The 15 Best Flowers That Bloom in Winter

You might not think about landscaping in winter, but your yard can be just as beautiful in the winter as in the spring. Imagine a window view of a landscape that is alive with color and texture: bright yellow, red, and white flowers bursting into bloom and lush green, blue, and golden foliage. 

Some winter flowers and shrubs can add the extra dimension and vivacity that we need so badly to enliven our spirits amidst the gloom. By learning a bit about plants that exhibit interesting winter features, you can create a garden that will stand out in every season. Filling the garden with color in winter is less challenging than might first be supposed. 

Best Shrubs and Flowers That Bloom in Winter

1. Witch Hazel

Witch hazel (Hamamelis) looks amazing as a specimen shrub, especially if underplanted with early spring bulbs. This plant’s vibrant spidery flowers in shades of orange, red or yellow clothe its bare branches and have a spicy fragrance. Expect it to bloom from December to March. 

Interestingly, witch hazel has long been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation and skin damage. Freshly cut rods from the plants were also used for water divination.

2. Oregon Grape

The Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) or holly-leaved barberry is a stalwart evergreen with holly-like leaves. It produces dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by ornamental, dark bluish-black berries. The spectacular plumes of flowers have a scent reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley. ‘Charity’ is an excellent variety and is a great focal point for a shady corner.

Both Wintersweet, which smells of honey, and Winter Jasmine are easy to grow and thrive in a sheltered spot. They will both bloom in December to March.

3. Arrowwood Dawn

Arrowwood Dawn (Viburnum bodnantense) is low maintenance and has delightful, scented pink blossoms. In warm winter areas (such as the South and Pacific Northwest coast), flowers bloom on naked stems from late autumn to early spring.

4. Christmas Rose

The Christmas rose, the earliest blooming hellebore, produces persistent white flowers with just a hint of pink in December and January. Cutting some of their ragged leaves off shows them to perfection, no wonder Victorian gardeners used to display them (still growing) under a sheet of plain glass so that rain didn’t damage the delicate petals. They self-seed profusely and hybridize, too, which adds to the excitement of growing them.

5. Dogwood Tree or Shrub

Dogwood trees and shrubs really pop in the winter with vibrant winter stems. The red twig dogwood bears bright red branches that look beautiful against white snow. Dogwood shrubs come in a range of colors, including the burnished gold of ‘Budd’s Yellow’ yellowtwig dogwood, ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’, and Baton Rouge, a true scarlet. My own favorite is ‘Midwinter Fire’, which, true to the name, lights up a dull corner like a brazier.

6. Camellia

Camellia’s vibrant flowers flower throughout winter in pink, yellow, and red. Plus, the glossy leaves are gorgeous. Just be sure to choose a winter-blooming variety.

7. Hardy Cyclamen

Hardy cyclamen (C. Coum) blooms throughout the winter in Zones 5 to 9 with flowers in shades of pinks, purples and white—plus, the decorative foliage is beautiful. 

8. Hollies

Hollies are both traditional and gorgeous, come in red- and yellow-berried varieties, and support a whole range of wildlife, including the Holly Blue Butterfly. 

The winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a species of holly that produces bright red berries that persist throughout the winter and into spring. Sometimes, though, to produce berries, there needs to be both a male and female shrub in the vicinity, so check this if you are buying one.

9. English Yew

English yew grows very slowly, which makes it excellent as a structural plant, good for topiary, and beautiful as dense hedges. Birds love the berries, though they are poisonous to animals and humans. The flowers bloom in late winter.

10. Beautyberry

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a deciduous shrub with gorgeous purple berries in winter and thick green foliage; it supports many bird species.

Also considered the flowers of winter are the red berries of highbush cranberries; the red, yellow, purple, and bronze fruit of crabapples; and the variety of fruit and berries offered by cherries, viburnums, and roses.

Take time in winter to see the bones of your yard. Read about Winter Landscaping: Tune in to the Four Winds.