Planting for Winter Interest

I used to hate winter. Any day that wasn’t warm and sunny was a wasted opportunity to be outdoors, planting, transplanting and enjoying the sight of hundreds of flowers and the many shades of green a garden provides. Now, I’m older and wiser. I’m also willing to admit I need a break. I find myself looking forward to that time of year when the garden rests and so do I. I’ve learned, though, that winter doesn’t have to be a dreary time of year. Some thoughtful plant selection can produce a winter landscape that is beautiful and exciting. There are many ways in which plants and trees can add interest to the winter landscape.

Evergreen conifers add color, texture, and architectural drama. They vary in size, shape and in the texture of their foliage. They may be tall, shrubby or weeping. They may have needle-type foliage like pine, spruce, fir, or hemlock, or have scale-like foliage like juniper and arborvitae. In contrast to the conifers, there are broad-leafed evergreens like Mexican abelia, Abelia floribunda, a shrub with a graceful, arching habit. It ranges in size up to 10 ft tall but is usually shorter. This abelia is often in full bloom in January.

Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo, is another broadleaf evergreen tree or shrub. It grows to 8-35 feet with equal spread. It has red-brown shredding bark, dark green red-stemmed leaves, clusters of small urn-shaped flowers, and round red fruits that resemble strawberries. Both flowers and fruits may appear at the same time in fall and winter.

Boxwood, or Buxus, hybrids hold their green color well throughout winter. They are cold -hardy, grow from 3-5 ft high, 3-4 ft wide and need little pruning.

Mahonia aquifolium, or Oregon grape, is a bushy evergreen that grows to 6 ft high with a 5 ft spread. Scattered mature red leaves remain throughout the year. Leaves turn purple or bronze in winter. Yellow flowers appear in late winter, followed by edible blue-black grape-like fruit.

In the leafless season, deciduous trees get a chance to show off branch structure, bark patterns, and stem color. The branches of Cornus nuttallii, Pacific or Western dogwood, grow in an attractive horizontal pattern. Cornus stolonifera, Redtwig dogwood, has bright red twigs. Severe pruning encourages new branches and twigs for winter display. Cornus stolonifera „Flaviramea‟ produces yellow twigs and branches. Another tree notable for its coral red twigs and branches in winter is the Coral Bark Maple, Acer palmatum „Sango Kaku‟. In winter we can especially appreciate the lovely bark of Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, as well as Lacebark Elm, Ulmus parvifolia, and River Birch, Betula nigra. Not only is it a nice color, the bark of the River Birch flakes and curls in cinnamon-colored sheets. Paperbark Maple, Acer griseum, is another tree that sheds its bark in long, thin sheets.

Not until its leaves have fallen can we appreciate the twisted branches of Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, Corylus avellana ‘Contorta.’ This deciduous shrub can reach 8-10 ft tall and wide. Flowering Cherry, Prunus subhirtella „Autumnalis‟, is a 25-30 ft tall tree with pinkish-white flowers that often appear during warm spells in January.

For winter flowers, Camellia japonica tops the list. Choose this 6-12 ft tall tree according to its bloom season, early, mid or late. Witch hazel, Hamamelis intermedia, is a large deciduous shrub that flowers from December to March in shades of red, yellow, or orange. Daphne odora, or Winter Daphne, is a demanding evergreen shrub with fragrant pink flowers. Daphne needs porous soil, excellent drainage, some shade during the day, and little summer water.

Don’t forget Forsythia, a fountain-shaped shrub whose bare branches are covered in yellow flowers beginning in February. Lovely yellow 1-inch flowers appear January to March on Winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, a deciduous vine. Another winter-flowering vine is Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens. Fragrant tubular yellow flowers appear in late winter. Carolina Jessamine can be trained on a trellis or used as a ground cover.

Colorful berries brighten the branches of many shrubs in winter. Metallic purple berry clusters decorate the arching branches of Callicarpa, or Beautyberry. The bright red berries of hollies (Ilex species), Cotoneaster, Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo), Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica), and Firethorn (Pyracantha cultivars), add welcome splashes of color to the winter landscape.

Closer to the ground are the perennials and bulbs that offer colorful foliage and/or flowers in winter. Violas and violets, primrose (Primula), Iceland poppy (Papaver), Paludosum daisy (Chrysanthemum paludosum), and wallflower (Erysimum) are winter-flowering as are Winter iris (Iris unguicularis), Snowdrops (Galanthus), and Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica).

References:

Sunset Western Garden Book

UC Davis Arboretum