Summer is not the only time for outdoor floral beauty. There are some flowers that bloom in winter and can rival any summer bloomer.
In addition to providing color against a gray winter sky or snow white landscape, these winter flowers also provide food for passing wildlife and birds. Keep your landscape alive all year with color by planting some of these winter blooming flowers.
Cyclamen
These colorful little plants will bloom in autumn, winter, and spring. Cyclamen will go into dormancy during the heat of summer.
Often sold as houseplants, cyclamen are stunning winter blooming flowers when planted outdoors. The flowers grow equally well in an outdoor hanging basket or planted in-ground and will tolerate below-freezing temperatures (25F or -3C) as long as the soil they are planted in is not soggy.
Plant cyclamen in a sheltered location so the plant will be protected from heavy rain, wind, and direct sun. Allow soil to dry out between watering.
Plant facts
| Common name | alpine violet, Persian violet, sowbread |
| Light | part shade |
| Soil type | clay, loam, sand, chalk |
| Soil drainage | well-drained |
| Height x Width | 3 – 6 x 7 – 8 inches (7.5 -15 x 17.5 – 20cm ) , varies between varieties |
| Flowering seasons | autumn, winter, spring |
| Life span | Perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 5 – 9 |
Hellebores
Also known as the Lenten Rose, hellebores will push their stems up through a snowcovered ground to produce colorful blooms.
These low-growing plants bloom in mid-to-late winter and last until early spring. The bowl-shaped five-petaled blooms display colors like yellow, green, blue, pink, and white.
Plant hellebores in rich, moist soil and partial shade.
Plant facts
| Common name | lenten rose, stinking rose, Christmas rose |
| Light | full sun, part shade |
| Soil type | clay, loam, sand, chalk |
| Soil drainage | moist but well-drained |
| Height x Width | 1 x 2 feet (30 x 60 cm ) , varies between varieties |
| Flowering seasons | winter, early spring |
| Life span | Perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 3 – 9 |
Pieris
This is a broad-leafed evergreen shrub that produces flowers in mid-to-late winter. The white, red, or pink bell-shaped blooms cascade downward and are stunning against the new red leaf growth of the pieris shrub.
Pieris will thrive in partial shade or full sun as long as the soil is rich with compost or other organic matter. Peiris will even thrive in full shade but it may not produce blooms.
The shrub will reach a mature size of 9-12 feet (2.7 – 3.6m) but it does come in a dwarf variety that will be much smaller when mature.
Plant facts
| Common name | Andromeda Japonica, Fetterbush, Japanese Andromeda, Japanese Pieris, Lily-of-the-valley Bush, Pieris |
| Light | full sun, part shade |
| Soil type | loam, sand |
| Soil drainage | moist but well-drained |
| Height x Width | 6x 8 feet (1.8 x 2.4m ) , varies between varieties |
| Flowering seasons | mid – late winter |
| Life span | Perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 5 – 8 |
Winter Aconite
These winter blooming flowers will produce bright yellow blooms when snow is on the ground in late winter. Low-growing (4-inches / 10 cm tall) ground cover re-seeds itself and is ideal for growing on a slope. The plants will emerge from the ground in mid-winter and produce blooms in late winter.
Winter aconite thrives in a sunny location and in almost any soil condition. The yellow blooms provide both pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.
The plant is poisonous and is best planted in landscape areas where there is no foot or pet traffic.
Plant facts
| Genus | Eranthis hyemalis |
| Light | full sun, part sun |
| Soil type | chalk, loam, sand, clay |
| Soil drainage | moist but well drained |
| Height x Width | 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm) |
| Flowering seasons | early Spring, Winter |
| Life span | perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 4 – 9 |
Witch Hazel
This is a winter-blooming shrub that will be covered with small red or yellow blooms from late winter into early spring. Witch hazel also puts on a spectatular autumn foliage display as the leaves turn from green to yellow.
The shrub thrives in full sun and will reach between 10-15 feet (9 – 4.5m) tall when mature. Witch hazel won’t produce blooms until the shrub is 5-6 years old. The blooms contain a natural astringent that is used in home remedies for skin irritations and in commercial cosmetic products.
Plant facts
| Genus | Witch Hazel |
| Light | full sun, part sun |
| Soil type | loam, sand, clay |
| Soil drainage | moist but well drained |
| Height x Width | 15 – 30 x 15 – 20 feet (4.5 – 9 x 4.5 – 6 m) |
| Flowering seasons | early Spring, Winter |
| Life span | perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 5 – 9 |
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