Potted Christmas trees — living, to replant after the holidays

A potted Christmas tree is a living tree, roots and all, that decorates your home over the festive season and then carries on growing outdoors. No cut tree to throw away in January: after Christmas, it moves to a balcony, a terrace or the garden, and can be used again the following winter. From the 45 cm mini tabletop tree to the large 110 cm size, our spruces are hardy conifers that are easy to keep from one year to the next.

Fir or spruce: what's the difference?

Christmas trees sold in pots are most often spruces (Picea), not true firs (Abies). You can recognise them by their short, prickly needles, attached one by one to the shoot, and by their naturally even conical shape. It is exactly the image of the traditional Christmas tree, and several compact varieties are very well suited to growing in pots.

Our varieties

• Picea glauca 'Conica' (dwarf Alberta spruce): a dense, even cone, fine soft-green needles and very slow growth. It is the tabletop and balcony Christmas tree par excellence.
• Picea glauca 'Sander's Blue': the bluish version of Conica, with the same compact shape and blue-grey foliage.
• Picea omorika (Serbian spruce): a slender, narrow silhouette, with dark green needles that are silvery underneath.
• Picea pungens 'Glauca' (Colorado blue spruce): stiff silvery-blue needles and a conical habit. It is the most decorative blue in the range.

Sizes and presentation

The trees come in several heights: 45 cm for a table or sideboard, up to 110 cm for a hallway or living room. Some are delivered ready to give, in a zinc pot, a basket or a jute bag. Sets of 2 or 4 let you frame a front door or line up a row on a windowsill. It is a seasonal gift that lasts well beyond the holidays, also found in our plant gift ideas.

Keeping your tree in top shape over the holidays

A living conifer does not like the warmth of heated homes. Limit its time indoors to 10 to 15 days, in the coolest and brightest room possible, away from radiators and the fireplace. Keep the root ball slightly moist at all times, checking it every 2 to 3 days. Choose LED lights, which give off little heat.

After Christmas: a second life outdoors

After the holidays, get it used to the cold again gradually: a few days in a sheltered, unheated spot (conservatory, bright garage, entrance hall), then outdoors. Very hardy, spruces are among the cold- and frost-hardy plants. You can keep it in its pot to decorate balconies and terraces all year round and bring it back indoors next Christmas. You can also plant it in the garden in spring, in cool, well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade.