Houseplants to use as Christmas tree Alternatives

 

 

If space is a problem or you’re interested in trying something unique this holiday, there are some beautiful houseplants you can use as alternatives to a traditional cut Christmas tree. These include Norfolk Island Pines, Rosemary, Parlor Palms, Lemon Cypress, and Ivy topiaries. 

 

Norfolk Island Pines are a natural indoor Christmas tree. They can be placed on the floor, or the smaller trees make ideal table-top Christmas trees. Keeping your Norfolk pine healthy and looking good through the holidays and beyond comes down to these things. Norfolk pines like bright, indirect light, at least 6 hours a day. It's a good idea to turn them every few weeks to keep them from growing lopsided. They do best with consistent watering, like most houseplants. Water your tree when the top inch or two of soil feels dry. Water thoroughly and be sure there is no standing water left in the saucer under the plant. Norfolk Island Pines grow slowly and maintain their shape naturally. These pines do best in a location where they will receive bright, indirect light and temperatures around 70 degrees.

 

The herb Rosemary is also a good choice for a tabletop decoration at Christmas time because of its needle shaped leaves and the plant is very aromatic. Rosemary likes bright light, so a window with morning sun would be a great location. Rosemary will also do well under artificial light, such as a grow lamp or fluorescent grow bulbs.

 

It's easy to prune your Rosemary plant to keep the pine tree shape. Plus, you’ll have the cuttings for cooking.  Rosemary likes moisture, so try to be consistent in your watering. 

 

 

If you’re dealing with a low light situation, consider a Parlor palm plant. These easy to care for tropical plants are slow growing, don’t require a lot of maintenance and bring the added benefit of helping clean the air indoors.  

 

More choices for small tabletop tree decorating include Lemon Cypress and ivy topiaries. Lemon Cypress trees have plume-like yellow-green foliage that releases a lemony fragrance to the touch.  A slow growing plant, Lemon Cypress trees do well at room temperature, in bright, indirect light.

 

Ivy topiaries formed in the shape of a tree make great holiday decorations and will continue to grow after Christmas is over.

 

Lack of humidity is generally the biggest problem you'll encounter with Norfolk pines, rosemary, and other houseplants as well. You can improve the humidity around each plant by placing them on a pebble tray. Pebble trays are easy to assemble and use. Select a saucer that’s slightly larger than the pot and fill with small pebbles. Place the pot onto the tray full of pebbles and add sufficient water to fill the saucer while not touching the base of the pot. You can also use a cool mist room humidifier to increase humidity.