5 November 2024
The best plants and flowers for a Christmas wreath
Expert advice on which plants to pick and dry for Christmas.
Want to make your own DIY Christmas wreath but don’t know where to start? Or are you looking for mindful things to do this autumn? Learning about the best flowers to dry for Christmas crafts is a perfect way solution as the evenings grow shorter.
All you will need is some secateurs, a cool, dark room, some string and a jar. Remember to always ask permission to forage unless you’re using plants from your own garden, and please don’t pick plants at Kew Gardens or Wakehurst.
Oak (Quercus robur)
Collect from September to November
Coming from one of the most iconic trees in the UK, oak leaves make for a perfect addition to a Christmas wreath. Leaves can be gathered early November, when dry, and added to your crafting collection. You can also collect acorns as well. Once gathered, be sure to lightly rinse them, allow them to dry, and then bake them in the oven with the door ajar at a low temperature for around 2 hours. This will reduce the risks of pests making it into your wreath!
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Collect from October through December
If you’re willing to handle the spikes, holly can bring a spot of vibrant colour to a dried wreath. To collect it, cut the branches diagonally and lightly crush the ends before placing into water, as you would flowers.
If you won't be immediately making your wreath, store the leaves and branches in a plastic bag and keep at a cool temperature. If you want your holly to look best in a Christmas wreath, it's best to collect your holly a week before you want to display it.
Nigella sativa
Collect from August to November
Nigella, or love-in-a-mist, is an easy, annual cut flower to grow and its seed heads give a great contrast to flowers in arrangements. Allow the seed pods to form and cut them at ground level when the pods still look bright and are firm to the touch. As they dry, they may break open and drop seeds, so be sure to put something under them to catch the seeds so you can sow more plants next year (and make tidying up easier!). No need to hang nigella upside down to dry: these seed heads will happily finish drying while standing in a dry vase.
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Collect from October
The coppery-golden leaves from common beech make a great contrast to the more muted tones of dried flowers in dried Christmas arrangements.
Cut the stems when the leaves have turned the colour you like, and store upright in a vase with plenty of ventilation so that any remaining moisture is removed. Even though beech trees are deciduous, dropping their leaves each autumn, the leaves often stay on the plant until spring through a process called “marcescence”. This means that there is a wide window towards the end of the year to collect material for arranging!
Willow (Salix)
Collect late November through February
Willow branches have been a popular crafting material for hundreds of years, so are the perfect choice for a Christmas wreath.
Once you have collected your branches, you’ll want to use a knife to remove any leaves or excess bark, then soak them in water for at least a day to soften them. This makes the branches more flexible, so they can be bent into different shapes. After soaking, let the branches dry, and they are ready to be added to your wreath.
How to make a Christmas wreath
Once your plants are dry, watch our video guide How to make a Christmas wreath to learn how to create your own, handmade decoration.
If you love a Christmas craft project, learn how to make a festive lantern using sticks, paper and glue. At Wakehurst, our wild botanic garden in Sussex, we use these handcrafted lanterns every year for our award-winning Christmas light trail Glow Wild.
Wakehurst's magical Christmas light trail returns for 2024
To experience our own magical Christmas artworks, visit Wakehurst’s Glow Wild 2024. Between 28 November 2024 and 1 January 2025, the garden is transformed into an illuminated wonderland, inspired by the hidden world of trees. Escape to over a mile of light installations, handcrafted by leading artists. Discover the iconic Christmas tree, giant flying owl, and fiery dragon, all surrounded by a thousand lanterns.
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