Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas? A plant is a deeply meaningful present, universally symbolising good luck and hope for the future. We have handpicked the very best plants guaranteed to deliver a much needed splash of colour and a dash of winter magic throughout the darkest months.
This tradition is ancient, the Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice by exchanging Holly wreaths to honour Saturn, the god of agriculture. Also consider Ivy (Hedera) as it’s often thought to embody everlasting life and the welcome promise of spring’s return, a gift that truly lasts.
We also understand that the festive season is a busy time of year so why not take advantage of our delivery service.
Traditional festive plants
Holly (Ilex): The ultimate Christmas classic, symbolising fertility and eternity. The vibrant red berries that appear in autumn and remain through winter are a major draw. They provide a beautiful splash of colour against the dark green foliage, adding significant visual interest during the colder months.
Ivy (Hedera): Often thought to embody everlasting life and faithfulness. Ivy is cherished for its exceptional ecological value, providing vital late-season nectar, pollen, and winter berries for insects and birds. It is prized as a tough, reliable evergreen groundcover for difficult, shady spots, quickly covering bare soil or unsightly walls to offer instant structure and a classic, established charm
Bay (Laurus nobilis): A stylish topiary gift representing courage and strength—and a handy herb for the kitchen! A classic Bay tree makes a stunning, structured entrance plant.
The Unexpected Pear: As the song goes, you could gift someone a pear tree! Try the ornamental Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ (Partridge not included!). We love its gorgeous, upright, pyramidal shape and brilliant autumn foliage. One of the first trees to come into leaf in the spring and the last to lose its leaves in autumn, its ability to hold its leaves so long lends it to be an excellent choice for gardens where privacy is an issue.
Or for something less festive but equally attractive in the winter, these selections are specifically chosen for their vibrant winter stems, fragrant flowers, or striking foliage, ensuring they provide maximum impact when the garden needs it most.
Ornamental Trees
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-Kaku’ – The spectacular ‘Coral Bark Maple’, renowned for its stunning, vivid coral-red/orange bare stems that ignite the garden from autumn through winter.
Bay trees (Laurus nobilis) – An elegant, scented evergreen often clipped into formal topiary shapes. Perfect for doorways and patios, symbolising strength and courage.
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ – A beautiful, ornamental pear tree with a perfect pyramidal shape, offering fiery, long-lasting autumn leaf colour that holds well into early winter.
Shrubs
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ (Dogwood) – Vibrant ruby-red stems provide a dramatic flash of colour against the snow. This Dogwood is best when pruned hard to encourage the brightest new growth.
Daphne x transatlantica ‘Pink Fragrance’ – A compact, semi-evergreen shrub famous for its highly fragrant pale pink flowers that bloom over a very long season, often into winter.
Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’ – The ‘Heavenly Bamboo’ offers delicate, evergreen, bamboo-like foliage that turns fiery red, orange, and gold during the colder months.
Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Yelverton’ – A willow variety known for its spectacular display of bright orange, yellow, and red stems in winter, best viewed against a low sun or dark background.
Sarcococca confusa -The ‘Sweet Box’ is an essential evergreen for shade, producing tiny, creamy-white, yet massively fragrant flowers from late December to February.
Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ – A tidy, evergreen shrub covered in decorative, highly textural deep-red flower buds throughout winter, which open into fragrant spring flowers.
Skimmia japonica ‘Finchy’ – A compact, male variety known for its glossy, dark-green leaves and clusters of fragrant, creamy-white buds held all winter, opening in spring.
Rhododendron ‘Bloombux’ – An innovative, dwarf evergreen rhododendron that is tolerant of neutral/alkaline soils, producing pale pink flowers and making an excellent, easy-care box hedging substitute.
Climbers
Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ – A hardy, variegated evergreen climber with grey-green leaves featuring cream and silver margins. It can grow to about 1.5-2.5 meters in height and 1 meter in spread, is adaptable to sun or partial shade, and can climb walls and fences without support. Key uses include ground cover, containers, or as a backdrop for other plants.
Pyracantha Saphyr Rouge (‘Cadrou’) – More commonly known as Firethorn, this is a spiny evergreen shrub with a compact habit, narrow glossy leaves and sprays of white flowers in late spring and early summer. Bright orange-red berries follow, providing valuable food for the birds throughout autumn into early winter making it an ideal plant for wildlife gardens. A wonderful festive addition to any garden.
Pines for instant Christmas character
Pinus mugo ‘Mops’ – A small, very slow-growing dwarf pine forming a dense, rounded, low ‘mop-head’ habit. Perfect for rock gardens, small spaces, or festive containers.
Pinus parviflora ‘Negishi’ – A highly ornamental, dwarf Japanese White Pine with short, silvery blue-green needles and an upright, artistic growth habit, ideal for an architectural gift.
Our staff are here to help you pick out something special but if you really can’t decide, we also sell National Garden Gift Cards.
Winter flowering plants for festive florals each year
Camellia japonica – The classic camellia, offering large, often formal flowers in shades of pink, white, or red in late winter and early spring above glossy, evergreen leaves.
Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Grandiflora’ – The exquisite ‘Paperbush’, valued for its bare, silver-tipped stems holding rounded clusters of highly fragrant, yellow flowers in late winter.
Helleborus foetidus ‘Bowles Form’ – This variety has beautiful clusters of ‘Chartreuse green’ (a distinctive green / yellow), with bell-shaped flowers carried on sturdy stems, often with distinctive purple edging on the petals. This is a highly regarded cultivar of the species known for it’s prolific flower production from December to April. Typically grows to a height and spread of 30–60 cm, making it a very manageable perennial.
Helleborus foetidus Wilgenbroek Selection ‘Ruth’ – This cultivar is a seed strain introduced by the renowned hellebore expert Will McLewin and named after his mother-in-law. It is particularly valued for its compactness, dark foliage, and strong growth. With clusters of bell-shaped, lime-green flowers this variety provides excellent winter interest from December to April.
Helleborus x hybridus Double Mix (Christmas rose) – Features varieties with beautiful, multi-petalled, or ‘double’ flowers in various colours, adding a luxurious, layered look to the winter border. The flowers are highly favoured by pollinators providing them with much needed nourishment during the dormant season.
Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ – A stunning, architectural shrub with large, spiky leaves and terminal clusters of vibrant, highly fragrant yellow flowers appearing from late autumn through mid-winter.
Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ – An evergreen shrub known for its year-round beauty and fragrant blooms. It forms a dense, compact, rounded shape and has glossy, dark green leaves. In winter, clusters of dark pink buds provide visual interest, while in late spring, it produces fragrant clusters of small, white flowers that attract pollinators. These blooms give way to red berries that ripen to black. An excellent choice for hedges or borders. Height and Spread 2.5 metres.
Giving the gift of green
A living plant is not just a beautiful present; it’s an enduring symbol of hope, a provider of vital colour and scent during the darkest months, and a timeless connection to nature. Whether you choose the historical charm of Holly (Ilex,), the vibrant winter stems of a Dogwood (Cornus), or the sweet fragrance of Sarcococca confusa (Sweet Box), our nursery staff are here to help you select that perfect, meaningful gift. If you’re short on time, remember you can also choose a flexible National Garden Gift Card.
Make a garden lovers Christmas wishes come true
Do you have a loved one who has always wanted to redesign their garden? Our consultancy service could be the perfect gift for them. It is ideal if your garden is a blank canvas, you have recently moved into a new property, or just fancy a change <click here for more info>
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