15 Winter Plants for Your Garden

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Winter may seem like a dull and lifeless season for gardening, but it doesn’t have to be. Your garden can still be full of color and life as long as you plant the right things. These plants are ideal for keeping your outdoor space beautiful when the weather grows cold.

So, instead of feeling overwhelmed, plant these 15 winter plants and enjoy a beautifully thriving garden in the colder months.

Pansies

Because of their festive colors, pansies are an excellent choice for winter gardeners. They are available in lavender, yellow, orange, and white shades. These perennials are cold-tolerant and can even set flowers in temperatures as low as 20°F.

Winter Jasmine

Winter jasmine is a vining plant with bright yellow flowers that bloom in winter. Its strong, sweet fragrance will make your garden smell like heaven. It is also an easy-growing indoor plant and can be grown in pots or trailing on keeping with any wall.

Hellebores

Another favorite among winter gardens is hellebores, and for good reason. They start flowering through the coldest of months. They have thick, shiny leaves and produce beautiful flowers that withstand extreme weather. It is an excellent option for winter interest and structure in the garden.

Witch Hazel

One of the most striking winter plants, witch hazel offers an unusual form with distinctive flowers and the ability to fight off inclement conditions. Spectacular, spidery flowers appear on this shrub in late winter and early spring; billows of yellow and orange contrast beautifully with the stark winter landscape. In addition to its decorative uses, witch hazel is used in traditional medicine, as the bark and leaves have therapeutic properties.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are among the first plants to bloom in late winter/early spring. They hang to show off their small white bell-shaped flowers. Keep the soil moist. If planted outside in the ground, snowdrops will do best in partial shade.

Winterberry Holly

Consider planting winterberry holly if you want to bring some holiday cheer into your winter garden. This deciduous bush has late summer white flowers that attract bees and bright red holly berries throughout the winter. It also acts as food for the birds in this season.

Ornamental Cabbage

A unique seasonal addition to any winter garden, ornamental cabbage is stunning and easy to grow. Its leaves are much bigger than your average cabbage and look like a typical cabbage, but they have a fantastic twist—their outer leaves show off in colors from soft pink to purple and white. Ornamental cabbage thrives in cooler temperatures, adding height and texture to winter plantings.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen is also excellent for adding color to low-light areas in the winter. Its red, pink, violet, or white blooms beautifully contrast with the dark green leaves. Cyclamen will thrive if you regularly water it and plant it in well-draining soil.

Sweet Box

A shade-tolerant low-growing evergreen shrub. It bears small, fragrant white flowers in winter and glossy, dark green leaves. It is then followed by red berries, adding color to the garden. While not completely deer-resistant, sweet boxes are much more damage-resistant than most other vegetation types in areas with high numbers of these animals.

Winter Aconite

Winter aconite is small, but its toughness has to be admired. The plants’ golden yellow blossoms appear early in the winter season. They like well-drained soil and are perfect for naturalizing in woodland or rock gardens.

Primrose

Winter primrose is ideal for extending the blooming season of your winter garden. Though small, they bloom early and can give you a bit of spring before that time actually arrives. These flowers grow best in well-draining soil and partial shade, and their floret formations make a charming focus point for garden beds or borders.

Daphne

A beautiful winter plant is Daphne, which flowers during cooler months with its fragrant pink or white blooms. It also has glossy, dark green leaves perfect for freezing temperatures. It needs well-draining soil and partial sun.

Coneflower

The first to come to mind for many people is the coneflower, or echinacea, which screams summer garden. Flowering during winter and injecting color into otherwise barren landscapes, this perennial favorite maintains its color through the spring and early summer. They do well in dry soil and partial sun.

Boxwood

Boxwood is an evergreen shrub commonly used in formal gardens. It tolerates cold weather and maintains a rich, dark green color through the winter, making it an excellent garden hedge choice for structure and color.

Christmas Rose

Christmas rose is a winter bloom perennial with huge white blossoms and an entrancing yellow core. These shade-loving plants add a touch of elegance to any garden during the holiday season and are also beautiful additions to winter bouquets.