Plants to Consider for Your Winter Interest Garden
Deciduous Shrubs
- Hamamelis mollis (Witch Hazel); Late winter flowers. Good fall color
- Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter Jasmine); Yellow forsythia-like flowers in late winter
- Cornus bailyei (Red Twig Dogwood); Bright red winter stems
- Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Harry Lauders Walking Stick); Wonderful contorted twigs and branches, nice catkins
- Cytisus scoparius (Scotch Broom); Upright green branches. Blooms in a variety of colors in spring
- Calluna vulgaris (Spring Heather); Low growing evergreen. Blooms in late winter in shades of pink and white
- Celastrus scandens (American Bittersweet); Rare, native and not invasive. Fruits are at the tips of branches. Need a male and female to have berries. Do not confuse this variety with the invasive Chinese variety C. orbiculatus.
- Ilex verticillata (Winterberry Holly); Female plants have showy red berries on branches in winter. Need male and female to have berries. Tolerates wet soil and partial shade.
Evergreen Shrubs
- Pieris japonica; Flowerbuds in fall and winter. White flowers in spring. Has reddish new growth.
- Chaemacyparis pisifera filifera (Gold Mop Cypress); Bright gold color all year
- Mahonia bealei ( Leatherleaf Mahonia); Yellow blooms in late winter followed by blue berries in spring which birds love.
- Prunus laurocerasus ( Cherry Laurel); Shiny evergreen foliage
- Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo); Red-green foliage in winter. Red clusters of berries.
- Aucuba japonica (Japanese Aucuba); Large splashy gold variegated leaves. Needs shade and protection against wind.
- Pyracantha coccinea (Scarlet Firehorn); Clusters of bright orange-red berries.
- Berberis julianae (Wintergreen Barberry)
Don't forget pines, hollies and spruces
Deciduous Trees
- Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' (Crape Myrtle); Exfoliating cinnamon colored bark. Wonderful branch structure.
- Betula Nigra 'Heritage' (River Birch); Graceful silhouette. Beautiful exfoliating bark.
- Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple); Wonderful bark and branch structure
- Platanus acerifolia (London Plane Tree); This tree is a hybrid of the American Sycamore. It has ghostly white bark with large exfoliating patches
- Cornus florida (Eastern Dogwood); Attractive grey bark. Wonderful silhouette.
Perennials/Ferns/Grasses
- Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose); Long lasting blooms from Feb-March in shades of white, cream, pink, and burgundy. Has glossy evergreen foliage. Plant in shade. Deer resistant.
- Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen); Evergreen leaves, red, edible berries. Low growing ground cover for shade.
- Tiarella (Foamflower); Evergreen, attractive foliage, spring flowers, spreads rapidly, groundcover in shade
- Ferns: the following varieties are usually evergreen in this area
- Dryopteris marginalis (Evergreen Wood)
- Dryopteris atrata (Shaggy Shield)
- Dryopteris erthysora (Autumn)
- Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas)
- Ajuga 'Jungle Beauty'; Groundcover with wonderful winter color
- Pennisetum 'Hameln'; Deer resistant grass for full sun. Has wonderful winter stems.
- Miscanthus 'Purpurescens'; Beautiful red fall color
- Santolina spp. (Lavender Cotton); Evergreen with gray green foliage and yellow flowers in May.
Return to Plan Now for a Winter Interest Garden Next Year
