10 best types of fresh greenery for holiday decorating

Decking the halls with fresh greenery is earth-friendly and easy on the wallet. Here are colorful and long-lasting fresh greenery that can be used to decorate.

Pine

Many species of pine trees are native to North America, like white pines, red pines and longleaf pines. If you hike in the woods, you can forage a few pine branches to decorate your mantel. You can also use pine branches to make kissing balls and wreaths.

One of the perks of pines is that they have relatively soft needles, so they're easy to work with, and they have a strong scent that makes a home smell like the holidays.

Fir

Firs are some of the most fragrant evergreens to use for holiday decorating. When purchasing a live Christmas tree at a local tree farm, ask to keep the lower branches, which are often trimmed away. You can also forage for branches from native firs, like Douglas and Fraser firs, and use the branches to make wreaths and centerpieces for your holiday table.

Holly

The most popular holly to grow in landscapes is the common holly, which is a European species, but there's also American holly, which is just as stunning in holiday container arrangements. Holly shrubs boast glossy leaves that add interest and texture to wreaths and floral arrangements, but most people cherish hollies for their bright red berries.

Cedar and cypress

Both cedar and cypress branches make stately additions to holiday arrangements, and many of these trees emit a pleasant fragrance that adds festive cheer to your home.

Juniper

Several species of juniper plants are native to North America; you can find them growing in many backyard gardens. When cut, juniper branches will perfume your home with their rich and spicy scent, but these plants are most prized for their attractive, dark blue berries. Juniper branches can be spread along mantelpieces, gathered into kissing balls, tied into garlands, or used as wreath accents.

Hemlock

Hemlocks are easy to find in the North American woods, but they're often grown in gardens, too. Compared to pines, hemlocks usually have shorter needles, making them easier to work into kissing balls, and their soft needles won't prick your fingers when you're crafting with them. For more options, you can use hemlock cones as holiday accents or glue mini ornament hooks to them and hang them on your Christmas tree.

Spruce

Spruce trees are often sold as Christmas trees, but you can also find them growing wild in North America. Most people are familiar with the showy blue spruce, which sports bright, bluish-green needles, but you can also find white, black, and red spruce trees. Spruce tree branches are sturdy enough for wreath-making, and they also look lovely in a vase, but spruce needles are rather prickly, so wear gloves when handling them.

Winterberry

Winterberry is a type of holly commonly grown as a winter interest garden plant. Unlike other hollies, winterberry loses its leaves in winter, but its bright red berries stay put and provide an important food source for birds in winter. Place winterberry branches in a vase to create a minimalist holiday display, or weave them into your Christmas tree for an extra color accent.

Rosehips

Rosehips aren't traditionally used for holiday decor, but their bright red color makes them festive. Many birds rely on rosehips for food during the winter, so don't harvest more than one-tenth of the rosehips you see so that wildlife can nibble on them. Like winterberries, rosehips can be placed in vases or woven into Christmas trees.

Some roses are invasive, so don't drop any hips while gathering them. And burn or bag them when you're ready to dispose of the hips.