7 Winter Blooming Flowers to Plant Right Now

Pansies and violas pop up everywhere in autumn, when they're planted for color that can last into spring. But don't stop with these garden classics; other plants and shrubs can also take the cold and fill your yard or garden with flowers. For best results, plant them in late summer or fall, before the ground freezes, so they can develop good roots.

Glory of The Snow

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) gets its name from its ability to bloom even in a late winter snow. Its star-shaped, bluish-purple blooms face upwards, surrounded by strappy, green leaves that die back in the summer. There are also white and pink varieties. Start them from bulbs or seeds in the fall, and they'll come back as perennials in USDA Gardening Zones 3 to 8. Under the right growing conditions--they like full to partial sun and well-draining soil--they'll naturalize and spread. Try these winter-hardy plants, which grow to about 6 inches tall, as a ground cover or in rock gardens, woodlands, perennial beds or lawns; if you plant them in your lawn, don't mow until the foliage dies back, or about 5 or 6 weeks after the blooms finish. Water Glory of the Snow after you plant, and water moderately during the growing season if rainfall is scarce. Stop watering when the leaves turn yellow and start to wither. The plants self-sow nicely, if the soil around them isn't disturbed after the seeds drop. You can also collect the seeds after the seed pods dry, but be patient. It can take up to three years for young plants to flower. Glory of the Snow is a great choice if animals like to feast on your plants, because they're "animal-proof bulbs" that resist rodents, deer and other hungry interlopers.

Cyclamen

The cyclamens blooming in florist's shops, nurseries and garden centers during the winter are usually C. persicum, and they're bred to enjoy as frost-tender houseplants (although you can move them outside if you live in Zones 7 through 9, where the winters are mild). Sometimes called Persian violet, C. coum is a hardy cyclamen that comes back as a perennial in Zones 4 to 9. Once established, the plants bloom from late winter to early spring and go dormant in summer. Look for their nodding flowers in white or shades of pink, rose, magenta and bicolors. The rounded or heart-shaped leaves can be solid green or variegated with green, gray or silver. This winter blooming flower grows 3 to 6-inches tall and makes a pretty groundcover around deciduous trees or shrubs. Cyclamens grow from corms and seeds, but seeds can 2 to 4 years to flower. If you start with corms, place them pointed-side up in humus-rich, well-draining soil, burying the tops just below the soil's surface in a site that gets bright, indirect light. For the showiest display, plant them in masses, and don't worry about deadheading them. Protect them in the coldest weather with a layer of mulch.

Lenten Rose

This cold-hardy flower goes by many names, including hellebore, Christmas rose, winter rose, snow rose and an old name, oracle flower. Lenten roses aren't the fastest growing plants in the garden, but they do form big clumps that grow 12 to 24 inches high and wide. Winter-hardy in Zones 4 to 9, they stay evergreen in Zones 6 to 9. Grow them in partial to dappled shade, such as in a woodland garden or under deciduous trees, and their long-lasting flowers will unfurl from late winter into early spring.

Hellebore blooms can nod or face upward and are available in white, purple, pink, yellow and green; some have speckled or veined petals, and some have doubled flowers. Plant them with the crowns just below the surface of rich, well-draining soil and add compost or well-rotted manure. They'll benefit from a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in spring and need regular watering for the first year, or until they're established. Later, they can tolerate some drought. Mulch them when you plant, and shield them burlap or a frost cloth during periods of extreme winter cold. Remove the mulch or coverings when they start to bloom. Deer and rabbits usually leave these plants alone. Be aware: all parts of hellebores are toxic to people, pets and other animals.

Pansies

Whether you're a beginner or an expert gardener, pansies are easy to grow. Look for these cold-weather lovelies in a variety of solid and mixed colors; trailing pansies are great to use in hanging baskets or as groundcovers. Pansies need well-draining soil, so amend yours with compost if needed, and they'll perform in full sun to part shade. Because they're heavy feeders, pansies should be fertilized at planting time and again about every three weeks with a slow-release granular or liquid fertilizer. Keep them watered regularly, but don't let the soil get soggy. Watch for snails and slugs that will munch on the plants and leave them looking tattered, and deadhead them often to encourage more blooms. Warm temperatures stress pansies and make them become leggy, and they can eventually die. Many gardeners simply enjoy them until the weather heats up and then treat them as annuals, tossing them into the compost pile.

Winter Heather

Cold-hardy winter heather (Erica carnea) is a fine choice for late winter to early spring color when the landscape is brown or bare. It's an excellent ground cover, bed or border plant that can mature up to 24 inches tall and 24 inches across. This evergreen shrub has drooping blooms that come in white or shades of red, purple and pink. Give it full sun, or partial sun where the afternoon sun is intense; winter heather doesn't do well in southern states with high humidity and hot sun or when grown in heavy clay. Aside from clay, poor soils are no problem, and winter heather seldom needs fertilizer. It tolerates alkaline soils but grows best in moist, well-drained soils with a neutral to acidic pH. Deer typically avoid its sticky needles (although hungry deer will eat almost anything). Try winter heather outdoors in a wide, frost-proof container that has good drainage. These easy-to-grow plants are hardy in Zones 6 to 8, like 'Kramer's Red,' shown here, and start blooming around January. Other varieties are hardy to Zones 4 and 5. While "winter heath" refers to E. carnea, a winter-flowering shrub that blooms into spring, you may see it used interchangeably with "winter heather," which is in the same botanical family, but a different genus. Other flowering shrubs also have wintertime blooms.

Camellia

When the rest of the garden goes to sleep, some camellias open winter flowers in shades of white, pink and red, while the glossy leaves on these Depending on the variety you're growing, camellias take partial shade or shade; some can tolerate sun. Give them average water and moist, well-drained slightly acidic or neutral soil. Site them in a location with some protection from cold winds that will dry them out and damage the buds when the temperatures are very low. Most varieties are hardy in Zones 7 to 10, reaching 6 to 12 feet high and wide.

Look for these types of camellias: C. sasanqua, which blooms from mid-fall to early winter; C. japonica, which flowers from mid-winter into spring and hybrids that bloom at various times. Read the plant's tag or label to find the one you want. For a flower show runs from late fall into spring, plant early, mid- and late-blooming varieties. Mulch them after planting, but wait until spring to fertilize them after the flowers drop. Fertilizing too late in the season can encourage new growth that can be damaged by the cold.

Winter Daphne

Daphne odora is commonly known as winter daphne, thanks to its intensely fragrant, mid-winter flowers that last into late spring. These evergreen, broadleaved shrubs like sun to part shade, depending on the variety, and grow 3 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Flower colors include pink, purple/lavender and white. Give them well-draining soil and allow it to dry out between waterings. The plants are short-lived, lasting about three or four years, and are hardy in Zones 7 to 9. Pollinators visit the plants for nectar, but deer usually leave them alone; all parts of winter daphne are toxic to people and pets, and touching the shrubs can severely irritate the skin. Grow winter daphne around foundations, as a hedge, in a border or close to patios and porches, where you can enjoy its perfume. Daphne is a wonderful plant to grow in a winter cutting garden.