As winter emerges and temperatures plummet, many winter-loving flowers and plants emerge to light up the landscape with color and texture. Many winter flowers are evergreen to keep their foliage color throughout the season. Grown in a wide range of bloom shapes and colors, each with its own distinct growing requirements, these flowers create a showy display among the oftentimes dreary winter landscape.
Winter Daphne (Daphne odora 'Marginata') is a winter-blooming shrub native to China and Japan. Growing 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, winter Daphne has a moderate growth rate and fragrant blooms that emerge in winter to last into spring. The flower buds on winter Daphne are pale pink to open to a crisp white. Frost-tolerant, winter Daphne has variegated foliage edged with yellow, creating a contrasting design to the leaf. Versatile, winter Daphne grows best in full sun to part shade. They require acidic to slightly alkaline soil that is well-drained and nutrient-rich. Winter Daphne does not tolerate being transplanted. Plant winter Daphne in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9.
Winter's Rose Camellia
Winter's rose camellia is an evergreen shrub with a slow growth rate. Growing 4 to 6 feet tall, winter's rose camellia has a compact spreading form and rose-like blooms, hence the name. The showy 2-inch wide pink double flowers on winter's rose camellia emerge in fall to last into winter. The foliage is dark green and leather-like to remain green all year long. As an evergreen, winter's rose camellia retains the leaves throughout the year for a constant source of warmth to the garden. Winter's rose camellia grows best in light shade and moist, well-drained soil. Plant in USDA zones 6 to 9.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis --- intermedia 'Arnold Promise') is a vase-shaped deciduous shrub with fragrant winter-blooming flowers. Growing 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, witch hazel makes an ideal specimen plant grown as the focal point to the landscape. The 3-inch long leaves on witch hazel are medium green to turn yellow in fall. The large yellow flowers are strap-shaped and emerge in mid- to late-winter to crowd themselves on the bare, ascending branches. Witch hazel grows best in full sun to part shade and acidic to neutral soil that is moist and well-drained. Plant in USDA Zones 5 to 9.