Top 10 Plants for Winter Garden Colour!
Our picks for plants to bring colour to your winter garden. When we think about winter, we think about the cold, rainy days and dull landscapes. Many people prefer to retreat to the warm and cozy indoors since many trees are bare, there are very few flowers blooming, and the garden has lost its usual appeal. If that is the case for your garden, this list is perfect for you! There are so many plants to pop in the garden to make it look great year-round and entice you back into the garden, even on the gloomiest of winter days. These are colourful, winter hardy, and easy to grow!
And don’t forget, winter is the best time to plan and prepare your garden for the warmer growing months. So now is the best time to prepare your soil, get mulching and if you’re really in need of help, book a Free Garden Design with Chris!
Top 10 Plants for Winter Garden Colour!
- Dwarf Nandina
- Coprosma ‘Pacific Sunset’
- Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’
- Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
- Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’
- ‘Sweet Mist’ Flax
- Coprosma ‘Evening Glow’
- Acer ‘Senkaki’ Japanese Maple
- Callicarpa ‘Beautyberry’
- Yellow or Red Stemmed Dogwoods
Honourbale Mentions
1. Dwarf Nandina
This hardy plant reaches a size of approximately 40 cm x 40 cm and demands minimal maintenance. Nandina domestica ‘Nana’ or ‘Dwarf Nandina’ thrives even in poor soil conditions and colder temperatures, these conditions can often result in an even more vibrant shade of red. Consider utilizing Dwarf Nandina as a border or as infill among other shrubs. When mass-planted, its red hues will warm your garden.
We have a few different varieties of Nandina available, check them out here!
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
2. Coprosma ‘Pacific Sunset’
This Coprosma provides brilliant red foliage that intensifies as the weather cools down. Reaching a height of approximately 1 to 1.5 m, it serves as an exceptional choice for both hedges and standalone specimens. For an even more striking effect, consider pairing it with Helichrysum ‘Licorice’ or other silver-foliaged plants, this will really make the Coprosma pop.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
3. Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’
As the winter chill sets in, this Euphorbia, known for its compact growth, takes on an even more intense hue of deep purple. In my own garden, I have it surrounded by a low cover of Dimondia ‘Silver Carpet’, creating a beautiful colour contrast where the euphorbia blackbird dominates and stars in the garden.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
4. Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
This slow-growing shrub displays a crisp, deep purple colour that intensifies during the winter months. As winter comes to a close, its deep purple foliage is sprinkled with bright pink, spidery-petaled flowers, creating a striking contrast against the dark purple foliage.
We have more than the ‘Plum Gorgeous’ variety of Loropetalum available too. Check them all out here!
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
5. Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’
Reaching a compact size of approximately 60 cm x 60 cm, this Euphorbia variety boasts beautiful autumn tones of soft green and yellow, complemented by hints of pink and orange. It looks particularly attractive during the winter season.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
6. ‘Sweet Mist’ Flax
Many New Zealand flaxes tend to grow to massive sizes, posing potential challenges, however, the ‘Sweet Mist’ variety offers a dependable solution. This dwarf flax reaches an approximate size of 40 cm x 40 cm, and it’s most appealing feature is it’s exquisite purple foliage with pink undertones. Use it as a low border or mass plant them to fill a garden bed with colour.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
7. Coprosma ‘Evening Glow’
This incredibly resilient plant can be trimmed into a low to medium hedge or, you can let it flourish as a stunning specimen. Its foliage presents a captivating blend of colours, featuring an exciting speckled mix of yellow, pink, green, red, and purple all at once. During the summer, its hues lean towards yellow and green, while the reds and purples intensify as the colder months set in.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
8. Acer ‘Senkaki’ Japanese Maple
The ‘Senkaki’ Maple is a small, upright tree with a vase-shaped growth habit. Its small, soft green foliage takes on a stunning array of gold, pinks, oranges, and reds during the autumn season. When the leaves fall in late autumn, a brilliant show of bright scarlet red stems and branches is revealed. Feature it in a pot or within a garden bed, and consider adding a spotlight to create a night-time garden spectacle.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
9. Callicarpa ‘Beautyberry’
This medium-sized bush produces a colourful treasure trove of tiny, brilliant purple berries that glisten under the winter sun. It serves as an excellent choice to create a point of interest in your garden and provide vibrant winter colours.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
10. Yellow or Red Stemmed Dogwoods
Two popular varieties of Dogwood are known for their captivating winter-coloured stems. Reaching heights of approximately 1.6 m, the Red Stemmed Dogwood, boasts vibrant red stems, while the Yellow Stemmed Dogwood showcases bright yellow stems. These varieties are ideal for incorporating into floral art. By pruning them back during winter, you can encourage the growth of rich clusters of colourful stems, that can create a very strong winter feature.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
Honourable Mentions for Winter colour:
Oak Leaf Hydrangea
A colourful, winter joy, this hydrangea holds a special place as my favourite. Its charm lies in its low-growing nature and the combination of interesting, large, lush green oak leaves and elongated white hydrangea flowers. As summer and autumn unfold, the flowers gracefully fade, and the large oak leaves take on various shades of burgundy. These colourful leaves persist, adding vibrancy to the garden until the arrival of spring when the rich burgundy foliage is replaced with lush green growth.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
Viburnum ‘Awabuki’
This vigorous, medium-growing evergreen shrub is popular to plant as a medium to tall hedge. Throughout the spring and summer seasons it showcases large, deep green, glossy foliage. During winter this plant is adorned with clusters of vibrant red berries. Additionally, a small percentage of the foliage turns a glossy, brilliant red that persists until spring, when new shoots emerge. The combination of these stunning elements—a sprinkling of brilliant red leaves and berries among the rich, glossy green foliage—creates a truly beautiful and interesting feature.
Back to list: Top 10 Winter Garden Colour
Here are some more articles you may like:
Sign up for our newsletter below
We will send you gardening tips, great deals, and exclusive giveaways. Happy Gardening!
