Conquerors of the Cold

Winter is toughest season of the year for those of us who love to garden. The blooms of summer have faded, the days are shorter, the air is cool. Even in Virginia, the weather often keeps us confined to the indoors, able only to dream of spring when we can get back outside to dig in the dirt.
    But don’t despair. There are a number of plants that can provide color and other interest in the landscape on even the darkest, coldest winter days.  
    With a good basic design – which includes trees, shrubs, and grasses that look beautiful in all seasons – your garden can please the eye and provide the promise of fresh wonders in the coming spring. Following are some qualities to look for in a plant that brings joy to the winter months.

Evergreens
    Evergreen trees are an obvious choice for maintaining color in the cold-season garden, and there are a host of options, including golden or yellow-tipped conifers that bring the light of sunshine to the drabbest winter day.  

Ornamental Grasses
    There is a wide selection of hardy perennial varieties to choose from ranging in size from low-growing plants good for edging to tall, stately clumps reaching 10-15 feet tall. Miscanthis sinensis is an invasive, overused grass. Instead consider some of the new sedges (Carex), fountain grass (Pennisetum) hybrids, feather grass (Stipa tenuissima) and rush (Juncus) hybrids. These are graceful grasses that lend themselves to many landscape uses, including containers, and come in a delightful range of foliage colors and textures.  

Silhouettes
    In the deciduous realm of plants, choose ones with that have fascinating silhouettes once the leaves have dropped. Japanese maples are a wonderful choice as are quince trees (Cydonia oblonga) and the contorted willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’). Plant willows near the water in a spot where they can grow to their full natural size.

Berries
    Berry-bearing shrubs and trees are a delight in a winter landscape. Hollies, nandina, cotoneaster and pyracantha all hold their berries into winter. Another good choice is winterberry (Gaultheria procumbens), a native ground cover for shady woodland areas. Other berry-bearing natives include beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) which produces clusters of vivid purple bead-like berries, and winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata). Within the Viburnum genus are many native as well as imported options that produce attractive winter berry displays.
    In addition to their fruiting interest, berry-laden trees and shrubs attract birds such as cardinals, which are like living Christmas ornaments – a joy to watch at any time of year.

Interesting Bark
    Many deciduous trees and shrubs have multicolored and/or peeling bark that stands out dramatically in a winter landscape once the distraction and screen of leaves is gone. Excellent choices for colorful bark are the red-barked dogwood (Cornus alba), a small, multistemmed shrub, and its cousins, the red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’) and the bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea). Because these dogwood species are not particularly attractive in the summer, plant them at the back of the perennial border so they’re hidden when the perennials are starring, and can then take the lead role in winter when the perennials go underground. Mature crape myrtles have beautifully mottled bark.

Winter Flowers
    For winter and early spring flowers, consider hellebores. The deer won’t touch them, and the flowers persist for months. For blooms the first year, purchase larger, more mature plants.  Witch hazel, which you can grow as a large, vase-shaped shrub or a small tree, produces spidery flowers very early in spring. Flower color possibilities include yellow, orange or red. Also consider the native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana.


WINTER WONDERS
Plants recommended for winter interest in Smith Mountain Lake-area gardens.

Evergreens
Cedrus atlantica (Atlas cedar): Look for cultivars such as ‘Argentea’ (pale silvery bluish gray), ‘Aurea’ (yellowish needles), ‘Fastigiata’ (upright form), ‘Glauca’ (blue), and ‘Glauca Pendula’ (blue weeping form).

Cedrus deodora (deodar cedar): Superb specimen tree with graceful, pendulous habit, useful as screen.

Cryptomeria: Comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors; visit a local nursery to check out the selection.

Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’: Evergreen shrub with rosettes of long, narrow dark green leaves edged with yellow; pale pink flower clusters in May.

Ilex spp. (holly): There is a wide choice of suitable evergreen hollies.  Check with your favorite nursery for selection.

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ (false holly): Holly-like shrub with fragrant flowers in October on older plants.

Ornamental Grasses
Carex flagellifera ‘Toffee Twist’ (sedge): Elegant, trailing habit with mahogany colored foliage accented with green and red hues.  Noninvasive and low maintenance.

Carex testacea ‘Orange Sedge’: Tufted evergreen foliage with a clumping growth habit; olive green foliage with orange-brown highlights that turns orange in cold weather.

Juncus decipiens ‘Curly Whirly’ (corkscrew rush): New dwarf cultivar with clump-forming, shiny dark green, corkscrewing and spiraling foliage. 

Juncus 'Quartz Creek' (soft rush): Vertical grower with stiff, dark green leaves; excellent for containers or at water’s edge.  

Pennisetum 'Red Bunny Tails' (fountain grass): Foxtail flower plumes above glossy burgundy-green foliage that is pest and disease free.

Stipa tenuissima (feather grass): Nicely proportioned, delicate grass with hair-like leaves that wave in wind; grows quickly from seed (can be invasive).

Silhouettes
Acer palmatum (Japanese maple): Size and shape vary with cultivars; check with local nurseries or on the internet for selections.

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ (Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick: Deciduous shrub with twisted and spiraling branches, twigs and leaves.

Salix  matsudana 'Tortuosa' (corkscrew willow, ‘Pendula’ is weeping form): Deciduous tree with wisted branches.  Plant near water where it can grow to full size without obstructing view.

Berries
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry): Metallic violet berries clustered around stem in autumn.

Gaultheria procumbens (creeping winterberry or teaberry): Evergreen ground cover; leaves turn reddish in winter with red berries that persist into winter.  Intolerant of drought.

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry): Vividly colored berries in dense clusters on female plants.  Females need male pollinator (1 male for every 5 females).  Cultivars include ‘Winter Gold’ (berries change from a pinkish-orange in fall to a golden-yellow for winter) and ‘Winter Red’ hold fruit longer and ripen sooner.  Grow 'Southern Gentleman' as pollinator.

Viburnum: Many viburnums do well in our area, although in most species the berries turn black by the end of summer or are eaten by the birds.  V. dilatatum ‘Erie’ is round shrub 6’ tall by 10’ with prolific red fruit that turns coral after frost, growing pinker through the winter. 

Interesting Bark
Acer griseum (paperbark maple): Cinnamon brown to reddish brown exfoliating bark reveals lighter tan or salmon color underneath.

Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (coral bark Japanese maple): Cold weather intensifies the color of the coral red winter bark.  Sometimes mistakenly called ‘Corallinum’

Acer pensylvanicum (snake bark or striped maple): Native tree with smooth gray-green bark with showy white and green lengthwise stripes.  Older bark becomes reddish brown.

Amelanchier arborea (downy serviceberry): Light-gray striations on silvery bark; flowers and fall color show best against dark background.

Betula nigra 'Heritage’ (Heritage river birch): Selected varieties have papery exfoliating patches of peach, gray, purple, and orange bark that is highly ornamental; use as a specimen shade tree or in a clustered group.

Betula nigra Fox Valley 'Little King' (dwarf river birch): A dense, compact habit on a showy framework of creamy white bark which exfoliates to expose the brown under layer.

Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ (Red barked dogwood): In winter, stems turn a vivid blood red color;  remove oldest stems each year to promote best stem color.
           
Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ also known as ‘Winter Beauty’ and ‘Winter Flame’ (bloodtwig dogwood) In winter, stems are bright orange-yellow at the base and red at the tips; prune back stems to within few inches of ground each spring for finest color.

Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (yellow twig dogwood): Canary yellow stems in winter; sometimes sold as C. sericea 'Lutea'; can become invasive; spreads by stolons; best color on young, vigorous stems so severely prune in early spring

Platanus occidentalis (sycamore, buttonwood):  Native deciduous tree with red brown, scaly bark near base, exfoliating higher up to expose white to creamy white inner layers.
       
Winter Flowers
Chionodoxa luciliae (Glory of the snow)
Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite)
Galanthus nivalis  and G. elwesii (snowdrops)
Cyclamen coum (hardy cyclamen)

Daphne odora ‘Aurea-marginata’: Evergreen shrub with rosettes of dark green, 3”-long leaves edged with yellow, fragrant, rosy pink flowers clusters in February and March.

Hamamelis x intermedia (witch hazel): Deciduous shrub or small tree produces fragrant blooms in February and March.  Cultivars recommended by Lakescapes Nursery include ‘Arnolds Promise’ (yellow), ‘Jelena’ (copper), and ‘Diane’ (red).  The native witch hazel, H. virginiana, with yellow flowers, is available, but hard to find.

Helleborus species: Deer won’t touch these hardy late winter bloomers that continue in flower until well into spring.