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Native Plants That Make Great Holiday Decorations

As we approach the end of the year and the holiday season I find myself looking to add festive decorations to my house, inside and out, without spending too much money.  One great option?  Using cuttings from plants found in our yards and woods.  Read on to learn about some of my favorite native plants to use for cuttings.

I’ve written about Southern Magnolias as great screening plants, great flowering plants, great native plants, and they also make great plants for holiday cuttings.  With glossy green leaves and fuzzy orange/brown undersides their foliage pairs nicely with more finely textured cuttings and berries, but can also stand on its own.

Another great native is the winterberry holly.  I’ve added several of these plants to my yard just for the purpose of taking holiday cuttings.  Because they are deciduous these plants really show off their berries and pair nicely with the evergreen cuttings of other plants.

Another great native often overlooked because of its irregular form and growth habit is the Eastern Red Cedar.  While these trees tend to blend into the background most of the year, in the late fall and winter they produce bright blue berries.  The combination of berries and finely textured blue green foliage is a bold addition to any holiday display.

Because I have cats and a small child I keep any plants with berries outside, as part of my porch decorations.  The birds happily eat any fallen berries, and the plants hold up better in the colder temperatures.

Interested in adding one (or all) of these great natives to your garden?  Contact Bright Leaf Landscaping at 919-475-1015 or fill out our online contact form.  Design and installation are our expertise, and we are always happy to meet with new clients to discuss potential projects!