For a Christmas season full of magical moments, fresh flowers are a must. Synonymous with dazzling winter days and cosy nights hosted at home, florals are the perfect way to symbolise community, goodwill, and spirit throughout the season.
Not sure what to pick? Our festive floral wishlist is here for a little inspiration...
THE AMARYLLIS
Latin name:Amaryllis belladonna
About: Fitting for the festivities, the word amaryllis means 'to sparkle' in Greek—a perfect sentiment for the holiday season ahead. With towering stems and bell-shaped red flowers, amaryllis makes a dramatic and long-lasting cut flower, thriving in a vase for two weeks or longer with the right care.
Symbolise: Pride, strength, determination
Seasonality: The amaryllis is naturally in bloom during the summer, but has become a popular cut flower over the Christmas months.
About: One of the oldest, most treasured flowers for a reason, roses are said to date back 35 million years – but are now as popular as ever. With layered, delicate petals and available in a selection of festive shades, the rose is a classic Christmas choice for dressing the home and gifting.
Symbolise: Love, friendship, admiration
Seasonality: Available all year round, give roses a seasonal update in tones of rouge, burgundy, and ivory.
About: With over 150 species of tulips in up to 3000 varieties, there's plenty of choice when it comes to finding your favourite. Seasonal styles including parrot, fringed, double, and dutch, the holiday season lends itself to stems in traditional Christmas hues.
Symbolise: Deep and unconditional love
Seasonality: The earliest tulips will begin to open just in time for the festive season, in classic Dutch and double styles, plus pops of red, white, and green.
About: Beautifully-berried, the hypericum – also known as 'St. John's Wort' – is a staple stem during the Holidays. With a history of having medicinal benefits, their clusters of ornamental berries are most commonly found in festive red, but ivory, pink, and lime are also popular choices. Style yours in Bailey Bud vases on a festive tablescape!
Symbolise: Good luck, rebirth, protection
Seasonality: Hypericum flowers in spring/summer, with berries blooming in autumn and winter – just in time for the Christmas season.
About: Known for its earthy and soothing fragrance, eucalyptus makes a unique choice when selective festive foliage. So much more than a filler, eucalyptus is striking in single-varietal vases, or mixed arrangements of different shades – offering texture and tone with a sleek finish. Teaming berried eucalyptus populus with parvifolia and blue varieties is an ultra-luxe way to style it this festive season.
Symbolise: Purity and strength
Seasonality: Depending on the variety, eucalyptus is available to shop from late summer through to December.
About: Cut from the evergreen shrub of rich green foliage, winter is when skimmia is in bloom with the colour we know and love for the festive season. Showcasing tight clusters of ruby red buds, cut skimmia is a beautiful alternative to festive foliage and works just as well teamed with roses and tulips and it does amongst eucalyptus, fir, and hypericum.
Symbolise: Hope, renewal, harmony
Seasonality: Skimmia blooms with clusters of buds before flowering during the winter months.
About: Commonly known as Buttercup, there are over 600 species of ranunculus worldwide – with the Italian variety being the most luxurious of all. Featuring layer upon layer of soft, ruffled petals, these famously delicate flowers are the most intricate of their kind and add endless beauty to the festivities. Available in shades of rich red and snow white, they're at their most elegant when arranged on their own, and are ideal for gifting.
Symbolise: Affection and ever-lasting love
Seasonality: Flowering times vary depending on variety, with some ranunculus still in bloom in nature throughout the autumn months.
About: Often underestimated, the frilled beauty and clove-like scent of the carnation make it a winter essential. Spoken in poems and literature and depicted in paintings for centuries, the carnation still has a timeless romantic appeal today. To style carnations during the Christmas season, add them to bud vases for a dainty arrangement, or give them as a go-with-anything gift to your Holiday host.
Symbolise: Love, affection, good luck
Seasonality: In the floristry world, carnations are available all year round.
About: For long-lasting beauty and drama throughout December, cymbidium orchids are a go-to choice. Commonly known as boat orchids – with their name derived from the Greek word 'cymba', a small fishing boat – these striking stems make a more structural and modern alternative to more obvious floral choices during the festive season.
Symbolise: Virtue and valued friendship
Seasonality: Orchid cycles typically see leaf growth in summer and early autumn, with bloom in late autumn or early winter – depending on the environment.
About: Native to Mexico, no plant signifies the festive season quite like the poinsettia. Famous for its rich, red leaves in star-like arrangements, poinsettias are also available in alternate shades of pink and ivory – with something to suit every home. Fast becoming the most popular plant of Christmastime, poinsettia makes the perfect gift to your holiday host or seasonal touch to your space.
Symbolise: Good cheer and celebration
Seasonality: Poinsettia is in full colour from Thanksgiving through to Christmas, and often until Valentine's Day.
