Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, nothing says winter holidays quite like fresh greenery! As convenient as faux/fake greenery may be, it just doesn’t compare to fresh greenery!

Decorating with fresh greenery is a beloved holiday tradition and will bring festive cheer and a wonderful, fresh fragrance to any space. There isn’t anything quite like the beauty and perfection of nature!

Types of Holiday Greenery

Eucalyptus, an attractive, scented greenery popular in cut arrangements and garlands but tends to dry quickly.
English Holly is a holiday staple found in garlands and wreaths and will last up to a week indoors, longer in cut arrangements. Make sure the plant does not freeze or the leaves and berries can turn black.
Juniper, a fragrant blue to blue-green foliage with greyish-blue berries, would be ideal in outdoor garlands. Be sure to handle with care, as the needles are often sticky. Also, it does not do well indoors, as the heat will turn the needles brittle.
Redwood, an attractive greenery that tends to dry out quickly, but is popular in cut arrangements and outdoor displays.
Boxwood is a common greenery readily available and often used to create fine-textured wreaths and garlands. It can be used indoors or outdoors. But as a word of precaution, boxwood emits a scent that may not be pleasant for all.
White Pine, a soft, bluish-green long-needled pine, can be commonly found in pre-made wreaths and garlands. It has excellent needle retention.
Magnolia, with its large, dark green, glossy leaves makes attractive wreaths and other decorations. They will last a long time, even without water.

This is just a partial list of greenery that is available during the season. For a more complete list, check out our “Christmas Greens” post.

Tips on Keeping Holiday Greenery Fresh

Buy or harvest greenery close to when you plan to use them. The best way to guarantee freshness, is to harvest the greens from your backyard.
Choose the freshest greenery. Fresh evergreens will have soft, flexible, rather than brittle needles.
Fresh greenery will last about 2 weeks indoors; it will last longer outdoors
Keep greenery moist and away from direct heat sources (i.e close to vents, direct sunlight). Mist frequently with water to keep the greenery moist.
If you plan on using the greens in a floral arrangement, be sure to recut the stems at an angle with a sharp knife, before placing them in water.
“Conditioning” your greens from the florist before using them will help keep them fresher longer. Make small cuts into the branches and crush the ends with a hammer. Then, place them in buckets with room temperature water. Allow plants to absorb the water for a few hours or overnight before working with them.
Remove parts that are browning or with brittle needles.

Designing Tips

greenery can be used to create garlands, wreaths, swags, centerpieces and other floral arrangements
to maximize fragrance, use a combination of aromatic greens, such as pine, cedar, eucalyptus, and juniper
include berries and other branches with the greenery to create interesting textured pieces
pine, fir and cedar are great for indoor decorations, as they tend to dry out slower than other greens and the needles do better in warm temperatures

Fun Facts:

Decorating with evergreens has been a winter tradition as old as time.
Evergreens represent everlasting life and hope for the return of spring
Some people believe that hanging evergreen boughs over doors and windows will keep evil spirits out