The Best Plants To Give as Christmas Gifts

Plants can make wonderful Christmas gifts. But which plants should you choose? In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best plants to give as Christmas gifts, to inspire you as you make your present buying decisions.

Trees and shrubs can be excellent choices. They have enough drama and grandeur to inspire, and can really show someone how much you care. Some are practical gifts that will keep on giving in the years to come, while others look at their best over winter. There are of course plenty of plants you could consider. But here are some of our top picks:

Best Fruit Trees To Give as Christmas Gifts

Fruit trees are a present that can give their own gifts every year as they blossom and fruit. Trees like olive trees and citrus trees can make impressive gifts, though will have to be grown inside or under cover in all but the mildest of gardens in the UK. Of course, these trees still have their leaves in the winter, so will look more impressive when gifted at Christmas time.

However, other fruit trees can also make excellent Christmas gifts. Even if they don’t look at their most impressive over the winter months. You could consider giving cherry, plum, apple, or pear trees, for example, all of which work well in many UK gardens. Dwarf varieties can be selected that will grow well in containers.

Best Ornamental Trees To Give as Christmas Gifts

Ornamental garden trees can also make great gifts. While they won’t provide an edible yield, they can bring a range of other benefits to a garden – providing visual appeal and often serving as a boon to local wildlife.

Some great small trees for containers or small gardens include:

• Japanese Acers,

• Ornamental cherries (Prunus),

• Amelanchier,

• Cornus kousa,

• Witch hazel,

• Trachycarpus Fortunei Palm

• Arbutus unedo

• Cotoneaster trees

• Ceanothus (Californian Lilac)

• Eucalyptus

Though of course there are many more options to consider. Some look great year round, while others will put on their best displays in the months to come.

For an extra special, though pricy gift, you could purchase a bonsai or Japanese cloud tree.

Best Shrubs To Give This Christmas

Shrubs can also make great Christmas gifts. Just as fruit trees will continue to give their own gifts over the years to come, so too will fruit bushes. Consider gifting currant bushes, gooseberries, blueberries or other fruiting shrubs.

Again, you can also choose from a huge range of ornamental options. Some of which look great around Christmas, and some of which will deliver their main show next year.

• Daphnes can be great. Several cultivars come into bloom around Christmas.

• Viburnums, such as Viburnum Tinus ‘Trevor Eve’ has pink buds at Christmas that bloom to white flowers early in the new year.

• Azalea japonica is an evergreen shrub to consider, and several other Azaleas could also make excellent gifts.

• Mahonia x media ‘Charity is great for wildlife and winter blooms.

• Skimmia ‘Obsession’ is an evergreen shrub with abundant red berries that give a Christmassy feel.

Again, those ideas are just the beginning. There are a huge range of wonderful shrubs that could make great gifts.

And the trees and shrubs mentioned on this list are just some of the plants that would make great gifts. All of the above could be great for a gardener. And even those who do not have a garden may appreciate a smaller plant – potted herbs, for example, are great gifts for keen cooks.

But what about giving a gift to someone who doesn’t necessarily have the greenest of fingers?

Plants make a good gift for non-gardeners too.

How about a low maintenance succulent, for example? There are plenty that actually thrive on neglect and require little care. How about:

• Sempervivum (Houseleeks)

• Christmas Kalanchoe

• Sedums

• Aloe

• Crassula

• ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

• Heart-shaped Hoya Kerrii

To name but a few…

There are plants that you can gift to many different people. We all need to make space for plants in our lives, and find ways to love nature. And giving plants as Christmas gifts can be a great way to spread the love. Will you be giving plants as Christmas gifts this year? Let us know in the comments below.