Now is a great time to think about areas in our gardens that have been lacking interest and what additions we can make for year round beauty. Evergreens are a great option however there are so many plants that may loose their leaves in winter but still shine because of interesting bark, winter berries or because their trucks and branches form beautiful shapes that are only revealed after the leaves have fallen away.

daphne

Here are some of our favorite plants for Winter interest:

Trees
Magnolia (many varieties) – early bloomer
Catalpa bignonioides – interesting seed pods
Quercus garryana (Garry oak) – growing pattern of branches
Corylus avellana – growing pattern and bark
Daphne – (many varieties)evergreen and scented flowers
Cryptomeria japonica – interesting evergreen foliage
Acer griseum (paperbark maple) – interesting bark
Acer palmatium (coral bark maple) – interesting bark
Japanese maples of all sorts add winter interest for their interesting trunk formations.
Hamamelis (witch hazel) – early spring catkins
Stachyurus praecox (spiketail) – beautiful from and winter blooms
Camelia – many evergreen varieties that bloom in winter and early spring
Betula utilis Jacquemontii (Himalaya birch) – winter bark and growth pattern
Acer tegementosum (Snake Bark Maple) – bark
Pyracantha (Fire Thorn) – evergreen & berries
Sorbus (Mountain Ash) – berries
Magnolia laevifolia – many evergreen varieties

Shrubs and mid sized perennials
Helleborus (many varieties) – winter blooms and evergreen foliage
Cornus sanguinia – branch color
Salix species (willow) – growth formation
Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet) – winter bloomer
Chaenomeles – early bloomers
Mahonia – evergreen
Heuchera – evergreen and early bloomer
Huecherella – evergreen and early bloomer
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ (Gold Thread Cypress) – evergreen
Viburnum bodnatense ‘Pink Dawn’ – bloomer
Tasmannia lanceolata (Pepper bush) – foliage
Arctostaphylos bakeri ‘Louis Edmunds’ – bark

Vines
Clematis cirrhosa – blooms
Acinidia (kiwi) – growing pattern

Groundcovers
Viola – blooms
Succulents – many varieties
Arctostaphylos uva ursi (Kinnikinnick) – evergreen
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen) – evergreen

Bulbs
Cyclamen coun (winter cyclamen) – winter blooms
Galanthus elwesii (snowdrop) – early Spring blooms
Leucojum vernum – early Spring blooms
Anemone blana and cultivars – early blooms
Narcissus – many varieties – blooms
Crocus many varieties – blooms

Grasses
Calamagrostis X acutiflora – year round interest
Carex (sedge – many varieties) – evergreen
Miscanthus sinensis (and varieties)  – year round interest