Winter Plants To Add To Your Landscape

 

Do you want some color and beauty in your winter landscape? Look no further. We have some amazing plants to transform your yard in the cold and dreary months. Here are the best winter plants to add to your landscape:

 

 

Winter Plants For Your Landscape

 

1. Arctic Fire Dogwood

Cornus stolonifera 'Farrow'

Growing Zones: 3-7

Mature Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

This is one of my favorites. Even though this dogwood shrub is deciduous, it is one of the best winter plants because of its amazing red bark! It stands out beautifully against a snowy landscape. The Arctic Fire Dogwood is also easy to grow, deer and disease resistant, and wet soil tolerant.

 

2. Coral Bark Japanese Maple

 

Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'

Growing Zones: 5-8

Mature Size: 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide

The Coral Bark Maple is one of the largest Japanese Maples. This tree is upright and gorgeous all year long. The pinkish coral bark looks stunning in winter. It contrasts evergreen bushes and trees. This tree for winter is sun tolerant and low maintenance.

 

3. Dwarf Burford Holly

Ilex cornuta 'Dwarf Burford'

Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'

Growing Zones: 7-9

Mature Size: 5 to 6 feet tall and wide

The Dwarf Burford Holly is a soft holly with small deep green leaves. The habit of this attractive winter plant is rounded. This holly is self fertile so every bush is able to produce red winter berries. It is resistant to pests, disease, and rabbit and deer damage and tolerant to salt and pollution. 

 

4. Fire Chief Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis 'Congabe' 

Growing Zones: 5-8

Mature Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

This winter plant is naturally rounded and has amazing color. The feathery evergreen foliage transforms throughout the year from green and yellow to orange and red. Cool weather brings out the fiery oranges and reds. The Fire Chief Thuja bush is cold hardy, disease and pest resistant, and drought tolerant.

 

5. Firepower Nandina

Nandina domestica 'Firepower'

Growing Zones: 6-10

Mature Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide

This nice little plant looks pretty in the landscape or in pots. The leaves start picking up hints of red as cooler temperatures approach. In winter this dwarf nandina is bright red. Nandinas are heat and drought tolerant and easy to grow. The Firepower Nandina is compact and rounded and requires no pruning. 

 

6. Nellie Stevens Holly

 

Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens'

Growing Zone 6-9

Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide

The Nellie Stevens Holly is a large broadleaf evergreen shrub with shiny green leaves and red berries. They look really nice all year, but those red winter berries are lovely pops of color during cold weather. This tough winter evergreen is heat and drought tolerant and pest and disease resistant. It requires no maintenance once it is established. 

 

7. Pink Icicle Camellia

 

Camellia 'Pink Icicle'

Growing Zones: 6-10

Mature Size: 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 wide

So few plants flower in winter, but this camellia does! The Pink Icicle Camellia blooms in fall and winter. The pretty flowers are perfectly pink with sunny yellow centers. Camellias are salt, shade, heat, and drought tolerant.

 

8. Red Flowering Quince

 

Growing Zones: 4-9

Mature Size: 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide

When I first came upon this plant at a botanical garden in late winter I was completely mesmerized. The exciting coral red blossoms are absolutely stunning. Quinces have a habit similar to forsythia. They are upright but then slightly weeping as they grow larger. This deciduous plant is fast growing and super hardy and adaptable. It is also drought, pollution, and salt tolerant and pest and disease resistant. 

 

9. Yellow Twig Dogwood

 

Cornus sericea

Growing Zones: 3-8

Mature Size: 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide

Very similar to the Red Twig Dogwood, the Yellow Twig is simply the yellow version of the twig dogwood. This bush offers amazing and unique color in winter. It is incredibly easy to grow and adaptable to just about any soil. 

 

10. Yuletide Camellia

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Growing Zones: 6-10

Mature Size: 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide

This winter blooming camellia is phenomenal in the winter landscape. Enjoy outstanding Christmas red flowers in fall and winter. Camellia bushes are no maintenance once they are established. They are also salt, shade, heat, and drought tolerant and evergreen!

There you go. 10 great winter plants to add to your winter landscape! There are many other evergreens to substitute like the emerald green arborvitae or Italian cypress, so look for the evergreens you love. Now it’s time to plant! Happy planting! 

Shop our online plant nursery and browse our evergreen shrubs and evergreen trees for sale for year-round interest in your yard.

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