Designers love styling these branches during the winter – they're super low-maintenance and so chic

Decorating your home in winter, using foliage, can open up so many design possibilities and opportunities

Winter decor ideas don't have to be limited to evergreen branches. While these are often used around this time of year to create classic green Christmas wreaths and Christmas garlands, there are many other fall foliage ideas that will create an entirely different look. 

Rosehip branches are perhaps a less commonly used foliage, and yet they're an excellent choice for winter decor, featuring delicate branches with festive red berries. Expert designer Ines Kelly Mazzotta, Principal Designer at Kelly Hopter Interiors proves just that, opting to style these delicate branches in her home decor ideas to create an understated and rustic look. 

We spoke to Ines to learn more about rosehip branches and how you can style them throughout the colder months for an endlessly chic display – with minimal maintenance required. 

'Rosehip Corallo Erecta branches are a winter styling staple,' says Ines. 'They are extremely easy to work with, very impactful and last a long time. They are pretty widely available in floral shops starting in early to mid-fall and into the winter.'

'They usually come in bunches of three or so stems, so one bunch is usually all you need for an effortless arrangement. You just drop them into the right vase and they virtually arrange themselves,' says Ines. 

When choosing the correct vase to display your rosehip branches in, Ines advises there's a specific shape you should opt for. 'As with most tall branches, you want a vase that is relatively tall and has a narrow neck. The neck controls the spread of the branches. Ideally, the vase widens towards the bottom. This way, branches have enough room to sit at an angle. This allows the crowns to "flare out” nicely.'

Unlike some other types of foliage, Rosehip branches have the advantage of lasting for months, and there's very little you need to do to keep them looking fresh. 'The best part is that they last a really long time,' explains Ines. 'I usually get mine in November and they last well into the winter. I just refill the vase with water and periodically trim the white roots that grow in the water but that’s about it.'

While these branches are guaranteed to look good for a long time without much upkeep, Homes & Garden's head of gardens Rachel Bull provides some additional tips to ensure your branches look as good as possible. 

'To keep your rosehip display looking lush for as long as possible, change the water in your vase and re-cut the stems every three days. This encourages water uptake into the stems, which will keep the berries plump and healthy.'

Rachel Bull

Rachel is a gardening writer, flower grower and floral designer. Her journalism career began 15 years ago on Country Living magazine, sparking a love of container gardening and wild planting. After more than a decade writing for and editing a range of consumer, business and special interest titles, Rachel became editor of floral art magazine The Flower Arranger. She then trained and worked as a floral designer and stylist in London for six years, and has created floral installations at iconic London venues including Kew Gardens, the Barbican and Peckham's Asylum Chapel.

Rachel adds that it's best to avoid positioning your branches in particularly hot areas of the home. 'If possible, try to avoid placing your display close to a heat source, such as a radiator or wood burner, as this may lead to your berries drying out faster. They will naturally change in your display in color and form as time passes, but this is all part of their charm.'

Feeling inspired to elevate your home this winter by decorating with foliage? Rosehip branches are so easy to style and the subtle red tones create the perfect fall color scheme. While it's best to shop for your rosehip branches at a florist, you can shop the vases below to display them. Or, you can shop the faux branch alternative to create a similar look.