Design Holidays & Celebrations

Move Over Poinsettias—Succulent Christmas Trees Are the New Go-To Holiday Houseplants

Once the season is over, you can simply repot the plants and use them to decorate in other ways!
succulent christmas trees

Photo: etsy.com Photos: etsy.com

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The holidays bring some cheer we could all use in 2020, and finding quirky new additions to decorating traditions is the welcomed distraction we need to keep our spirits up. There have been a lot of fun ideas swirling around, including succulent Christmas trees.

Succulents have been gaining popularity for their miniature size yet vibrant, hearty structure. Now, the desert plants are making waves as a fun alternative to Christmas classics like poinsettias and tiny tabletop evergreens.

Here’s everything you need to know about succulent Christmas trees—including how to DIY one for yourself.

RELATED: How to Propagate Succulents

They’re Tiny but Mighty

Succulents are blowing up on social media, thanks to a trending interest in houseplants during the pandemic—not to mention their low-maintenance ways and the array of brilliant, flowering shapes they can take on. It’s no wonder that using succulents in holiday decorations is a thing this year! You can arrange them in a Christmas tree shape and pair them with evergreen clippings and even pine cones for a unique centerpiece that’s sure to be the talk of the table.

succulent christmas tree on brick
Photo: etsy.com

A Little Spray Goes a Long Way

Along with their fun colors and shapes, succulent Christmas trees are a nearly effortless holiday dream. Spray the plants with water every 10 to 14 days to keep them alive—that’s it! When the season bids farewell, you don’t need to toss these tiny trees to the curb as you would a freshly cut Christmas tree. Instead, repot them and find new ways to add them as decor throughout your home.

RELATED: Solved! Why are My Succulents Dying?

There are a Variety of Options on Etsy

Support small businesses and peruse the eclectic array of succulent Christmas trees available on Etsy. The SoCalSucculentsCA Etsy shop offers the quirky holiday decor with options to add a star Christmas tree topper. This one from ClassyCactusFarm features 50 succulents of different kinds and sizes and comes in a clay pot. SucculentThis offers a completely different way of incorporating these popular houseplants into holiday decor by tucking them into festive mugs.

DIY succulent christmas tree
Photo: homedepot.com

How to Make a Succulent Christmas Tree

Want to create this trendy holiday topiary yourself? Follow these instructions from The Home Depot:

  1. Find a tabletop planter. Then cut and shape a piece of chicken wire into a cone that will fit inside the planter.
  2. Fill the cone with dampened sphagnum moss and place it in the planter.
  3. Collect various sizes, shapes and colors of succulents. Gently remove any excess dirt around the roots of each succulent and carefully secure them to the chicken wire using floral pins.
  4. You can also add sprigs of evergreen or other festive accents around the succulents.
  5. Finish the centerpiece by adding a star to the top or a bow around the planter. Or both!

RELATED: The Best Soil for Succulents

DIY succulent christmas tree chicken wire
Photo: homedepot.com