What Dried Plants Can Be Used for Outside Decor?

Dried Vines, Flowers and Foliage

• Dried vines and flowering shrubs are readily available at craft stores and commonly used in outdoor decor items. Grapevines and hop vines form sturdy bases for wreaths, swags and garlands. You can decorate vine bases with dried roses, hydrangeas, strawflower, thistle, lavender and sunflowers, to name a few. Leaves of money plants, sage plants, maple trees and grape vines are appropriate fillers for any outdoor arrangement.

Dried Grasses, Fruits and Herbs

• Decorative grasses enhance autumn and winter arrangements. Wheat, moor grass and feather reed add color, texture and movement to your decor. You can use these materials in urns, wreaths, swags and baskets. You can also bundle large stalks of wheat to stand near an entrance or fill a corner of an outdoor living area. Garlands of dried fruits and herbs, such as berries, apples, lemons, oranges, pumpkins, marjoram and rosemary, provide attractive and fragrant designs for outdoor areas. Large pumpkins and gourds make stunning displays on a front porch and staircase when nestled with cinnamon brooms and beds of dried leaves.

Dried Branches, Pods and Cones

• Dried branches, pods and cones are durable materials for outdoor decor. Milkweed pods, pinecones, eucalyptus branches, poppy seed heads and nigella seed heads lend a rustic touch to outdoor arrangements. You can use these materials in wreaths and swags or place a variety of them in a basket on your porch.

Preserved Plants

• Preserved plants are similar to dried material in that they are long-lasting plants. Preserved trees and flowers retain their original color and softness. They are as or more durable than dried materials and can give the illusion of evergreen plants in the middle of the winter months. Trees such as palm, pine, juniper, poplar and pitosporum look nice in large urns around a doorway or in a corner. Flowers like rose, hydrangea, calla lily, orchids and gardenias are also available as preserved materials for floral decor.