Is it Worth Planting for Winter Interest?

One front most people are united on is their hatred of winter, which seems to bring nothing but slush, bitter coldness, and lethargy. Even gardeners that espouse nature find it hard to appreciate what is known as ‘winter interest.’ Many don’t bother planting for winter interest, not when they are better off inside the warmth of their homes. The red twigs of dogwood seem garish, and most conifers are downright plain, lacking any so called ‘interest.’ 

However, subtle winter interest is still lovely when a quiet group of plants is coated in hoar frost – that elusive dusting of snow that transforms mundane optics into a winter wonderland. 

 

What is Winter Interest

Winter interest refers to any plant material that remains standing and adds visual appeal during the colder months. Ornamental shrubs, evergreens, and berry bearing shrubs are typical, as are less obvious choices, including hydrangeas that hold onto their blooms. Winter interest includes:

• Evergreens: These plants keep their leaves throughout the winter, providing formal color and structure.

• Winter-Blooming Plants: Some plants, like certain varieties of hellebores or witch hazel, bloom even in the lull of winter. 

• Textured Plants: Ornamental grasses, seed heads, and shrubs with interesting bark or shape can add texture and movement.

• Wildlife Habitat: Providing food or shelter for birds and other creatures adds life to a winter garden.

Is Winter Interest Worth It?

Winter interest goes beyond aesthetic appeal – many plants form the backbone of a dwindling down ecosystem. Plants like holly, berries, and seed heads provide much-needed sustenance for birds and other foragers, while dense shrubs and trees offer shelter. 

Winter interest truly shines when the color recedes and the architectural forms of plants become apparent under a dusting of snow. The most successful winter gardens are built on the concept of layering, with languid ornamental grasses as the ground layer and evergreen mounds and spires as the upper layer. Color is passingly noted – it is recommended that you integrate redtwig dogwoods into a green-blue background so they can stand out. 

While winter interest is definitely feasible in some gardens, there are also instances where it is not wise. Planting near driveways where large-scale snow removal occurs can cause damage to plants. Gardeners in warmer climates may also find it more conducive to plant for winter interest, as there is a greater selection of plants. 

 

Recommended Plants for Winter Interest

Plants in the winter often lack the theater and vibrancy of summertime, but remember, you aren’t ‘planting’ for winter interest. In reality, you are selecting plants that dazzle during the other months and don’t become completely useless under layers of snow. Raised garden beds, frost covers, and greenhouses all help prolong and protect your winter garden. 

Seven Son Flower Tree

Seven Son Flower Tree is an extraordinary tree that is unmatched when it comes to year-round interest. In late summer, its barrage of extremely aromatic white blooms persists, turning into a beautiful rust-magenta red. Pollinators such as monarchs, swallowtails, bees and hummingbirds flock to it at its height. Even its peeling bark is appealing, left standing in winter as an elegant framework. 

Wintersweet 

One of the best attributes of wintersweet is its deliciously intense fragrance, its yellow flowers, which range from a waxy translucence to butter yellow, complemented by its cinnamon scented bark. Its scent is arguably the best, not only because it blooms in the dead of winter when nothing else does. It requires only minimal pruning in exchange for abundant displays. 

Golden Mop Threadleaf False Cypress

Are you tired of your neighbor’s scraggly, browning line of evergreens, desiccated to the point that they no longer retain any trace of green? Not all evergreens are intended as overused background plants in the environment. A ground-hugging mound that is truly mop-like, this evergreen is not actually green, but a golden chartreuse color that is best in full sun. 

Viburnums

It’s only a matter of time before the swell of summer gives way to the dreariness of winter. Still, some plants persist, with viburnums producing crimson-red berries that birds will strip clean. In the wild, it is found in wet sites and can tolerate moist conditions. Brandywine is a rare viburnum that features multi-hued berry clusters, earning it the descriptor of “the most beautiful berry display in the plant kingdom.” 

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Although the pyramidal seed heads of coneflowers aren’t the most spectacular, their faithful nature means that it can be the difference between life and death for birds and other overwintering animals. The brown stalks punctuate the stark whiteness of the landscape, becoming its barebones. Plant alongside pink muhlygrass, another native, to amplify winter interest. 

Christmas Fern 

During the cold, dark days of winter, most plants die back, but the Christmas fern stays, forming verdant rosettes of foliage. It grows in neat clumps, prefers moist, woodland conditions, and is beloved for its ability to remain evergreen even in severe winters. Among its virtues, it helps sustain important wildlife.   

Grow Plants Indoors

If planning for winter interest is too much work, then there is a no-fuss solution that will appeal to even the laziest gardener – even disastrously unlucky gardeners can find pride in nurturing successful plants. With this set of self-watering indoor planters, your plants will thrive with or without you. Moisture-loving herbs like basil, parsley, and mint will benefit from the constant moisture delivered by wicking cells found in these self-watering planters.