UNITED STATES—Christmas trees are extreme cut foliage. They grow on farms like cut foliage that florists use, but are entire trees! Although most fit under household ceilings, some within public venues are famously grand. Nonetheless, they are ultimately as disposable as any other cut foliage. Eventually, after their Christmas season, they become common greenwaste.
Other cut foliage is also popular as home decor through the Christmas season. Much of it is from the same sorts of coniferous trees that become Christmas trees. Almost all of it is evergreen, since deciduous vegetation is already defoliating. A few deciduous stems with colorful bark, such as red twig dogwood, are nice too. So are colorful winter berries.
Cut foliage is more practical as wintry decor within climates with cooler winter weather. Not much blooms during such weather. However, because of this same wintry weather, people prefer to be inside. While inside, they appreciate the color, texture, and perhaps aroma of cut foliage. Locally, such foliar decor for winter is more traditional than practical.
The most traditional foliar decor of Christmas is not Californian.
Actually, the most traditional cut foliage of Christmas is uncommon within local gardens. Scraps from the lowest branches of Christmas trees are a good source of minor bits of it. Premade wreaths and garland include a few types that are otherwise unobtainable here. Improvisation is necessary to create wreaths and garlands from locally available foliage.
Only a few of the few blue spruce that live here grow large enough to share many stems. Their best foliar growth is also their most important structural growth. Removal of it might cause minor disfigurement. Other spruce, as well as various fir, are very rare within home gardens. So is Eastern white pine, although a few other pines are notably common here.
Atlas cedar, Deodar cedar, various cypress and various juniper are also rather common. A few sorts of holly are uncommon but not rare, but they produce only a few berries here. Holly olive may be more common, and resembles English holly, but produces no berries. Southern magnolia is a strikingly untraditional cut foliage, but becomes fragile as it dries.
Highlight: Holly Olive
English holly provides traditional cut foliage, preferably with a few berries, for Christmas. It is annoyingly prickly, though. This is why holly olive, Osmanthus heterophyllus, is now a more docile option. Its foliar texture is very similar, but with slightly dulled foliar spines. It is gentle enough for corsages and boutonnieres. However, it generates no red berries.
Holly olive is popular as small and perhaps decorated potted plants for Christmas decor. Afterwards, it adapts to home gardens more efficiently than typical Holiday potted plants. Such potted plants should not retain any mylar wrapping for too long. It inhibits drainage. Also, any small decorations or fake berries should not remain as stems eventually grow.
Most popular cultivars of holly olive are variegated. ‘Goshiki’, with more yellow or creamy white blotches than green, is the most popular here. Unvariegated holly olive is a classic dark drab green. All cultivars work splendidly as formal hedges. Alternatively, they might slowly grow taller than 15 feet. The evergreen foliage becomes less spiny higher up. Tiny flowers are sweetly fragrant.
Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.
