5 best plants for winter landscapes

Winter landscaping can be a little more challenging than in the summer. Snow regions aren’t always very forgiving, and for the most part, most plants can’t last in last in the cold (or freezing) climate.That doesn’t mean that your winter garden and yard has to look drab. Sure, evergreens and conifers look great, but so do many other plants that we often overlook.

The best winter plants will readily catch snow on its branches, have a delicate, peaceful structure, and have red or colourful berries that attract birds and add visual interest. Evergreen foliage is always a plus, along with interesting, out-of-the-box branching patterns.

Our Top Five

So how do we narrow it down? A little difficult, maybe, but we’ve done it. Our favourites include holiday inspired shrubs, burgundy dogwoods, and glossy baybarrys. Read on for the details:

Holly Shrubs

Holly shrubs, or evergreen holly, is popular in the winter months for its holiday-inspired look. The gorgeous, year-round foliage has bright berries that attract many birds, and the trademark sprigs are used in Christmas and holiday decorating.  The two hardiest varieties include China holly and inkberry holly. China holly is about 8 feet high by 8 feet wide, rounded, and drought tolerant, whereas inkberry holly is dark green with a black berry, and about 5 feet high and 5 feet wide.

Red Osier Dogwood

Red osier dogwood is a hardy plant that is also gorgeous in the spring. In May, it yields white blooms followed by white fruit. In the winter, the deep red and burgundy bark is massively beautifully, reaching a height of up to 10 feet, and a width of up to the same.

Bayberry

Bayberry shrubs can spread out to 6 feet long. It has glossy and aromatic foliage with a waxy, grey fruit. The drought-tolerant plant is also deer-resistant, perfect for regions susceptible to fawns snagging their foliage.

Birch Trees

Birch trees have different offspring, a few of which make for great options in the winter months. Young’s weeping birch is a 6′-12′ dwarf variety with an interesting, drooping branching pattern. Paper birch trees have that characteristic “shabby chic” look; white strips of bark peels from the trunk. Yellow birch is a shiny golden version of paper birch.

Canadian Hemlocks

Canadian hemlocks are best known as forest trees. They are extremely tall–60 feet or more. But you can also get shrub-forms, which can stay at the height that you want. Well-pruned rows of Canadian hemlocks can form a dense and admirable hedge.