20 Terrific Plants for Winter Landscapes

As a gardener, it's difficult to imagine looking forward to winter. But what if the coming of winter revealed an entirely new landscape with colors, textures and shapes that can't be seen at any other time of year? What if the coming of winter meant 5 months of beauty without staking, deadheading, pruning or watering a single plant?

There are many wonderful, easy-care shrubs for the winter landscape. Most will keep a low profile from spring through fall, and reappear like old friends when cold weather arrives. Here are 20 of my favorites:

When the world fades to grey, these shrubs show their true colors.

Shrubby Dogwood Tip: To ensure bright color, prune dogwoods each spring to remove some older branches and allow more new growth. The newer branches show better color.

• Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (coral-red branches)
• Cornus alba 'Bud's Yellow' (yellow)
• Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (orange-red)

• Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea' (yellow)
• C. pisifera 'Boulevard' (blue)

Creeping Juniper

• Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltoni' (blue)
• J. horizontalis 'Mother Lode' (yellow)

Holly

• Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Angel' (blue-green leaves, red berries)
• I. x meserveae 'Golden Girl' (green leaves, yellow-orange berries)

Evergreen holly is adorned with showy, bright-red fruit.

• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
• Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea)
• Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)
• Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum, V. dilatatum, V. lentago, V. opulus, V. rhytidophyllum and V. trilobum).

• River birch (Betula nigra)
• Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
• Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
• Grasses (Miscanthus sp., Panicum sp.)

• Boxwood globe (Buxus)
• Irish yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata')
• Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (Corylus avellana)
• Flowering Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia, C. florida and C. kousa)