Get rid of that tired old tree!

Expert ideas for fresh alternatives to the ubiquitous pine Do you dread Christmas tree needles dropping all over the floor every year? Do you live in a small flat and don't have room for a big spruce or pine tree - but you do want a fresh living decoration in your home? Do you fancy a change from the usual this winter?

Who says you have to have a Christmas tree in the home every festive season anyway? Fashion and style icons the world over get their reputation from setting trends, not following them.

Instead of settling for a sad-looking plastic or tinsel decoration, why not opt for beautiful houseplants as the perfect alternative to a Christmas tree?

The Flowers & Plants Association has come to the rescue with suggestions of the ideal plant for you, and what is important to you and your loved ones this season – whether you are traditional or modern, looking for style or scent, green-minded, or dreaming of warmer climes.

Fashionable

If you are someone who updates (or even replaces!) their wardrobe and interior every season, then you need a plant that is going to look fresh, unique, and fashionable.

Indoor conifers are the perfect Christmas tree replacement for you - they are a unique twist on tradition, with a refreshing citrus green colour.

The most fashionable variety has literally been given a modern twist, with a funky spiral shape that's sure to impress!

Give it a Christmassy look with a twirl of sparkly lights - and perhaps a fairy dressed in the latest style, perched on top.

Other fashionable, funky plants: Nertera (with clusters of tiny berries), potted chrysanthemum blooms

Traditional

"But it's just not Christmas without a Christmas Tree!" we hear you cry. Never fear, for Poinsettias are here!

With their naturally festive traditional colouring of red and green (or white, pink, salmon, yellow, cream or patterned and green if you fancy a change) they perfectly enhance traditional settings and take up very little room (although if you want a large-size plant these can be found too). Tiny ones make very cute table-centres and mantelpiece decorations.

And if you simply cannot abide the thought of not having a tree, why not try a poinsettia tree instead? Perfect to place presents under and decorate with shiny baubles!

Other plants to enhance your look: easy-care ivies, amaryllis

Modern

If you like clean lines and an interior with impact, try orchids as your Christmas tree antidote.

Moth or Phalaenopsis orchids have been one of the most popular houseplants in the UK in past years, but to bring a hint of seasonality to your indoor space, try a Cymbidium orchid plant instead, which come in a huge range of colours including Christmassy red, citrus green, and snowy white.

You can buy them from October, and the blooms will last for months, bringing colour and beauty right through to the New Year.

Other plants to enhance your look: Clivia (like a mini amaryllis but bright orange with glossy leaves), Christmas Cactus

Tropical

Not all of us come from climates where it is cold if you are lucky enough to be from one of these nations, you can recreate a typical Christmas from home with tropical plants like Birds of Paradise (strelitzia).

And if you hate the bitter, wet UK winter weather, you can bring some colour and tropical fun into your home with a bright Bird of Paradise at Christmastime and dream of faraway beaches, jungles and fun in the sun.

Other plants for a tropical Christmas paradise: bromeliads, anthuriums

Seasonal scents

If the warm smell of vanilla is synonymous with Christmas for you, then winter flowering jasmine has a sweet, warm fragrance that is perfect for your home. Better still, the plant brings 24-hour round natural scent - with no need for synthetic, chemical-laden sprays.

The pretty, starry flowers look like tiny blinking fairy lights, and you can even buy jasmine trees for a feminine daintier alternative to a bulky Christmas tree.

Other gorgeous plants to fill you home with scent: hyacinth, stephanotis (like a bigger-flowered version of jasmine)

Eco

If you want something more permanent than Christmas Trees, but just as big and impressive, then palms are for you.

Lasting so long they will become one of the family, you can recycle it for use as a Christmas tree every year.

In wintertime it needs watering only every two weeks, so you have more time to enjoy your festivities!

Palms are also great for the eco-conscious because they remove toxic chemicals from the air emitted from electrical equipment, household sprays, furnishing and carpets.

Other plants that remove toxins and are long-lasting: Dragon Tree (dracaena), Yuccas