15 Striking Plants for Winter Color

Turn to these sensational flowers and plants for winter interest outdoors.

By: Julie Martens Forney

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Plants That Shine Outdoors in Winter

You may think of winter as dark and dreary, but it doesn't have to be — at least not in the garden. Considering winter interest when planning and planting your garden will help boost your mood, and your landscape, by providing lively color and texture. One of many outdoor winter plants to consider, these hellebores (also known as Lenten or Christmas roses), in shades of burgundy, mauve and ivory, blanket the ground with something far more interesting than snow.

Cabbages and Kales

Ornamental kale and cabbage are some of the most popular winter annual plants. They lend a completely different texture to a winter landscape bed. Once the plants are hardened by cooler night temperatures they can survive most cold winters.

Learn More: Planting and Growing Cabbage

Camellias

Camellias prefer acidic, moist yet well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. They flower in the fall and winter when their display of colorful blooms is most appreciated. The waxy-petalled flowers linger long on plants, displaying shades of red, pink, coral, white and bicolors. Plants are evergreen, growing to form shrubs or small trees. Once established, camellias are drought-tolerant.

Winter Jasmine

Jasminum nudiflorum or winter jasmine is an exceptionally trouble-free plant to grow.

Learn More: Jasmine: How to Grow and Care for Jasmine Varieties

Holly Bush

Hollies bring an eye-catching display of evergreen leaves that is often punctuated with bright red or gold berries.

Learn More: Holly Bush Care

Winterberry Holly

Winterberry hollies are deciduous, and the berry-bedecked branches truly stop traffic. (Even this lizard stopped to take a gander at the beautiful berries!)

Learn More: Growing Winterberry Holly

Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster is another leafy evergreen that you can depend on for a dazzling berry show in even frigid winters. It's a fast-grower and can be used as a striking groundcover.

Japanese Maples

Japanese maples often have artistically shaped trunks. The contorted branches on this shrub or small tree come into focus as winter arrives.

Learn More: Japanese Maples: A Guide to Planting and Care

Lenten Roses

Lenten roses (hellebores) offer leathery evergreen leaves accented with rose-like flowers in shades of pink, red, maroon, chartreuse and white. Plants self-sow readily, forming low-maintenance colonies.

Learn More: Growing and Caring for Hellebores

Nandina

Nandina shows off its berries in areas with milder winters. Tuck these plants in front of solid backdrops so the berries can shine.

Native Serviceberry

Native serviceberries also earn rave reviews for snow-covered branches. Watch for white blossoms in spring, followed by tasty berries in June. Birds love the berries, so if you want any for a pie, net trees. Fall color features shades of red and orange.

Doublefile Viburnum

Doublefile viburnum has a symmetrical, tiered branch structure that’s beautiful when covered with snow.

Red- and Yellow-Stemmed Dogwood

Red and yellow twig dogwood each inspire with their colorful winter stems, which show up best against dark evergreens or a snowy landscape.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel, a native shrub or small tree, opens strappy flowers in late winter to early spring. The blooms offer shades of yellow or orange and a sweet fragrance. Fall foliage is a striking gold, so this plant pulls double-duty in terms of seasonal interest.

Star Magnolia

Star magnolia opens pale blush to white flowers with a sweet fragrance in late winter to early spring.

Snowdrops

Close out winter with a flourish of color, courtesy of bulbs and perennials. Snowdrops grow from bulbs and return reliably year after year. Make sure to plant the bulbs during fall to give them the chilling period they need to bloom.

15 Striking Plants for Winter Color

Related To:

Shop This Look

Plants That Shine Outdoors in Winter

Cabbages and Kales

Camellias

Winter Jasmine

Holly Bush

Winterberry Holly

Cotoneaster

Japanese Maples

Lenten Roses

Nandina

Native Serviceberry

Doublefile Viburnum

Red- and Yellow-Stemmed Dogwood

Witch Hazel

Star Magnolia

Snowdrops

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