Winter can seem bleak and colorless in the garden, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Certain shrubs can provide colorful flowers, fragrance, fruit, and foliage to give your landscape charm and interest during the cold months. With a bit of planning, you can have a vibrant, appealing winter garden.
Colorful Winter Blooms
While most shrubs flower in spring and summer there are some varieties that bloom in late fall winter, or early spring when little else is in flower. The sight and scent of unexpected blossoms help beat the winter blahs.
Popular winter-blooming shrubs include
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Witch hazel – Delicate, spider-like yellow blooms emit a sweet fragrance in late fall and winter.
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Winter honeysuckle – Clusters of white or yellow, intensely fragrant flowers appear from November to March.
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Winter jasmine – Bright yellow flowers blanket arching branches in late winter and early spring.
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Winter daphne – Sweetly scented pink or white tubular flowers bloom in late winter on this compact shrub.
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Viburnum x bodantense ‘Dawn’ – Pink, aromatic flowers open in late winter on this medium-sized beauty.
Fantastic Winter Foliage
Evergreen shrubs keep their leaves year-round, while shrubs with colorful twigs and bark shine once leaves have dropped. Mix evergreens with plants valued for their winter stems and branches.
Top picks include:
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Boxwood – Retains rich green foliage through winter, providing structure and texture.
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Japanese plum yew – Feathery, flattened needles emerge lime green before darkening.
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Red twig dogwood – Striking red stems stand out against the snow once leaves fall.
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Harry Lauder’s walking stick – Contorted, twisted stems add whimsical interest all winter.
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Paperbush – Tan, exfoliating bark decorates this large shrub when leaves are gone.
Fruity Winter Accents
Plants with colorful berries create eye-catching spots of color from fall into winter. The fruit also attracts birds to the garden.
Some top fruiting shrubs include:
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Winterberry – Brilliant red berries on bare deciduous branches light up the winter landscape.
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Red chokeberry- Clusters of glossy red fruit persist into winter on this medium-sized, suckering shrub.
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Blue holly – A female needs a male pollinator to produce abundant blue-purple berries lasting into winter.
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Firethorn – Orange to red berries cling to spiny evergreen foliage on this tough, versatile shrub.
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American cranberrybush – Showy red fruit on upswept branches brighten shady areas.
Designing With Winter Shrubs
When planning your winter garden, include a combination of shrubs with multi-season appeal. Evergreens provide year-round structure while shrubs with winter flowers, fruit, and bark keep the landscape lively. Plant colorful stems in prominent spots where they can dazzle. Site winter-blooming plants near entries and patios where their flowers and fragrance can be appreciated. Fruited shrubs are ideal for naturalizing in part shade or open areas. With thoughtful plant choices, your garden can shine just as brightly in the winter as it does in the summer!
What Are Winter Interest Shrubs?
The definition of a Winter Interest Shrub is simple. This category comprises a variety of shrubs and bushes that attract attention during the winter in colder climates.
These deciduous plants shed their leaves as temps drop, but that doesn’t mean they’ll blend into the drab winter landscape of gray and brown trunks and branches. Even though these plants may blend into the landscape when everything else is lush and green, they display a striking or unique form that catches the eye when your other plants await spring’s awakening.
Bushes & Shrubs with Standout Winter Style
The shrubs we like for winter interest may have irregular branching or colorful stems, such as the red twigged dogwood (Cornus) family. Burning bush shrubs (Euonymus altus) create an architectural appeal as the wings or ridges surround the stems in a vividly textured display. Evergreen shrubs are specifically planted in landscapes to provide a relief from winter’s endless expanse of gray and white. The various greens, blues and other shades of the evergreen foliage stand out in the cold and keep your yard from being just another colorless location.
One of the most widely used winter interest bushes that makes an impression is the holly (Ilex) group. We carry several types of holly bushes, and each exhibits bright shiny green leaves and contrasting red berries in a variety of shapes and sizes to decorate any cold-weather scene. Junipers are another good choice for enlivening your winter garden, as some may change shades or colors in various seasons. They are available in a wide range of sizes and plant forms as well. If you want your landscape to glow during all seasons, try the flowering evergreen rhododendron plants. You can improve the aesthetic appearance of a lifeless, gray-brown area with our variety of winter interest shrubs!
Five Plants for Winter Interest! ❄️// Garden Answer
FAQ
What are the best shrubs for winter?
Some of the most common evergreen shrubs include arborvitae, boxwood, false cypress, holly, juniper, wintercreeper, azalea and rhododendron.
What shrubs stay colorful all year?
- Barberry.
- Camellias.
- Dogwood Shrubs.
- Euonymus.
- Forsythia.
- Nandina.
- Pyracantha.
- Smoke Trees.
What is the lowest maintenance shrub?
- Funshine® abelia. Photo: Proven Winners. …
- Pearl Glam® beautyberry. Photo: Proven Winners. …
- Sprinter® boxwood. Photo: Proven Winners. …
- Photo: VDB Studios / Shutterstock. …
- Photo: Lijuan Guo / Shutterstock. …
- Flying Machine® forsythia. …
- Legend of the Fall® fothergilla. …
- Castle Wall® blue holly.
What plant thrives in winter?
Boxwoods are a popular evergreen shrub for winter gardens. Use them for hedges, borders, and in formal gardens. North Star is cold hardy and maintains good color all winter long.
What shrubs are best for winter?
Like sunny summers, mellow winters have their own special charm! And the time is ripe to give your garden a cool-season makeover. With colorful foliage, fragrant blooms, and luscious berries, here are the best shrubs to plant for winter interest! 1. Blue Holly 2. American Cranberry Bush 3. Japanese Camellia 4. Firethorn 5. Inkberry Holly 6.
What plants grow well in winter?
One shrub that will still flower in winter is witch hazel. What perennial plants grow well in the cold? Perennials such as winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) and Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) grow well and can even bloom in the cold. Grow colorful winter shrubs to give the yard visual interest during the cold months.
What are winter flowering shrubs?
These Winter Flowering Shrubs can make your monotonous garden interesting! You can also grow most of them in containers! These Winter Flowering Shrubs with their unusual textures, foliage, colors, fragrance, and flowers can beautify your garden. Some even decorate themselves with bright and vibrant berries. 1. Scarlet Firethorn 2. Wintersweet 3.
What trees bloom in winter?
Higan Cherry (Winter Flowering Cherry) This small tree-like shrub can grow up to 20-30 feet tall. It blooms in fall, winter, or spring, depending on the climate. Flowers change from deep pink to pale pink with time. 4. Arrowwood ‘Dawn’ It is a deciduous shrub with uniquely shaped oval leaves.
What can you add to your winter landscape with the suggested shrubs?
Add interest to your winter landscape with shrubs offering everything from showy berries to colorful foliage and fine textures. Better Homes & Gardens is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Why should you plant shrubs in winter?
Winter has a beauty all its own, especially when you include plants with eye-catching features during the colder months. These shrubs offer outstanding interest with their fragrant blooms, bright berries, colorful foliage, and unusual bark. Planting shrubs in winter adds interest to your landscape and provides visual appeal during the colder months.