Best winter flower plants

You don't have to wait for spring to enjoy flowers in your garden!

By Arricca Elin Sansone

Sep 8, 2021

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Believe it or not, many types of beautiful flowers bloom in winter. Yes, winter! Evergreen trees and shrubs always are an option for year-round garden interest, but many other kinds of plants can add unexpected splashes of color to the winter landscape. Whether you’re planting in beds or containers, winter flowers will provide a much-needed boost of brightness during the gloomiest days of the year. If you’re planting perennials, shrubs, or trees, make sure they’re suited to survive the season in your USDA Hardiness zone. (Find yours here!) Also, read the plant tag or description to give them the kind of light they need to thrive. Full sun means at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, while part sun is about half that.

When considering the best winter flowers, it's also important to think about placement. Where will you get the most bang for your buck? You want to be able to enjoy them from inside your house, so plant them somewhere you can see them when they’re in bloom. They’re also great for adding curb appeal in winter because they’re just so unexpected. Also, in order to enjoy your winter flowers, you’ve got to plant them in the fall about six weeks before the ground freezes so that they’ll have time to get established before cold weather sets in. If you’re uncertain about the freeze date in your area, check with your local university coop extension service. (Find yours here!)

Read on to learn about the best flowers that bloom in winter!

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Hellebore

If you’ve never seen these stunning flowers, also called Lenten roses, you’re in for a surprise. They appear in mid to late winter, often around the time of Lent, depending on your climate. Their lush petals and exquisite color make them a must-have. These perennials are super cold-hardy, so you can plant them even where you have tough winters.

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Snowdrop

Just as the name indicates, these tiny flowers appear when snow is still on the ground in cold climates. Snowdrops, also called galanthus, look delicate but are quite cold-hardy. Their petite drooping green and white flowers are a breath of fresh air in late winter and early spring. Plant them in the fall for winter and spring flowers.

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Cyclamen

Cyclamen is considered a houseplant in most of the country, but it actually works well as a perennial groundcover in warmer climates. Plant them under deciduous trees (ones that drop their leaves) so they’ll get winter sun and summer shade.

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Pansies and Violas

These adorable flowers with little “faces” come in every color of the rainbow, and they don’t mind a chill—so they’ll last into late fall or early winter in many climates. In the South, they’ll survive throughout most of the winter. Though they’re often considered annuals, some types will drop seeds and come back next spring.

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Camellia

These evergreen shrubs have glossy leaves and stunning, lush flowers to add year-round interest to Southern gardens. There are many different varieties, so make sure to choose a type that will bloom in winter.

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Crocus

Crocuses are sturdy little flowers that often bloom when snow still is on the ground. Plant the bulbs in fall for flowers in late winter or very early spring. They will return for many years.

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Pieris

This lesser-known evergreen shrub is a lovely specimen for any garden. Hundreds of tiny pink or white bell-shaped flowers dangle from delicate stems in late winter. The flowers last for weeks!

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Primrose

These pretty perennial flowers are extremely cold-hardy. They bloom in late winter or early spring, depending on where you live. There are many different types, so look for those that will survive in your hardiness zone.

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Witch Hazel

This interesting shrub gets wispy, whimsical flowers in mid-winter, long before the foliage appears. Make sure to plant a winter-blooming variety.

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Winter Heath

This dense evergreen shrub works well as a groundcover. It’s smothered in beautiful pink flowers from winter to early spring.

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Mahonia

This evergreen shrub has frond-like leaves and sprays of bright yellow flowers that last for weeks in late fall to early winter. They’re followed by shiny blue-black berries.

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Ipheion

These sweetly-scented flowers boast late winter or early spring blooms and were popular in Colonial gardens. Their delicate star-shaped flowers come in pink, white, or blue.

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Winter Jasmine

Bright yellow flowers appear on the arching branches of this shrub in late winter. Unlike other types of jasmine, it’s not fragrant, but it adds a splash of sunshine to the landscape when you need it the most. It’s also a great option for slopes.

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Red Twig Dogwood

It’s not exactly a flower, but the bare branches of this bright red shrub make a bold statement in your otherwise colorless winter garden. The colorful branches last all winter long and look amazing silhouetted against a blanket of snow. You can also cut a few branches to add to floral or holiday displays.

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Daphne

The sweet, fruity fragrance of these evergreen shrubs make them irresistible! Delicate pink, white, or lavender blooms appear in late winter to early spring.

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Distylium

This glossy green shrub has cascading foliage and tiny red flowers in late winter to early spring. It’s a pretty, under-utilized landscape shrub in southern climates.

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Winterberry

It’s not exactly a flower, but the gorgeous red berries of this deciduous holly shrub make it worth planting for winter color. It’s especially striking set against a blanket of snow. Make sure to plant both “male” and “female” plant types in order to produce fruit.

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Winter Aconite

This lesser-known flower has buttercup yellow blooms that appear in late winter. The frilly foliage and flowers often pop up through the snow. Plant the bulbs in fall, and they’ll return for years.

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Scilla

Petite blue flowers and strap-like leaves make scilla, also called Siberian squill, a lovely addition to rock gardens or at the front of borders. They’re extremely cold-hardy.

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Pussy Willow

This shrub has fuzzy little flowers, called catkins, that appear on bare stems in late winter to early spring. Weeping varieties are especially dramatic in your garden.

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Arricca Elin Sansone Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more.

Beautiful winter flowers: TOP 8 plants for the house

If you want beautiful winter flowers to bloom in your house by the next New Year and Christmas, take note of the following eight indoor plants, which are most often used as floral decoration for the winter holidays . The main thing is to take care of their planting in advance, in order to finally enjoy the colorful flowering during the holidays.

Poinsettia

The most beautiful Euphorbia is considered the main flower symbol of Christmas in a number of countries. Many simply cannot imagine a holiday without the bright red flowers of this houseplant. Poinsettia is the most popular flower, pleasing to the eye with colorful flowering in the winter. It begins to bloom six months after planting, and its flowering lasts all winter. nine0003

This beautiful flower comes from Mexico, so extremely low temperatures are contraindicated for it. Every day it should be illuminated by indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours. At the same time, the pot with the plant should be placed in a cool place, but avoiding drafts or exposure to the cold air of the air conditioner.

Note! You can find more interesting facts about the history of this flower and the features of care in our separate article about poinsettia. nine0003

Christmas rose

This houseplant is similar to the red rose, but its white flowers are no less charming. Its scientific name is black hellebore. Christmas roses are perennial plants that grow throughout the year. Often they are used for festive decoration of the house for the New Year and Christmas.

These flowers are easy to grow and can bloom even in cold weather, making them ideal plants that delight the eye with beautiful blooms in winter. But do not forget that the flowers of the Christmas rose are considered poisonous. Therefore, you should not keep them in a house where there are small children who can taste the flowers. nine0003

Mistletoe

In Western countries, kissing under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve is a long tradition that is still observed today. In fact, these are not an evergreen at all, but a parasitic shrub growing on trees.

Instead of roots in the ground, the mistletoe spreads root-like branches on the tree and parasitizes on it, taking moisture and nutrients for its own development. As a result of such a "neighborhood" it can simply die. Mistletoe is commonly used to decorate homes during the winter holidays, as it is believed to have mystical powers and bring happiness to the home. nine0003

Christmas cactus

Decembrist is one of the most beautiful of all types of cacti. This plant blooms with amazingly beautiful exotic flowers that delight the eye just during the winter holidays, for which it got its name.

But unlike ordinary cacti, it needs a lot of moisture, since its homeland is tropical rainforests. Therefore, for growing a Decembrist in a house, it is important to maintain the humidity of the air necessary for it. You can even decorate walls with this beautiful plant using hanging pots to grow it. nine0003

That's interesting! For more information about caring for a Christmas cactus at home, see a separate article dedicated to this beautiful winter flower.

Amaryllis

In recent years, many varieties of this flower have appeared that bloom in winter and therefore are often bought as a New Year's gift. There are several types of amaryllis that bloom in winter. The color of their petals can be from snow-white, like snow, to scarlet and bright red shades. nine0003

They begin to bloom 6-8 weeks after planting, which should be taken into account if you want to admire the colorful flowering of amaryllis on New Year's holidays. As soon as the buds are fully bloomed, the house will be decorated with the bewitching beauty of these flowers.

Papery daffodil

This variety of white daffodils is one of the classic flowers that bloom during the New Year holidays. They have a sweet aroma and are grown from bulbs.

The first flowers bloom already 3-4 weeks after planting. Along with amaryllis, papery daffodils are a great floral decoration for the New Year's table. nine0003

Note! Here you can also find an interesting master class on how to make beautiful daffodils out of paper and decorate a spring card with them with your own hands.

Winter iris 'Mary Barnard'

This beautiful purple or lavender flower is a winter variety of iris. It pleases with its colorful flowering from November to March, so you can admire its enchanting aroma and beauty all winter holidays. nine0003

Throughout the rest of the year, the plant retains its decorative appeal due to beautiful leaves. A considerable advantage of this flower is the ease of care for it. Even if you forget about this plant in the New Year's bustle, nothing bad will happen to it.

Mustachioed Clematis Frekles

This flower has snow-white petals with numerous small pink spots, which gives it a truly charming look. It pleases with its colorful flowering from October to January. nine0003

It is therefore ideal for New Year's floral decor at home, and can also be a great gift for Valentine's Day. Other types of mustachioed clematis can be successfully grown even in gardens.

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13 best indoor flowers blooming in winter on the windowsill

Indoor flowers have long been an essential attribute of window sills. They perfectly complement the interior, create comfort, saturate the dry air of apartments with oxygen. With a huge variety of species of domestic plants, everyone can choose specimens to their liking - climbing, ferns, cacti. But many still prefer flowering. From mid-October, most indoor flowers go into a dormant state. They require less watering, new greens do not form, the root system develops poorly. But it is in the winter that you want to enjoy the flowers, as a reminder of the warm summer, you want to add color to the gray and boring landscape outside the window. nine0003

This can be helped by plants blooming in winter . The winter period for them is a time of intensive growth, and not rest, like many others.

To decorate your home, you can choose any of the following.

Tables

• Indoor flowers and plants blooming on the windowsill in winter
  • Azalia
  • Poinsettia
  Decembrist
  • Japanese Camellia 903

  103 Orchid

  • Bromeliads
  • Bulbs

Azalea

Flower growers prefer to grow Indian azalea. It is not as whimsical as other species of this plant, but at the same time it is not inferior to them in beauty. With proper care, the azalea blooms so profusely that sometimes leaves are not even visible from under the fluffy cap of flowers. For azalea, cool, moist air and diffused light are favorable.

In order to provide the necessary conditions for flowering, plant pot overlay with pieces of ice .

Azalea does not tolerate direct sunlight. In summer, on a brightly lit windowsill, it can die.

Poinsettia

Known as the "Christmas Star". Poinsettia has become popular due to the bright bracts - leaves collected in star-shaped rosettes that frame small flowers.

In the classic version, the bracts are bright red, however, in the process of selection, agronomists have bred varieties with white, pink and cream colors. nine0003 Poinsettia

Poinsettia - poisonous . When the leaves or stem are injured, poisonous milky juice is released.

Decembrist

This cactus got its name precisely because the flowering period is at the end of November - beginning of December . In nature, it grows in tropical forests and gardens, in which there is little light and high humidity.

During the flowering period, the Decembrist needs abundant watering. The earth must not dry out. And, conversely, from March to September, during the dormant period, watering should be reduced to a minimum. In summer, the Decembrist is best placed outdoors - on a balcony or terrace, choosing a shady place. nine0003 Decembrist

During bud formation, the plant must not be disturbed. Do not rearrange and even just turn the pot.

Japanese camellia

Extraordinarily beautiful, but fastidious plant. In order for the camellia to please with its flowers, you need to work hard. With insufficient care, it sheds flowers, buds, and even leaves.

The brightest room is suitable for placing a camellia . But not direct sunlight, but diffused light. For flowering, it needs more than 12 hours of light, so in winter it needs additional lighting. nine0003 Japanese camellia

Japanese camellia needs high humidity . Therefore, it must be often sprayed, and moistened drainage should be placed at the bottom of the pot.