You’ll forget all about evergreens when you feast your eyes on these colorful deciduous winter stunners
If the season of a garden were liken to a 24-hour interval , then the Northern Hemisphere ’s wintertime would doubtlessly be night . It is moth-eaten , it is long , and it is obscure . Gone are the warmlycolored trees of autumn , the sizzle perennial of summertime , and the cheeryephemeralsof spring . If , in fact , we pore on all we miss in wintertime , our hope in gardening might start to wither .
But all is not mislay . There are plant that lighten the emptiness in winter ( and , no , they are n’t those predictableevergreens ) . Some wintertime star topology have unequaled features such as incredible architecture andbark , which are always present but hidden most of the twelvemonth by an abundance of leafage . Other decorative options flush in this saturnine time of year or display out - of - the - average theme coloration — temporary blips of colouring that prompt us of brighter twenty-four hours . Some of these stellar plants , of class , shine more than others and , therefore , merit a stead in your landscape . wintertime after winter , you’re able to bet on the following industrial plant to be beacons of interest , pulling us into the garden for a show at an unexpected time of twelvemonth .
‘Winter Beauty’ redtwig dogwood is a new version of an old favorite
Name:Cornussanguinea‘Winter Beauty’
Zones:4 to 7
Size:6 to 12 infantry tall and all-encompassing
condition : Full Dominicus to fond shade ; moist , well - enfeeble soil
‘ Winter Beauty ’ redtwig cornel is a work of art . The broad green leave-taking that plough lightly yellow in declination are a velum hiding stems that change into a myriad of warm colors once cooler weather condition arrives . It ’s as if this dogwood has an underlying yellow priming coat and the sun ’s rays have airbrushed the young segment red ; that ’s because the colors are most acute on the side confront the sun . This creates an unusual effect on the young stems : As you progress down the shoots , the color pattern begin as a bicolor crimson - chickenhearted , transitions to orange , and terminate in yellowed . If you obviate pruning the industrial plant to the ground every yr , you ’ll be able to enjoy the creamy bloodless flowers that seem in midspring on old wood , followed by inglorious fruit .
‘Bihou’ Japanese maple creates fireworks in the landscape
Name:Acerpalmatum‘Bihou’
Zones:5 to 8
Size : Up to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Most agree that coral barque Nipponese maple ( A. palmatum‘Sango - kaku ’ , Zones 5–8 ) is center confect in the garden . Most of the yr , it is wrapped in green palmate leaves , which change state buttery icteric – orange in fall . When rime unwraps the tree , it reveals beautiful bark , commonly a delightful cherry red-faced coloration . With ‘ Bihou ’ Japanese maple , however , you get a show that tops any coral barque Japanese maple . The central ramification wrick orangish and then banana - skin yellow from the outside in . ‘ Bihou ’ can be allow to fully mature into a minor Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , or it can be prevent on a dieting : Allow a 3- to 4 - foot - tall bod to get and then cut subsequent growth back every other year . This practice keeps the young halt fresh and shining and the scrumptious vividness closer to eye stratum . As is the case with many Nipponese maples , immature twigs can suffer some dieback during winter ; just curtail off any dead branch when you see them . The coloring material of ‘ Bihou ’ is worth the casual maintenance .
‘Flame’ willow is a conflagration of color
Name:Salix‘Flame’
Zones:4 to 8
sizing : Up to 20 invertebrate foot tall and broad
Conditions : Full sunlight ; moist soil
For most of the year , the fore of ‘ Flame ’ willow tree are hidden in a haze of lance - shaped green farewell with an ash-gray - emblazon underside . But in fall , when the foliage turn yellow and drop , it ’s as if someone lit this works on fire ; each base is suddenly inflamed with a fiery crimson - orange tree color . The high - get through kindling stems cauterize bright against the backdrop of newly fallen snow . The color begins to smolder to orange tree - yellowness in spring before the tree leafs out . Like most willow tree , ‘ Flame ’ is a debauched cultivator , once established , and can quickly fill a hole in the landscape or serve as a tight - growing covert or windbreak .
‘Lace Parasol’ winged elm provides stately structure
Name:Ulmus alata‘Lace Parasol’
Zones:6 to 9
condition : Full sun ; well - drained stain
wing elm has always been a playfulness breakthrough for me during my wintertime walks . Without the serrated gullible leaves that have covered it for most of the time of year , the corked wings on the vernal branches make it easy to flush out of the fencerows . wing elm tree will typically become a moderate - sizing tree , 30 to 60 feet grandiloquent ; the tears habit of ‘ Lace Parasol ’ , however , countenance gardener with small properties to enjoy this umbrella - forge native tree in their yards , too . Underplanting it with perennial is a overbold use of space , but if you have nipper , consider go forth the base bare ; ‘ Lace Parasol ’ make a great tree cave to run under and veil . to boot , if a limb or two ever necessitate pruning , the corky branch add a bumpkinly and strange style to seasonal decorations . Because of this cultivar ’s bantam size , it is less probable to attract Scolytus bark beetles , vectors of Dutch elm disease , making the tree less likely to become infected .
Nothing comes close to resembling ‘Flying Dragon’ hardy orange
Name:Poncirus trifoliata‘Flying Dragon’
Zones:5 to 9
Size:8 to 20 feet improbable and 8 foot wide
condition : Full sun ; acid , well - drain soil
Believe it or not , this close congener to oranges will grow in chilly zones and return dependably each yr . The name of this cultivar of hardy orange alludes to the mystical notion this plant evokes ; when you see ‘ fast-flying Dragon ’ leafless , you ’ll think you ’ve stepped into a pouf tale . Its impenetrable sight of contorted , distorted , spiny branches reminds me of the brambles that many a bomber and heroine have face in fables . But do n’t be fool away : No matter how evil it look , these traits make the plant life truly awesome . staunch loaded with snow are abstract art at its adept . The industrial plant ’s dense and briery growth allow it to be used as an effective hedge , too . And when everything else bet drab and brownish in wintertime , its sulphurous green root word are a welcome pappa of color . Once the growing time of year reappearance , ‘ Flying Dragon ’ will continue to mesmerize . Its trifoliate unripened leave , spring - flowering white blossom , and green yield that ripen scandalmongering ( and resemble small oranges ) will forget gardener “ felicitous ever after ” wintertime ’s leaving .
‘Sterling Silver’ spiketail wears pearls in winter
Name:Stachyurus praecox‘Sterling Silver’
Zones:6 to 8
Size:6 to 14 foot tall and spacious
experimental condition : Full Lord’s Day to fond shade ; moist , acidulent , well - drained soil
Spiketails are sometimes tardy to the winter company : They can blossom deep — so late , in fact , that they may sport flush and leaf at the same time . But you may not omit them from your garden because , despite their periodic irregular behavior , they are one of the best shrub for wintertime interest . The buds , held on wiry black stems , swell — one by one — in a descending fashion before bursting into full prime in late winter , giving plant life the appearance that they are clothe in strands of pearls . ‘ Sterling Silver ’ is a howling selection that continues to shine after the winter soiree due to its bluish leafage with cream - gloss margins . It is a just performer in a wide range of zone , but in the South , it should be give some spectre to preclude scorching .
‘Traveller’ redbud has weeping architecture to adore
Name:Cerciscanadensisvar.texensis‘Traveller’
Size:5 to 10 feet tall and wide
Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; moist , fat , well - drained ground
esteem for redbuds continues to grow because of their foliage diversity : colouration admit violet , chartreuse , yellow , babble , and variegated unripe and white . While the current hype is focused on leafage , you’re able to not ignore the exceptional look of ‘ Traveller ’ redbud when it ’s destitute of leaves . Its weeping , sinuous branches resemble a relaxed waterfall . While Cercis canadensis are typically not mammoth - size Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , ‘ Traveller ’ offers gardeners a smaller alternative . Aside from its winter interest , the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has sensational magenta flowers in early natural spring before its leaves emerge . If you get this flora when it ’s youthful , you have the pick of direct it to be more just using a stake .
Photo: courtesy of Buchholz Nursery
Fox Valley™ river birch provides exceptional bark without much height
Name:Betula nigra‘Little King’
Zones:4 to 9
Size:10 to 20 feet tall and broad
atmospheric condition : Full sunlight ; moist , acidic soil
Photo: courtesy of Buchholz Nursery
Plants with well - pronounce exfoliating barque are form acts all yr because , even when they ’re covered with leaf , you ca n’t miss the trees ’ best trait . River birch tree is the ultimate object lesson , with its sheets of peeling , parchment - like , milklike white barque . But it really puts on a show in winter , when the serrate leave drop . Thanks to its midget stature , Fox Valley ™ river birch tree keeps the performance visible at eye point . humble branch can be pruned to help exhibit the legs of the tree , and groupings foreground the exfoliation good than a unmarried specimen . If you ’re favourable enough to live somewhere where autumns are colorful , you might get a idle yellow leaf translation with this birch , as well .
‘White Tigress’ snakebark maple has bejeweled branches
Name:Acertegmentosum‘White Tigress’
Size:20 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide
term : Full sun to partial tint ; plentiful , moist , well - drain soil
The first clip that I construe ‘ White Tigress ’ snakebark maple a full canopy of leafage shrouded the torso and stems in dense shade , yet the unbelievable bark — emerald green with zig - zaggy diamond - like crack — still polish through . That was in the dead of summertime , so just imagine how this tree dazzle in wintertime . In addition to its grand bark , ‘ White Tigress ’ is an appealing choice for almost any garden because of its small stature , the lovely tincture it casts , and its amber - colored fall foliage . use a yearly cupful or two of lime around the root zone helps the barque expect brighter and a little more polished . This tree is best sited in moist , well - drained soil ( with some shade in southerly zones ) . Treat the tenuous bark with care by keeping mower and string trimmer away to prevent any hazardous track that might invite disease or infection .
Photo: courtesy of Buchholz Nursery
Want the best color?Grab those pruners
Many plant with colorful stems — willows , bush - form dogwoods , and some Nipponese maple — profit from judicious pruning every twelvemonth . This practice session is particularly important because it ’s the young growth that exhibits the most vibrant color . Pruning for these type of plant life should be done in late wintertime to early outflow .
Cut willows back by one-third
For the first three years , cut roughly one - third of the largest willow branches down to the ground . Once established , the plants should be coppiced ( prune back to the woody fistlike structure at ground stratum , photo above ) every other year .
Use your thumb to determine when to trim dogwoods
Each twelvemonth , snub out any branches of bush - form dogwood tree that are thicker than a ovolo ( half an inch in diam ) . This let colored new growth to emerge but does n’t sacrifice all the blossom , which are do on old wood .
Prune Japanese maples with care
Cutting these Tree is a delicate operation . By just cut off broken or crossing branches each year , you ’ll keep a pleasing condition but still get colorful new stems .
Jared Barnes is a nurseryman , horticulture speaker , and doctoral candidate in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University .
Photos , except where noted : Danielle Sherry
Photo: Joshua McCullough
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