As winter brings to the garden cold soils and outdoor temperatures, many outdoor plants emerge to flourish in the harsh weather, when most plants are dormant for the season. Winter-loving plants often are evergreen, meaning they retain their foliage all year long. Hardy and long-lived, evergreens help to provide color to an otherwise colorless landscape. Tucked within a perennial bed or flanking a front walk, winter flowers and plants add vibrancy to the garden.
As an evergreen and winter-loving shrub, camellia (Camellia japonica) thrives in the outdoor winter weather. Growing 8 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, camellia shrubs have an upright, pyramidal shape that is dense. The semi-double to double flowerheads emerge in winter to light up the garden with color. Growing in white, red, pink and variegated varieties, camellia shrubs have a slow to moderate growth rate. The leather-like, dark green foliage is shiny and grows 2 to 4 inches long. Camellia shrubs require partial shade and well-drained, acidic soil that is nutrient-rich. Plant camellias in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 9.
Blue Atlas Cedar
Blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') is an evergreen tree with a rapid growth rate that remains vibrant during winter. Growing 60 to 100 feet tall and 40 feet wide, blue atlas cedar trees create a commanding presence in the winter landscape. The open, pyramidal shade and plethora of lower branches casts dense shade. Drought-tolerant blue atlas cedar trees have blue to silver needles that grow in 1-inch spirals, the thickest of all cedar varieties. The barrel-shaped cones grow 2 to 3 inches long to sit atop the stiff branches. Versatile blue atlas cedar trees require full sun to partial shade and a range of soil varieties, including sandy, dry and clay soils. Blue atlas cedar trees do not tolerate wet or poorly drained planting sites. Plant blue atlas cedar in zones 6 to 9.
Lenten rose, also called hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) is an evergreen plant with winter-blooming flowers that emerge in winter to light up the garden. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and in erect clumps, Lenten rose flowers grow in a wide range of colors, including, pink, white, purple and green. Saucer-shaped Lenten rose blooms are 2.5 inches wide and appear as if they are nodding down to the ground. The foliage on Lenten rose is shiny and dark green with a toothed edging. Lenten rose requires light to moderate amounts of shade and well-drained soil. Plant Lenten rose in zones 3 to 9.