Good winter plants

Give your home's landscaping a pop of color even during the dark, dreary months of winter. These winter blooming plants flourish in the cold.

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Calendulas

If you live in a part of the country with mild winters, try Calendulas. Yellow flowers beam with an inviting brightness. These daisy-like flowers come in shades of orange and yellow and thrive in cool weather. Another advantage Calendulas have is that you can grow them in containers or in a flower bed that gets plenty of sun.

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Winter Aconite

Winter aconite is a nature lover’s dream with its bright green leaves and yellow blossoms popping out amidst the snow.  It grows from a bulb and often blooms during the late winter, growing about six inches tall. The Missouri Botanical Garden notes it does best in zones 3 – 7 and needs full sun to part shade.

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English Primrose

English primrose is easy to care for and gives a pop of color to winter gardens in mild climates. These winter plants have circular flowers in nearly every color. They aren’t large plants, but their dainty flowers pack a punch as one of the earliest bloomers. Penn State Extension notes they are relatively easy to maintain inside during the winter, and then you can transplant to your garden after the last hard frost.

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Winter Pansies

Add a bit of cheer to your garden with winter pansies. This winter blooming plant does well in hardiness zones 6 – 8 and comes in a variety of colors, from white to gold, orange, violet, red and maroon. “Pansies are a remarkable winter annual capable of surviving temperatures down to the single digits, freezing solid, then bouncing back with vigor when warm weather returns,” notes University of Georgia Extension.

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Snowdrops

In many parts of the country, snowdrops are one of the first spring flowers to bloom. Depending on the region, they can bloom as early as February, even when snow is still on the ground. These winter blooming plants are easy to grow, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Woodland settings are ideal. Snowdrop bulbs can remain undisturbed for many years and will multiply by themselves.

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Violas

Brighten up those dull winter days with violas. These winter blooming flowers not only offer vibrant color and a sweet fragrance, they self-sow, so they’ll come back year after year. “Because violas are cool-weather-loving early-spring flowers, a layer of mulch over the soil around them can keep them happy and blooming later into the spring or early summer,” according to Costa Farms.

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Winter Jasmine

Add some bright yellow flowers to your landscape in late winter with winter jasmine. These flowers start blooming on the first warm January day in regions with mild winters, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Jasmine vines can reach up to 4 feet high and do best in full sun.

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Witch Hazel

Hardy in zones 5 – 8, witch hazel blooms in late fall and into the winter, depending on which species you plant. This shrub has flowers that range in color from red to yellow. Monrovia notes witch hazel does best in full sun.

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Winter Honeysuckle

Winter honeysuckle is a flowering shrub with a lemony scent and small white flowers that appear in mid to late winter. This plant does best in zones 4 – 8, according to North Caroline State Extension and can grow up to 9 feet high and 15 feet wide. “In addition to being a great ornamental, it is an excellent winter nectar source for honey bees and is effective for winter garden fragrance,” the extension notes.

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Winter Heath

Winter heath is a ground cover that tolerates cold temperatures and even snow. There are several varieties available and the colors of the bell-like flowers range from whites and pinks to reds and purples. These winter blooming plants grow best in zones 5 – 7 and in full sun to part shade, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Originally Published: December 31, 1969

Rachel Brougham

Writer and editor with a background in news writing, editorial and column writing and content marketing.

Winter flower garden - perennials that are beautiful even in winter. Photo - Botanichka

The beauty of the winter garden can be given not only with the help of "correct", thoughtful skeletal plantings. Far from being only conifers, shrubs with beautiful bark or branch patterns, winter green stars look good against the background of a white winter blanket. Today, a separate type of flower beds has appeared in landscape design - winter. These are such flower beds, the plants on which are selected with an eye to admire them in the coldest time of the year. nine0003 Winter flower garden. © wildstauden

Winter flower garden - the most special ensemble in the garden

In winter, even the best, carefully planned gardens leave bare areas and areas. Favorite herbaceous perennials and flowering stars leave the garden scene completely, leaving behind empty spots. But garden plants are not only about lush and spectacular greenery or beautiful flowering. And if in the winter season of rest and preparation for the spring start it is boring to look at the soil without plants, then you simply do not use perennials, which are beautiful even in winter. nine0003

So that the garden does not seem empty even in the coldest time, it is worth adding several winter flower beds to its design - compositions planned specifically for the frosty period.

Winter flower beds - a special variety, usually not too large flower beds or flower islands, created with an eye on the season when the growing season of all garden plants is completed. Shrubs that bloom in winter and some bulbous ones that wake up earlier than anyone else are a luxury that can only be enjoyed in the south. Winter flower beds are not created from them at all. nine0003

Winter flower beds are compositions of plants that look attractive even after persistent frosts, thanks to individual decorative details - foliage, stems, inflorescences, berries, seed pods. They, even after the garden holds the breath of winter, allow flower beds to look not like empty patches of frozen soil, but like an attractive and multifaceted winter show in colors and textures, drawing attention to shining precious details.

A few years ago, winter flower beds were considered an attribute of garden design only in mild climates, where evergreens fully reveal their beauty. But the fashion for Scandinavian design, which also captured the landscape world, drew attention to the possibilities of designing interesting variations of flower beds that do not look empty even in the midst of a harsh winter. nine0003

Of course, where winters delight with their delicacy, winter flower beds are more lush, but even in the south everything depends on the weather and circumstances. Winter flower beds always look best under a thin cover of snow, when the garden is just touched by the breath of winter, during thaw days or during periods of little snow. Big snowfalls will hide even giants under them. But on days when you can freely visit the garden and conduct inspections, instead of flat empty areas, your eyes will surely meet something beautiful and unexpected. nine0003

Winter flower beds can be created in a variety of conditions. Plants with which you can cope with this task can be found for sunny, bright areas, and for partial shade, and even full shade. The only difference between such winter flower beds is how they will look during the rest of the year. The difference is especially visible in summer, since the appearance of plants that prefer shade is very different from the appearance of sun-loving garden stars.

When choosing a place for a winter flower garden, it is worth remembering that in the coldest and most boring seasons, such a flower garden will enliven the appearance of the garden and soften the skeletal plantings, bring pomp and add interesting textures. Therefore, for flower beds, decorated with an eye on the coldest time of the year, they try to choose a place in the foreground, where you can admire dry curtains, panicles or seedlings. Such a flower garden is often placed along a path or near a terrace, in a front garden or as a section of large flower beds, where in winter classical ensembles will create an abundance of bare areas. In fact, the landscape is “diluted” with winter flower beds. But the most advantageous place for a winter flower garden is one that you can admire even from the window of the house on bad days. nine0003

Winter flower gardens require careful selection of soils: they can only be planted on flat or slightly sloping sites without the risk of dampness or water retention, with nutritious, loose, drained, high-quality soil from among loams and sandstones. Pay special attention to wind protection: on windy areas, even the best evergreen leaves will lose their characteristic color and darken, and dry panicles will easily be broken by the wind. For winter flower beds, always choose the warmest and most sheltered places in the garden. nine0003

Maintenance of a winter flower garden is simple and no different from any other flower garden, except for the requirements not to forget about mulching (highly decorative materials are preferred) and about carrying out all the basic work with plants in the spring. As soon as the snow melts, such a flower garden is “cleaned”, removing dry leaves and inflorescences, dividing the plants if necessary. Early feeding, loosening and updating the mulch allow you to provide the plants with everything necessary for normal development. Watering on such flower beds is carried out only in drought. But you need to cut the inflorescences carefully: the more panicles, baskets and spikelets remain on the plants, the better the flower bed will look in winter. nine0003 Sedge in the winter flower garden. © Walters

Plants for Winter Splendor in Flower Beds

Winter flower beds are often referred to as flower beds of beautifully dying plants, i. e. garden crops that, after drying, dying or going dormant, can surprise with beautiful “dry” details. But such cultures deserve the title of “non-standard” much more. They are universal and multifaceted, they have prepared their own surprise for each season, they have, albeit not the most catchy and obvious, but still inimitable beauty, which is worth a closer look. nine0003

Planting decorative shrubs or conifers on flower beds in winter allows you to bring "skeletal" accents to their design. But nevertheless, herbaceous perennials should remain the main characters of any flower garden. And winter beds are no exception to this rule. At first glance, the number of perennials that look great in winter is very small. But it is worth taking a closer look at well-known garden crops, and they will reveal new talents and characteristics to you, thanks to which you can use them not only in spring, summer or autumn compositions. nine0003

Depending on which characteristics or parts of the plant come to the fore in winter, all stars for winter flower beds are divided into several categories:

1. Plants with evergreen or beautiful foliage in winter.
2. Plants with showy or showy pods or dried inflorescences.
3. Plants with bright berries or fruits.
4. Beautiful straight shoots that give lush texture to winter flower beds.
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Plants for winter flower beds in well-lit places

There are a lot of perennials whose dry inflorescences or seedlings look amazing in winter both under snow and in ice crust. And you can choose plants with a different character, color and even texture. Favorites are ornamental cereals, which in fact remain one of the most beautiful perennials in any garden in winter. But herbs also have their competitors.

Dense spikelets of inflorescences spikelet liatris ( Liatris spicata ) look great not only in the midst of flowering. The plant, which has become for many a symbol of the prairie garden and American landscape design, can also surprise in winter. Narrow, yellowed, somewhat reminiscent of tarragon, in winter the leaves make the bushes lacy, and the dry ears, which have decreased many times, look like dense fur tassels. Liatris is golden under the sun and ice, it seems to be a bright spot on the winter flower garden. This is petite against the backdrop of giants, but a very lush accent that looks great in the foreground of winter flower beds. nine0003

Quite unlike other cereals, sharp as needles, fluffy inflorescences of reed grass ( Calamagrostis x acutiflora ) reveal their beauty in a new way in winter landscapes. The effect of a living fountain hovering over any flower garden changes somewhat in winter, the reed grass has more in common with derens and other bushes with beautiful bark, adds graphic and weightlessness to the collection of winter perennials.

Reedgrass is a fairly large cereal with a height of just over a meter to one and a half meters. It withstands frosts down to -34 degrees, its stems are frost-resistant and the plant retains its beauty even under heavy snow. Reed grass already looks like a sheaf of luxurious panicles, but you can additionally tie shoots to give tall bushes even more expressiveness. It is better to choose varietal reeds with more interesting colors and improved flowering. nine0003

Not only cereals can become the main active star of the winter flower garden. The Yarrow varietal ( Achillea ) will also attract admiring glances, whose lace-textured umbels seem to bring a new level to the design of winter flower gardens (if you want yarrow to support the beauty of cereals, choose the largest golden or light-colored varieties ). Yarrows withstand frosts down to -40 degrees, their maximum height is limited to half a meter. nine0003 Liatris spicata. © Phipps Conservatory Common reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora). © Sarah Yarrow 'Strawberry Seduction' (Achillea millefolium 'Strawberry Seduction'). © fafard

Yucca ( Yucca ) will not get lost in the winter flower garden. Not having such an outstanding winter hardiness (optimal indicators are only up to minus 29 degrees), they are still increasingly found in our gardens. In these plants, xiphoid, sharp, stunningly beautiful leaves in basal rosettes not only retain their beauty for the winter, but are also complemented by winter-hardy seed pods, which look very good on plants in bizarre complex inflorescences. nine0003

Excellent candidates for a winter flower bed are Heleniums ( Helenium ), in which, after flowering, dense “buttons” with seeds flaunt on branching shoots. They easily endure frosts down to -34, in the winter flower garden they echo with yarrows and look like their more lacy and “airy” version.

Will decorate the winter landscape and lofant ( Agastache ), whose dazzling greenery and dense spikelets of inflorescences will decorate the garden not only in summer. Dense bushes and dry inflorescences of this largely underestimated perennial look no worse under a snow cover. They will add amazing texture to any flower garden. nine0003 Yucca in the winter flower garden. © WaltersHelenium. © Gillian Lofant, or Polycolon, or Agastache. © Mark Weathington

Amsonia tabernaemontana ( Amsonia tabernaemontana ) is considered rare in our country with its amazingly dense bushes, whose golden leaf parade in autumn gives way to winter lacy pillows that look incomparable under the snow.

One of the main winter stars is Heuchera ( Heuchera ), the frost resistance of which is sufficient for growing in the middle lane without shelter (it freely tolerates frosts down to -34). The beautiful lobed leaves of this perennial look attractive at any time of the year, but in winter, geyhera is able to add volume to flower beds and glow especially effectively under the snow. Choose varieties for winter flower beds with bright yellow, orange or red leaf color, which contrasts perfectly with the winter landscape around. nine0003

It is difficult to imagine a winter flower garden without Echinacea purpurea ( Echinacea purpurea ), from which you can collect a whole collection of varieties of different heights. Strong stems can withstand even heavy snowfalls, and the convex "knobs" of inflorescences remaining from the baskets of inflorescences acquire a charcoal brown hue. The prickly heads of echinacea on flower beds look amazing, almost like artificial decorations.

Amsonia tabernaemontana (Amsonia tabernaemontana). © Felicia TohHeuchera. © Caroline Knight Echinacea purpurea. © fafard

You can also plant on sunny winter flower beds:

• perovski;
• Iberis evergreen;
• switchgrass;
• sheep evergreen;
• brilliant rudbeckia;
• Echinacea purpurea;
• aster naked;
• monard;
• stonecrops;
• veronicastrum;
• chelone;
• liriope muscari;
• foxtail pennisetum;
• sunflower heliopsis. nine0038

Plants for winter flower gardens in shady areas

Winter flower gardens can be made spectacular even if the site is in partial or full shade during the entire active season. Indeed, many shade-tolerant and shade-loving stars of the winter garden just do not like bright lighting too much. And winter green plants almost always, with very rare exceptions, prefer secluded areas.

The first plant to think about when planning a winter flower garden in the shade is magically airy lace fairy Astilbe ( Astilbe ). With frost resistance down to -34, astilba suggests choosing varieties with different colors of weightless and lush inflorescences, allowing shaded flower beds to become one of the most striking sights of the summer garden. In winter, astilba exhibits a beautiful pattern of thin shoots, above which the seeds in reddish-brown lace panicles look like floating lace. The golden-brown tops of astilbes adorn the garden all winter.

Fill in the gaps and bald spots between the main winter stars with ease European hoof ( Asarum europaeum ). The bright kidney-shaped leaves of this ground cover are beautiful even in winter, but here's what the hoof will definitely surprise you with is the seed pods. A dense cover of wild hoof is most often hidden under the snow, but during periods of thaw it pleasantly enlivens the appearance of a winter flower garden with its remaining green leaves.

Pachysandra terminalis ( Pachysandra terminalis ) grows like dense cushions. This plant, despite its modest height, looks spectacular on flower beds, especially if you choose variegated varieties. Thick rugs seem to break through the snow cover, and carved leaves seem even more beautiful. nine0003 Astilbe. © Kor!An European hoof (Asarum europaeum). © rangedala Pachysandra terminalis. © plantsam

The best of shade-tolerant ornamental grasses sedge ( Carex ), despite its modest size, looks great in the winter garden. Thin, curving leaves in dense turf look like textural fountains in the winter garden, and dry inflorescences only emphasize the charm of the plant.

Enliven the appearance of any flower garden and palmate, graceful, semi-luminous and quite bright leaves of hybrid hellebore ( Helleborus ). Early flowering of the plant will have to wait until spring in regions with harsh winters, but the greenery of the plant in original pillows will still look very impressive.

Sedge (Carex) Hellebore (Helleborus). Carolyns Shade Gardens

Also planted in shady winter beds:

• stinky hellebore;
• ophiopogon;
• Red sorrel shield;
• top-fruited multi-row;
• ivy-leaved cyclamen; nine0038
• liriope muscari;
• bergenia heart-leaved;
• large-rhizome geranium;
• hakonechloa large.

Winter does not mean ugly the rest of the time

Winter flower gardens, even though they use plants that should be especially attractive in winter, look great all year round. And in spring, and summer, and autumn, they have something to see.

Cultures with original greenery, such as yucca, sedge and stonecrop, show their beauty especially brightly in spring, and hellebore see off the winter with their touching porcelain flowers, giving way to the flowering of the very first herbaceous perennials - amsonia, echinacea. In summer, most of the "chamomile" stars planted on such flower beds bloom, the main dense herbaceous perennials begin the parade, including the magnificent astilba shade queens. nine0003

Toward the end of the season, cereals and autumn flowering plants come to the fore, their character begins to emerge, thanks to which the crops are included in the lists of the best plants for decorating winter flower beds (leaves, lines, stems). Inflorescences and inflorescences stand out brightly against the background of other garden ensembles and seem to hint that pleasant surprises will await any visitor in this area of ​​the garden in winter.

9 plants that will decorate your garden in winter with bright fruits. Names, descriptions, photos - Botanichka

The main "winter" plants are various coniferous trees and shrubs. Additional decoration is also given by twisted shoots and bright bark of some hardwoods. But, probably, bright multi-colored fruits look most expressive on bare trees among a sleeping garden. Such plants, among other things, will be an appetizing treat for birds and attract birds to your garden. About what trees and shrubs can keep fruits during the winter, I will tell in this article.

9 plants that will decorate your garden in winter with bright fruits. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya

1. Rowan

A familiar tree familiar to everyone since childhood - rowan ( Sorbus ) - is widely used in urban landscaping, and may seem banal to many. However, there are a huge number of species and varieties of mountain ash, which are not only distinguished by the varied color of the berries, but also by the sweetish taste (sweet-fruited varieties). Garden rowan is also dwarf or weeping. And some types of mountain ash are distinguished by unusual foliage - thinner openwork or, on the contrary, solid leaf blades. nine0003

Among the fruit and ornamental varieties, one can single out mountain ash "Titania" , "Pomegranate" and "Dessert" with very rich dark red fruits of a sweetish taste. Rowan "Burka" , also related to sweet-fruited varieties, is distinguished by dark purple (almost black) berries. And the most unusual of the mountain ash are amazing trees, whose fruits are painted in a snow-white color. These include Kene Rowan and Kashmiri . nine0003

Rowan berries are a valuable food for birds. Due to increased bird demand, some trees may be bare by January, so make sure to enjoy this eye-catching feast in the first half of winter.

• Adult size : 1.5 to 12 meters, depending on the species and variety.
• Exposure : sun, light partial shade.
• Fruit color : red, orange, yellow, pink, burgundy, dark purple, white
Rowan (Sorbus). © jlcummins

2. Ornamental Apple Tree

In spring, we admire ornamental apple trees covered in pink, red or white flowers. In summer, they can please with reddish foliage. And with the onset of autumn, decorative apple trees are decorated with beads of tiny apples. The size of the fruits of ornamental apple trees is on average 2.5 centimeters, and thanks to the long stalks, they can be mistaken for unusual cherries from afar.

By the way, the fruits of most ornamental apple trees are quite bitter in taste and need alternating frosts and thaws before they become suitable for birds to eat. Birds turn to apples last when other fruits in the garden disappear. nine0003

There are many different types and varieties of ornamental apple trees, they differ not only in the color and shape of the flower, habit and foliage, but also in the duration of the preservation of fruits on the branches. Since some varieties of apple trees fall off immediately after ripening, before choosing a variety, it is better to study in advance information about the shelf life of fruits on branches. In particular, varieties that preserve fruits in winter include: ‘Butterball’ , ‘John ​​Downie’ , ‘Harvest Gold’ , ‘Wintergold’ and some others.

• Adult size : 2.5 meters to 10 meters or more, depending on variety.
• Exposure : full sun.
• Fruit color : red, orange, yellow.
Ornamental apple tree (Malus). © Lyudmila Svetlitskaya

Read more about growing ornamental apple trees in the article Ornamental apple trees.

3. Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn ( Hippophae ) is a colorful fruit shrub with narrow silvery leaves and orange berries that remain on the branches throughout the winter. This is a very stable and hardy plant, tolerant of infertile soil and close standing groundwater. Sea buckthorn is a valuable fruit crop. Its fruits contain vitamins A, C, groups B, E, K and P, and are also rich in other substances important for human health.

When planting sea buckthorn, it is important to bear in mind that a male and female plant is needed for pollination. Sea buckthorn often gives growth, but it is well cut. The plant can be shaped into a rounded bush, which, thanks to its delicate silvery foliage, will look very decorative. Birds willingly eat sea buckthorn berries in winter, and most of all they are interested in the seeds in the fruits, and they leave the juicy pulp intact. nine0003

• Adult size : 1 meter to 6 meters.
• Exposure : full sun.
• Fruit color : various shades of orange.
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae)

Read more about the varieties and cultivation of sea buckthorn in the article Sea buckthorn - will take away any dashing.

4. Rosehip

This well-known storehouse of vitamin C decorates the garden with large fragrant flowers at the beginning of summer. Modern varieties have rosehip ( Rosa ) there are magnificent densely double flowers that can be easily confused with a rose. But if you have to forget about roses until spring, then rose hips will decorate the landscape in winter.

Terry wild roses are represented by such popular varieties as Agnes (bright yellow flowers), Muscoza (pink), Konrad Ferdinand Meyer (white) and others.

A separate line of wild roses was bred in order to obtain the largest and sweetest fruits, and in some varieties they can reach a weight of 9gram. Fruit rose hips include: "Oval" , "Titan" , "Jubilee" and others. The fruits of large-fruited rose hips are not only brewed as tea, but various dishes are also prepared from them - jam, compote, jelly and jam. Looks very exotic prickly rosehip , whose fruits are almost black.

• Mature plant size : usually 1.5-3 meters.
• Exposure : full sun.
nine0037 Fruit color : orange, red, dark purple.
Rosehip (Rosa). © Lyudmila Svetlitskaya

5. Common viburnum

In the summer of common viburnum ( Viburnum opulus ) is decorated with lacy caps of snow-white inflorescences, which look very impressive against the background of dark green maple-like foliage. In autumn, the multi-colored elegant foliage of the viburnum is a fantastic sight. But the colorful berries of common viburnum deserve special attention. nine0003

Bright red clusters, decorated with snow-white caps of snow in winter, delight the eye almost more than New Year's garlands. And it is especially interesting to observe bullfinches or noisy flocks of crested waxwings on the viburnum bush. Some varieties of viburnum are distinguished by golden yellow translucent berries, for example, "Xanthocarpum" .

Viburnum berries keep well until about the middle of winter, before they are completely eaten by birds. Kalina grows well on moist soils, tolerates the proximity of groundwater and stagnant water. nine0003

• Mature plant size : tree or shrub 1.5 to 4 meters high.
• Exposure : sun, light partial shade.
• Fruit color : red, yellow.
Common viburnum (Viburnum opulus). © Lyudmila Svetlitskaya

Read more about the plant in the article Kalina - all about growing.

6. Hawthorn

Hawthorn ( Crataegus ) has many species. Most often in landscaping in the middle lane you can find such varieties as: hawthorn blood red , common , spot , semi-soft , canadian and others. Depending on the species and variety, hawthorn berries range from small to relatively large, and, in addition to the traditional red, can be dyed in other colors.

Hawthorn usually bears abundant fruit, making the trees look very elegant, as if decorated with a garland. Hawthorn fruits attract many birds, but most often you can see thrushes on them. nine0003

Incredibly beautiful varieties of hawthorn with double flowers in pink shades are often found on sale, for example, Paul Scarlett. About However, from the point of view of winter decorativeness, such varieties are of no value, since they are sterile and do not set fruits.

Large-fruited varieties of hawthorn with very tasty large fruits, which are often grown in orchards, are also not very suitable for decorating a winter garden. They almost completely crumble after they are ripe. nine0003

• Mature plant size : depending on the species, shrub 2.5-3 meters tall or tree up to 12 meters, easy to cut.
• Exposition : sun.
• Fruit color : red, yellow, orange, brownish, almost black.
Hawthorn (Crataegus)

Read also our article Hawthorn is the king of ornamental shrubs.

7.

Derain

Derain ( Cornus ) is a popular horticultural shrub highly valued for its brightly colored foliage. Some varieties decorate gardens in winter with very bright coloring of young shoots (bright crimson, orange and yellow). There are several types of deren in the culture. The most common of them is white derain, the natural forms of which also grow in the middle lane in the wild.

In winter, the shrub is decorated with bright white berries with a slight bluish tinge. In autumn, these snow-white fruits are incredibly spectacular against the backdrop of bright red foliage. When the leaves fall, they also remain on the shrub and serve as its main decoration. nine0003

Birds simply adore these fruits, but for humans, the berries of this type of derain are very unpleasant in taste and are moderately poisonous. Another type of deren - blood red - is distinguished by resinous dark purple (almost black) berries. These fruits are also inedible, but attractive to birds.

• Mature size : 1.5-3 meters, tolerates shearing well.
• Exposure : partial shade.
• Fruit color : white, dark purple, red in some species.
Derain (Cornus). © naturgucker

8. Snowberry

Snowberry ( Symphoricarpos ) is a low shrub widely used in urban landscaping. Most often, clipped or free-growing hedges are created from it. In the summer, we pay little attention to the snowberry because of its inconspicuous dull green foliage and small, barely noticeable flowers. But as soon as the foliage flies around, the snowberry will immediately sparkle with many snow-white berries, sticking around the bushes like small snowballs. nine0003

The snowberry seems so ordinary to us that it is rarely planted in the garden, and at best - settled in the front garden. However, modern shrub varieties have very unusual pink berries, which has revived interest in the culture among gardeners. Such varieties of the snowberry as "Mather of Pearl" with very large berries, as well as "Magic Berry" and "Amethyst" have a pink color. Snowberry berries are poisonous!

• Mature size : Shrub 1 to 2.5 meters, depending on variety.
• Exposure : light partial shade, sun.
• Fruit color : white, pale pink.
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos). © Lyudmila Svetlitskaya

Read also our article Luxurious necklaces of Dorenboz snow berries.

9. Elderberry

Garden forms Elderberry ( Sambucus ) have recently gained more and more fans among gardeners. Elderberry has very beautiful carved leaves, which can have different colors: golden ( "Plumosa Aurea" ), dark purple ( "Black Lake" ), white bordered ( "Madonna" ).

This is a very hardy plant that grows quickly and requires almost no maintenance. Berries red elderberry (carpus) are inedible. The fruits of black elderberry are edible, but still they are not recommended to be eaten in large quantities without prior heat treatment or drying.

Black elderberries are widely known for their beneficial properties. Most often, syrup or lozenges are made on their basis, which are indicated in the treatment of colds. Elderberry roots are believed to repel mice and rats. nine0003

• Mature size : Shrub 1.5 to 3.5 meters.
• Exposure : sun, light partial shade.
• Fruit color : red, dark purple.
Elderberry (Sambucus). © Sarah

See also our article Elderberry Ornamental Career.

Dear readers! Plants with winter berries are not only a decoration of the garden, but also a valuable source of food that can save the lives of many species of wild birds.

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