10 award-winning (AGM) Christmas greenery plants to grow

It used to be that the only option for holiday greenery in the home was the Christmas tree, along with holly and ivy. Now everything’s changed – and very much for the better.

Today, an increasing range of attractive evergreen alternatives for decorative foliage is available for use in wreaths, table decorations and long-lasting seasonal arrangements. The great thing about many of these alternatives is that you can grow them yourself at home. Here are 10 options, all winners of the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Winter heathers

It’s impossible to ignore the bright green foliage and pure white flowers of ‘White Perfection’

More lime-tolerant than other heathers, winter heathers come in a range of foliage colours and with reddish, pink or white flowers. There are more varieties of Erica carnea, but Erica × darleyensis is taller, with longer stems that intertwine more effectively into wreaths. Erica × darleyensis f. albiflora ‘White Perfection’ has clusters of white winter flowers like the first snowflakes. Height 45cm (18in). Hardiness rating H5.

Sharply shaped

This is a spreading, mat-forming cultivar of Euonymus but can also climb when given support

Each dark green leaf of Euonymus fortunei ‘Wolong Ghost’ is shaped like a dagger and features a ghostly white band along the midrib, accented by spidery white veins. Carried on extending shoots that provide excellent ground cover, ‘Wolong Ghost’ will also climb, clinging by aerial roots. Its long branches are ideal for weaving into wreaths. Height 30cm (12in). Hardiness rating H5.

Edged in gold

This Euonymus shrub occasionally produces small flowers and pink fruits

Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’ has a densely packed, upright growth. It features rich, glossy green foliage, with each leaf edged in irregular gold, brightest on the younger growth. Plant in a sunny spot to promote the best colour. Not the most vigorous, but adds sunny sparks to Christmas wreaths. Height 1.2m (4ft). Hardiness rating H5.

Fresh and bright

Griselinia littoralis is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with light-green, oval leaves

The rounded foliage of Griselinia littoralis has a clean, glossy appearance, noticeably paler and shiner than holly’s deep green colouring, making the two a very effective combination when blended. Height 3m (10ft). Hardiness rating H5.

The variety Griselinia littoralis ‘Variegata’ features the addition of creamy or pale yellowish margins to its foliage. However, it is less vigorous and slightly less hardy, growing to 1.8m (6ft). Hardiness rating H4.

Colourful ivy

This ivy makes a good houseplant or it’s ideal for covering a low wall

You might have pulled some wild ivy from a fence or a tree trunk to help fill out your Christmas greenery – and it works well. But, like wild holly, its leaves are very dark.

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

Winter blues

If you want your ‘Hoopsii’ to look elegant, plant it in an out-of-the-way spot

The blue needles of this dwarf form of the Colorado spruce – Picea pungens (Glauca Group) ‘Hoopsi’ – offer a bright, refreshing contrast to darker shades, adding a touch of light to wreaths and table centrepieces. Avoid dense dwarf varieties such as Picea pungens (Glauca Group) ‘Globosa’, as they just don’t produce enough growth. Also, don’t expect your ‘Hoopsii’ to look elegant if you cut off branches every Christmas, so it’s best to plant in an out-of-the-way spot. Height 2.5m (8ft). Hardiness rating H7.

Holly with a difference

Small, white male flowers appear in late spring, ideal for pollinating female cultivars

The few holly varieties without spines are often recommended, for obvious reasons, but Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’ goes the other way. Exceptionally spiny – with spines even growing out of the blades of its leaves – it features purple stems, cream-edged leaves and a mass of spines. Intriguing and effective, but produces no berries. Height up to 8m (26ft), but can be pruned to keep it much smaller. Hardiness rating H6.

Christmas pine

‘Gold Coin’ will give good winter colour to your decorations

Planting a pine for Christmas greenery may seem surprising, but it can be a valuable addition to your palette of seasonal decorations. Pinus sylvestris ‘Gold Coin’ is a slow-growing evergreen shrub with an irregular, rounded habit and bright, light-yellow foliage. Cutting boughs for Christmas will not improve its shape, so choose its planting site carefully. Height to 1.5 m (5ft). Hardiness rating H7.

Silver charmer

Rounded, wavy-margined leaves are mottled between the veins with white

Fragrant deep purple flowers are produced rather sparsely from late spring

The combination of small, neat foliage splashed with cream, held on slender but stiff shoots, plus a tolerance of pruning, makes Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Irene Paterson’ an ideal shrub for garden use and for cutting for indoor arrangements. Its vigour, kept in check by regular pruning, often develops a pink tinge at this time of year. Height 2.5m (8ft), Hardiness rating H4.

Longest lasting evergreen

A compact, dwarf cultivar with red berries that show from late summer

Ruscus aculeatus is likely the longest-lasting evergreen when cut, maintaining its appearance for weeks even without water. The variety Ruscus aculeatus ‘John Redmond’ has the bonus of producing bright red berries without the need of a separate male plant, unlike most other forms. This

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.