5 Best Plants for Winter Landscaping
When winter approaches, all the leaves fall from the trees and leave them bare, and most other foliage in your yard will lose its color and go dormant as well. You can avoid all that by taking some new steps and some fresh ideas in winter landscaping that will add a touch of life and color to your surroundings throughout the long, cold winter.
Evergreen shrubs and trees in particular add a great deal of color and interest to the winter landscape, especially if you choose varieties that are tall enough to be visible above the snowpack. Another factor you should consider is that it would be good to choose species that attract birds and other wildlife during winter, so as to inject a little more life into the outdoor scene. Here are some of the best winter landscaping plants you can choose to liven up your outdoors through the winter.
Christmas Holly shrub
One really good choice for your winter landscape is Evergreen Holly, because it has some beautiful year-round foliage in addition to bright red berries that provide a powerful attraction to many different kinds of birds. Sprigs of Holly which have been trimmed from shrubs like these for use in holiday decorations. There are some varieties of this shrub that are perfectly appropriate even for climates in the far north. Some varieties of Holly grow as tall as 8 feet, and most have either red or black berries, which are powerfully appealing to wildlife.
Yew shrubs
This is another plant which is often used around holiday times for decoration. These are conifers which have Evergreen needles and bright red berries, which are sure to liven the scene up outside. The only drawback to these plants is the fact that the berries will be toxic if ingested, and so are the needles. That means if you have children or pets, you’ll have to be very sure that they don’t interact with the yew shrubs, and that they understand the inherent danger.
Canadian hemlock trees
While this may not be your first choice when it comes to planting some winter flora, it can definitely add a great deal of appeal to your winter landscape. In its natural state, the hemlock tree can grow as tall as 60 feet or more, but breeders have created another variety which can be used as a shrub or hedge outside your home. You can trim it to any height you want, and you can use it as a standalone plant or in the midst of a hedge to provide a windbreak.
Plume grass
To inject some variety into your winter landscape plantings, you might want to consider the addition of some perennial grass like plume grass. This is an ornamental grass which has fluffy foliage and stately, thin shafts, both of which can add tremendous visual appeal to any winter landscape. This particular type of ornamental can grow as tall as 11 feet and as wide as 4 feet. It can be grown in most northern climates, and it has a variety of different colors, including white, purple, orange, and beige.
Red Osier dogwood
An extremely hardy plant, the Dogwood can survive in many different areas of the country, including the far north. In the springtime, red osier dogwood produces white blooms which are quickly followed by fruits all over the planet. In wintertime, you can rely on it providing a good deal of color, because the bark of the plant will be either red or burgundy. It can grow as tall as 10 feet and just as wide, and that fiery, red color in the wintertime will definitely light up your landscape.
