17 Christmas Tree Alternative Plants to Try This Year

Plants have particular needs. Some prefer tropical climates with constant humidity, rainfall, and warmth, while others thrive in temperate regions with winter chill. A variety of these plants work well as Christmas tree alternatives depending on your particular needs.

Maybe you’re looking for a tree-like plant that you can grow indoors year-round. Or, you need one that grows indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer. No matter your growing needs, we include options for every curious gardener in need of holiday houseplants. 

Grab your Santa hat, a container, and some potting soil, and get ready to discover the perfect holiday tree alternative plant you’ve been looking for! Without further ado, here are 17 Christmas tree alternative plants to try this year.

Cryptomeria ‘Black Dragon’

	botanical name Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-10’
	hardiness zones 5-9

This bizarre-looking tree is offbeat enough to be the ideal Christmas tree alternative. It’s a dwarf Japanese cedar that grows long, tendril-like branches with slightly spiky leaves. The tree reaches ten feet tall after many years of growing, although it’ll stay between four and six feet for most of its young life. Decorate its leafy tendrils with tinsel, ornaments, and holiday lights.

‘Black Dragon’ is an outdoor plant that grows best from USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. Bring it indoors for a month or less during the holiday season, then transition it outdoors for the rest of the year. If your winter climate is particularly harsh, wait to bring the tree outdoors until temperatures warm. 

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

	botanical name Picea glauca ‘Conica’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-13’
	hardiness zones 3-6

Dwarf Alberta spruce, like ‘Black Dragon,’ prefers growing outdoors in cold climates for the winter. It’s a miniature variety that takes many years to grow between 10 to 13 feet tall, with a pyramidal shape that persists as it ages. Its perfect cone-like shape makes it ideal for decorating with tinsel, string lights, and ornaments. 

Use dwarf Alberta spruce as an outdoor holiday tree, or bring it indoors during Christmastime decorating. Place it in a cool room near a window with bright light so it survives the transition. Your spruce may need repotting after two to three years as the roots outgrow the container. 

Corokia Cotoneaster

	botanical name Corokia cotoneaster
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Corokia cotoneaster isn’t a true Cotoneaster, but it resembles similar-looking plants from the genus of woody shrubs. Also known as a wire-netting bush, this woody shrub grows small gray-green leaves on dark brown branches that have a gray-white tint to them. It blooms yellow flowers in spring that turn into ornamental red berries in the fall. 

This unique houseplant excels in outdoor gardens in zones 8 to 10 and functions well as an indoor specimen in all other regions. Give it a window with direct sunlight and ample airflow to keep it performing its best. The sparse branches are perfect for decorations and lights, as they highlight the plant’s structure for a beautiful effect.  

Holly ‘Nellie R. Stevens’

	botanical name Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-30’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Holly is excellent for holiday decorators! It grows long stems with spiky green foliage and red berries that contrast perfectly with Christmas colors. Use it as an outdoor tree, or bring it indoors for short stints during the holidays. You can also trim the branches to create sprays for adding charm to tables and archways.

Find this holly commonly available online or at a local nursery near you. It’s a fast-growing tree and may need repotting every two or three years as the roots outgrow their container. Plant it in the landscape to enjoy its gorgeous leaves and berries in your garden year-round. 

Norfolk Island Pine

	botanical name Araucaria heterophylla
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 9’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Norfolk Island pine is an evergreen Christmas tree alternative for warm climates! It grows pine-like needles on stems that branch off a central trunk. Add ornaments to the branches with string lights for a wonderful window display. Because this plant prefers warm temperatures, it’s perfect for those wanting a Christmas tree they can keep indoors year-round.

Norfolk Island pine grows to 200 feet in its native habitat, although indoors it’ll stay under nine feet. Give it full sun with afternoon shade and grow it in fertile, free-draining potting soil. Keep the roots moist, but not soggy, and water less during the winter as days shorten and temperatures cool. 

Poinsettia

	botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-10’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Poinsettias are abundant during the holiday months. Find varieties with classic red and green flowers and leaves, or discover new types with white splotches, yellow markings, or all-white flower bracts. There’s sure to be a variety you’ll like, and all types are easy to grow as indoor houseplants.

These plants are native to Mexico, where they grow with semi-dry soil and lots of sunlight. Give poinsettias bright indirect light indoors, and keep them away from cold or hot drafts from windows or heaters. Be careful not to rip or tear the leaves when you decorate—the foliage is tender and leaks a milky sap when damaged. 

Coleus

	botanical name Coleus scutellarioides
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 6-36”
	hardiness zones 10-11

If you love growing coleus outdoors, you’ll also love growing it indoors! Grow it in a container for a gorgeous, leafy houseplant. It’ll tolerate shady conditions indoors, from bright indirect light to partial shade. It’s frost tender and does best near a window, but not touching it, to avoid the cold temperatures that zap the leaves. 

Hundreds of coleus varieties exist with different colored leaves for whatever holiday theme you plan on using. Find types with green, yellow, pink, or maroon leaves, or use a cultivar with multiple colors. 

Japanese Laurel

	botanical name Aucuba japonica
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-10’
	hardiness zones 7-10

Japanese laurels decorate landscapes throughout temperate North America. They originate from Taiwan, China, and Japan where they grow beneath shaded canopies and on forest edges where moisture is abundant. They have serrated leaves like holly that are less prickly for easy handling.

Grow this plant as a houseplant indoors in a cool room with bright indirect light. Use a variety like ‘Variegata’ for yellow splotches on green leaves. Use ‘Nana’ if you prefer a shorter cultivar; it reaches three feet high in maturity. 

Rosemary

	botanical name Salvia rosmarinus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-5’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Rosemary is a classic evergreen shrub with herbal benefits. Grow it as a decorative Christmas tree alternative, then place it in your kitchen. Use it to season meats, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, or make a dry herb blend with oregano, bay laurel, and sage. 

Rosemary prefers full sun year-round and warm temperatures. Give it a sunny windowsill, or supplement it with grow lights. A bushy rosemary plant with holiday lights is cute, ornamental, and perfect for adding pizzazz to your home. 

Bay Laurel

	botanical name Laurus nobilis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Bay laurel, like rosemary, is a Christmas tree alternative that you can use to season your food! It’s perfect for beans, sauces, or marinades. The tree likes lots of sunlight and performs best in a bright location near a window. Use holiday lights to warm the leaves up during the winter months, especially if you’re growing it outdoors in zone 8.

Give your bay laurel tree free-draining soil and water it once the soil dries. Prune mature specimens as you like to shape them. You can form pyramidal shapes to match holiday trees, giving them narrow tips and wide bases. 

Arabica Coffee Plant

	botanical name Coffea arabica
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-15’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Cultivate a coffee plant for a homegrown treat! Arabica coffee is a famous variety that many caffeine lovers consume worldwide. Grow it as a houseplant for indoor decor, or plant it outdoors in warm zones 9 through 11. It prefers partial shade outdoors and bright indirect sunlight indoors. 

Arabica coffee plants take three to four years after planting to grow flowers, fruits, and beans. They may take much longer indoors, although mature specimens eventually form coffee beans. Use them as trees to decorate while you wait for them to reach a fruit-producing age. 

Weeping Fig

	botanical name Ficus benjamina
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 5-30’
	hardiness zones 10-12

Bonsai lovers, houseplant growers, and tropical gardeners all love weeping figs. They’re stately trees that sprout glossy green leaves with pointed tips on zig-zagging branches. The bark grows white on old specimens, and the trees sprout aerial roots that grow into new branches. They’re ideal year-round houseplants—you can add ornaments, lights, and tree toppers each Christmas.  

Weeping fig plants need nutrients to grow dozens of new leaves during the growing season. Fertilize with regular doses monthly during the spring and summer months, and stop during the winter months. Place your tree in a location with bright indirect sunlight or partial shade, and keep it away from cold drafts near windows or doors. It’ll sprout new growth for decades if it’s happy and healthy!

Chinese Banyan

	botanical name Ficus microcarpa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-50’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Chinese banyan is a close relative of the weeping fig, growing similarly indoors. It sports bright green leaves on erect stems that grow straight instead of zig-zagging. This tree grows well for years indoors, meaning you can leave it in one spot and decorate it during the holiday season. 

Give your Chinese banyan free-draining soil, regular water, and fertilizer during the growing season. Plants will need more water the more light they receive, so moderate your watering to maintain a moist and not soggy soil culture.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

	botanical name Ficus lyrata
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 10-12

Fiddle leaf fig is another Ficus member, except this type has large oval leaves that are handsome inside the home. This tree reaches epic proportions of 100 feet tall in its native habitat, although indoors it’ll stay between two and ten feet tall. Give it a window with bright indirect light, and it’ll thrive for years.

The fiddle leaf fig may not be ideal for ornaments, as its giant leaves get in the way of seeing them. Adorn it with string lights or tinsel instead to highlight the stems and lush leaves.

Bamboo Palm

	botanical name Rhapis excelsa
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 4-12’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Instead of trees or shrubs, why not try a palm tree? Palms can be Christmassy, especially if they have lights or decorations. Bamboo palm is an ideal Christmas palm that stays short as an adult. It’s tolerant of drafts, making it perfect for rooms with doors or windows that frequently open. 

Grow bamboo palms in bright indirect sunlight with regular airflow. They’ll need less water during the winter, and they benefit from regular fertilizer applications during the spring and summer. Use them as outdoor Christmas decorations in zones 9 through 11 where they’re winter hardy.

Parlor Palm

	botanical name Chamaedorea elegans
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 2-8’
	hardiness zones 10-12

Parlor palm is more showy than bamboo palm, and it spreads wider than the previous palm. Long, arching fronds extend from a central trunk between two and eight feet tall. It thrives in bright indirect sunlight, although it tolerates dappled sunlight and shady conditions.

Grow parlor palms in well-draining soil mixes to ensure they don’t receive root rot. Water them after their soil dries on top, keeping their culture moist and not soggy. They’ll live for many years indoors, meaning you can use them as Christmas trees for more than one season.

Kentia Palm

	botanical name Howea forsteriana
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 5-40’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Kentia palms are attractive palm trees with long, lush fronds. They sprout green leaves that dance in the wind, creating a rustling noise. Indoors Kentia palms prefer bright light and warm temperatures. They’ll stay under 12 feet inside, keeping a stately and manageable structure. These palms are hardy specimens that survive neglect and indoor conditions.