Last year I put together a living Christmas tree on our porch, and it was one of my favorite trees on the Farm. I'm sharing exactly how you can replicate this look, and the secret to keep the plants alive while they are tucked inside the tree. This is SO simple and beautiful for any gardener to recreate at home!
Living Christmas Tree PLANTS & INSTRUCTIONS
Starting with a flocked faux Christmas tree as the base, I layered fresh magnolia leaves, white cyclamen, variegated ivy and lemon cypress for a warm, Southern holiday look that feels both festive and natural.
Cut approximately 20 magnolia branches, keeping a long enough stem to anchor. Soak the magnolia stems in water first, then tuck them into the tree (you can use the key above to see how I spaced mine out).
Plants to purchase from the garden center:
7 white cyclamen (6” pots)
3 lemon cypress trees in 4” pots
7 variegated ivy (6” pots)
Soak all the pots in water until air no longer bubbles out. Remove all the plants from their pots, then place their root balls inside gallon Ziploc bags to keep them moist so they last all season long. Use string, twine or a zip-tie to close the ziploc around the stems. Spritz water inside the Ziplocs if they dry out (or weekly) to keep them watered while they are inside the tree.
Using my location key on the graphic above, tuck the plants into your Christmas tree at varying intervals.
After the holidays are over, remove the plants from their bags and replant all of them in your containers or flower beds. They are all perennials, so they will come back year after year. You can cover the magnolia leaves and stems with several thin layers of Mod Podge to maintain their green color, then spray with clear acrylic sealer to preserve them. Use them in garland, wreaths, swags and more!
FAQs
Can I use a real, live Christmas tree for a living Christmas tree?
I would not recommend using a real tree for this. I found that a flocked faux tree works better because it hides the root balls of the plants, and the sturdy wire branches give the plants more support than a real tree would. If you love the look of a real tree over faux, you could try it and let me know if it works!
Are cyclamen perennials?
Yes. Cyclamen grow from a tuber that comes back year after year. The catch is they go dormant in summer and look dead, so most folks toss them thinking they’re annuals.
Which kind you have makes all the difference:
Florist cyclamen
This is the big, showy one you see at the grocery store every fall and winter.
Only hardy outdoors in zones 9 and 10, so here in Georgia it’s a houseplant or a winter annual.
When summer hits, the leaves yellow and drop. It’s not dead, it’s napping.
Keep the tuber dry over summer and it’ll leaf out and bloom again in fall.
Hardy cyclamen
Smaller, tougher, and made for the garden. You can find these in local garden centers.
Hardy in zones 4 through 8.
Plant them under trees or in a shady border and they’ll spread and come back every year.
Some bloom in fall, some in the dead of winter. All of them disappear underground for the summer.
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