13 Most Beautiful Evergreen Branches to Harvest for Holiday Decor

Since the earliest solstices, we carry on the tradition of decorating with evergreen greenery during the winter, and especially during the holidays. Evergreens symbolize persistence and life even on short, frosty days. Live greens energize the display and become the foundation for other accents and embellishments. For many of us, their sugary pine fragrance seeps into childhood memories and imbues the spirit of the season.

Growing your own greenery is multifunctional and sustainable. We enjoy it in the landscape year-round and beyond by incorporating texture and fragrance into home decor. The possibilities are nearly limitless as most evergreens contribute to a lush winter scene. Shop your own garden for an assortment to use in wreaths, garlands, swags, and centerpieces – they come together in a gorgeous arrangement. 

With some planning, you can incorporate favorites into the garden, and they won’t mind some clipping come winter. Whether your aesthetic is clean and simple with a few evergreen branches or all in, from doorway to mantle to tabletop, the creativity flows when we work with natural materials. Below are inspirations from favorite holiday evergreen species to harvest, along with top cultivars.

Harvesting, Preparing, and Caring for Greenery

If you’re clipping fresh evergreen branches from the garden, buying it from a grower’s market, or picking some up from the local tree stand, it helps to prepare them for a longer-lasting holiday arrangement. Cut the ends of the stems at a 45-degree angle and stick them in a bucket of room-temperature water. You may opt to soak whole branches in a tub for a few hours to fully hydrate them and remove any dust and debris.

Once hydrated, you’re ready to arrange. If you don’t plan to use the branches right away, store them in a cool space in water (using them close to harvest time makes for a fresher display).

Live greens last longer as outdoor decor in cool temperatures with regular air moisture. Indoors, they dry more quickly. Keep them away from heated drafts when possible and out of direct sun. Rely on long-needled evergreens to anchor the design for extended periods. Misting the greens, whether indoors or out, helps refresh foliage.

Deodar Cedar

	botanical name Cedrus deodara
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30-50’
	hardiness zones 7-9

Deodar cedar are handsome specimens from tip to toe to cones. The large, pyramidal trees have an informal habit with long, arching branches. Full, gray-green needled foliage adds to their appeal.

As large landscape trees, the broad branches need plenty of room to spread and stand out as a dominant focal point. They tolerate a range of soils and growing conditions, including urban and coastal exposures. Once established, they’re drought and heat-tolerant.

For a dwarf variety, ‘Feelin’ Blue’ in silvery blue-gray is a showstopper among dark and bright greens. Reaching only four to five feet tall with a spreading habit, it fits a variety of spaces. Graceful needles trail gently from arching stems. Its bright golden counterpart, ‘Feelin’ Sunny,’ creates a soft haze in high contrast. ‘Sunny’ grows larger at 12 to 15 feet tall, and both do well as large container specimens.

Eucalyptus

	botanical name Eucalyptus cinerea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-52’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Eucalyptus, or gum tree, carries a refreshing camphor, menthol-like fragrance. Its foliage, long and slender or as silver dollars, is a soft gray-blue. Peeling bark adds to its multifaceted visual interest.

The silver dollar gum is one of over 700 species of Eucalyptus, all native to Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding islands. Silvery, round leaves line stiff, upright stems, excellent for floral arrangements and drying.

‘Silver Drop’ is a dwarf grower at two to three feet tall and a good one to grow in a pot and overwinter indoors, as it’s well suited to container culture while producing attractive stems for clipping. Use them in wreaths and garlands during the winter, and toss a sprig in the shower for aromatherapy. These versatile evergreens aren’t limited to holiday designs; you can create tranquil designs all year.

Olive

	botanical name Olea europaea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-30’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Olive trees boast a lovely form of slender leaves with a graceful habit. Their deep green foliage has silvery undersides for contrast in arrangements – both sides are appealing as branches twist and turn. Incorporating their stems in wreaths and garlands adds textural richness, and they’re beautiful as a singular composition.

Elegant and historic, the olive tree makes a lasting container display. Look for dwarf European olive varieties like ‘Little Ollie’ for a compact, shrubby habit reaching six feet.

Like eucalyptus, their versatility extends beyond winter festivities. Olive trees perform best in direct sun, and a south-facing window is a good spot if you’re overwintering or growing indoors year-round. Gritty, well-draining soil protects roots from prolonged saturation. Check to ensure this isn’t an invasive species in your area before planting outdoors.

Boxwood

	botanical name Buxus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-20’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Boxwood is a favorite shrub because of its deep, glossy leaves, dense branching, and well-shaped forms. They have a long garden history, beginning with the Ancient Egyptians and Romans, who planted and shaped boxwood into hedges. 

Migrating to North America from Europe in the 1600s, boxwoods appear in historic gardens as parterre hedges. Their form lends them to numerous garden spots, and their branches create tailored designs with extended displays outdoors or in.

Use their petite leafy stems as filler among any other holiday evergreens; their shape, size, and gloss offer textural contrast. Or, bundle them as a stand-alone piece. There are numerous boxwood alternatives, like inkberry holly, that also make rich designs.

Holly

	botanical name Ilex spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-60’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Hollies brighten the winter landscape with their glossy evergreen leaves and vibrant red berries that provide food for wildlife, winter interest, and enjoyment as festive holiday decor. From shrubs to trees, hollies make good filler cuttings and highlight the design with their fruits.

‘Christmas Jewel’ is dense, upright, and compact with a pyramidal form. It requires no cross-pollination to fruit. The small tree (six to ten feet tall) produces large red berries in winter, making it a signature of the season. 

American holly, Ilex opaca, is a stately native with dark, matte leaves and is popular in wreaths and garlands, especially for its bright berries. Female trees fruit after pollination, so a male is needed nearby for the berry yield.

Juniper

	botanical name Juniperus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-50’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Junipers range in shape and size from trailing groundcovers to tall, columnar trees. With foliage from deep green to blue, they add interest as holiday evergreens. Their blue, waxy berries add to the winter aesthetic. They’re particularly long-lasting in outdoor decor in fresh, cool air.

Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is native to North America and reaches 30 to 40 feet tall. Leaves are blue-green scales that overlap. With exceptional drought tolerance and ease of growth, this is a rugged evergreen. Cultivars offer a more refined look, from silvery foliage to dwarf forms.

Magnolia

	botanical name Magnolia grandiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-80’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Magnolia, prized for its lemon-scented, creamy white summer blooms, has broad evergreen leaves that are gorgeous in wreaths and garlands. Especially unique are their contrasting bronze undersides, which become velvety with cold temperatures.

‘Teddy Bear’ is smaller than its parent, and its leaves are particularly brown and velvety underneath as the weather cools. M. grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ is another dwarf grower with dense leaves and a compact, upright habit, smaller and slower growing than the giant Southern magnolia species, ‘Brackens Brown Beauty’ is semi-dwarf and more winter-hardy than other varieties.

Spruce

	botanical name Picea spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-200’
	hardiness zones 2-7

A classic holiday selection, spruce makes a beautiful addition in deep greens and blues with plump needles. They hold up well as cut branches, especially outdoors.

Huge, hardy specimens like Norway spruce (Picea abies) dominate the landscape. Tall and pyramidal, it has weeping branches decorated with long cones. Blue spruce (Picea pungens) is native to the central Rocky Mountains and is best in cool climates. Its large, narrow, conical habit lends itself well to use as a Christmas tree.

Dwarf and weeping cultivars are well-suited to smaller spaces. Colorado blue spruce ‘Fat Albert’ has cool blue foliage and a stout pyramidal habit. ‘The Blues’ weeps in silvery blue with a dwarf, spreading habit.

Fir

	botanical name Abies spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-200’
	hardiness zones 4-7

Fir trees are quintessential holiday evergreens, from their Christmas tree shape to their thick, dark needles and sugary pine fragrance. Even a few branches evoke festive charm.

Look to Fraser, noble, white, and balsam species for the hallmark seasonal aesthetic. The North American natives are stately in the landscape. If you garden in a cool climate, these long-lived favorites are for you. Fir prefers rich, well-draining soils for best growth.

Rosemary

	botanical name Salvia rosmarinus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Rosemary’s form and fragrance make it a lovely accent in mixed greenery compositions. It’s also nice to keep it handy for culinary additions and to use as fresh garnish and table decorations.

Rosemary has a lemony-camphor scent and flavor. In addition to using it in natural arrangements, make a soothing rosemary oil to enjoy in chilly months.

Rosemary’s multiseason appeal makes it worth growing year-round. In cold climates, try it indoors or overwinter it in pots in a sheltered, unheated space.

Arizona Cypress

	botanical name Hesperocyparis arizonica
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 40-60’
	hardiness zones 7-11

Arizona cypress is an exceptional pyramidal feature with a narrow form. Trees have bright, silvery needles on graceful stems that cool down a display. The branching is strong and full, but the overall look is soft and hazy.

Native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, the conifer withstands heat and drought spells once established. Low maintenance, it roots easily in various soils. Pruning needs are minimal, with attractive full skirting to the ground. 

While not as cold hardy as some others on our list, it makes an easy care windbreak, privacy screen, or erosion control selection. Not to mention how the pretty foliage sparkles against other live greens.

Bay Laurel

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

Bay laurel, or sweet bay, is a small evergreen shrub or tree with attractive dark green, glossy leaves. In the fall, black oval fruits ripen and punctuate the display. Their fragrance alone is reason enough to use them indoors and out in holiday festivities.

Bay leaves are flavorful culinary additions, both fresh and dried. They add flavor to soups, stews, roasts, and sauces, especially in slow cooking.

Bay is a slow-grower that is well-suited to container culture. Potted plants overwinter indoors where they’re not hardy. The easy-care specimens take shaping and pruning well, which promotes fresh growth.

Pine

	botanical name Pinus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 50-150’
	hardiness zones 3-11

Pines are universal and long-lasting in evergreen arrangements, and you can’t go wrong with their long-needled foliage or cones. Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus, is especially pretty, with white lines on both sides of each needled leaf. The conifer is native to the northeastern U.S. and Canada. Collect their cones as they drop in September for future decor.