Plants for Winter Interest

This time of year when the landscape is relatively devoid of color and interest, evergreens, berries and bark, can change your yard into a place that is almost as interesting as the other three seasons. The most commonly used trees and shrubs for structure are conifers because of their evergreen branches and the nice back drop they lend to the rest of the plants in the garden.

Hollies are great because they combine evergreen leaves, berries and provide food for wildlife. Some hollies are not evergreen (Ilex verticillata cultivars) and drop their leaves to show off beautiful red berries which last all winter, unless the birds get to them first.

Shrubs such as Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) seem to glow on the cloudy grey days of winter. They have nice berries and foliage the other seasons of the year.

A nicely placed specimen tree can provide shade and flowers in the summer and interesting bark in the winter. The peeling bark of a Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), or Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) can be a beautiful thing to look at when you’re stuck inside because of the cold.

There are many such plants available to add winter interest to your landscape for the time of year when it seems there’s nothing interesting going on outside. You just have to know where to look!