Beautiful gardens do not just appear in spring, summer and fall. Winter can also provide a ton of beauty through texture, color and structure.
When choosing plants for winter interest, consider the following:
• Branch structure and bark
• Flowers (fresh & dried) and buds
• Berries and seeds
• Foliage colors and textures
Here are some of our favorites, try adding one or a grouping of several to your garden.
Bark/Branching
Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum)
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum)
Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’)
River Birch (Betula nigra)
Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Colored-Twig Dogwoods (cornus)
Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick
(corylus avellana ‘Contorta’)
European Beech (Fagus sylatica)
Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica)
Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia psuedocamelia)
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus)
Berries/Seeding
Beautyberry (Callicarpa)
Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Holly (Ilex spp)
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
Flowers/Buds/Dried Flowers
Camellia
Witchhazel (Hamamelis)
Big Leaf Hydrangea (H. macrophylla)
Panicle Hydrangea (H. paniculata)
Climbing Hydrangea (H. petiolaris)
Southern Magnolia (M. grandiflora)
Japanese Pieris (Pieris japonica)
Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica)
Foliage (Standouts)
Japanese Aucuba (Aucuba japonica)
Camellia
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
Magnolia (Magnolia spp)
Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia)
Oregon Grapeholly (Mahonia spp.)
False Holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus)
Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)
Hinoki Falsecypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)
Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Gluaca’)
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodora)
Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens)
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora ‘Glauca’)
Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii)
Japanese Pieris (Pieris japonica)
Leucothoe