Master class on winter shrubs: the best specialized content

Is your garden lacking winter color? Get inspired by these professional independent gardeners and find out how to enjoy intoxicating floral scents, berry wreaths, colorful stems and interesting foliage during the coldest and darkest months of the year.

If you’re planning a new project with wildlife in mind, check out our online collection of winter-berrying shrubs. Our winter flowering shrubs will brighten up the gloomiest of days. For a strong, structural statement, check out our fiery cornelian shrubs.

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticulture team and updated on July 30, 2024.

Choose yellow flowers for winter cheer.

Mahonia flowers bring sunny yellow to the winter garden
Image: Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ from Thompson & Morgan

“There’s nothing like a splash of bright yellow to cheer up a winter day,” say the gardening experts at the Thompson & Morgan blog. Top winter shrubs with their favorite bright yellow flowers include Coronilla valentina subsp. Glauca “Citrina”, Hamamelis x Intermedia “Arnold Promise”, Mahonia x Media. Read the full article to see if any other flowers, vines, grasses or shrubs made the shortlist.

Supporting wildlife with mahonia that blooms in winter

bright yellow mahonia flowers
Image: Nettles and petals

Are you looking for an evergreen shrub that will support birds and pollinators during the colder months? If so, mahonia is the perfect choice, says Jamie of Nettles and Petals. Birds and pollinators love its “prickly, colorful foliage, bright yellow winter flowers and striking clusters of purple berries.” If you’ve never seen mahonia flowers up close before, watch Jamie’s short video to see how this incredibly clever winter-blooming shrub ensures pollination.

Plant bright stems next to dark evergreens

Cornus Sanguinia ‘Midwinter Fire’ has bright red stems
Image: @sarahpajwani at St Timotee

“Depending on the variety you choose, dogwood shrubs and willows offer bark in tones ranging from bright yellow to all kinds of orange to deep red,” says top garden designer Richard Schmidt on @greengenus Masu. Planting dogwoods alongside darker evergreens creates a striking contrast that makes them stand out. Check out his Instagram page for great photography and smart garden design advice.

Prune your dogwood in March to create a fiery winter.

Lee keeps her dogwood shrubs in top condition with careful pruning
Image: Garden Ninja

To ensure fiery stems every winter, dogwoods need to be pruned hard in March, explains Garden Ninja’s Lee. Just make sure to plant the plump young shoots and leave them there for three years to help them establish roots, he says. Check out Lee’s great pruning guide to see where you need to cut.

Don’t forget to include winter shrubs in your small garden

Enjoy the viburnum berries and red leaves in winter
Image: Medium-sized garden

A small garden? You can still grow winter shrubs, says Alexandra from The Medium Size Garden. Choose specially bred varieties that are smaller at maturity than larger varieties, such as Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’. Check out Alexandra’s article to see which six winter shrubs Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetie Manor, recommends for late-season interest.

If your soil is acidic, plant skimmia japonica.

Shrubs in winter look even more beautiful with a delicate frost coating
Image: @mrsblake2020

According to Instagrammer @mrsblake2020, skimmia japonica shrubs grow better in gardens with acidic soil. Her male skimmias produce attractive flower buds throughout the cold season and look especially wonderful after light frosts. Check out her full post to learn more interesting facts about this lovely addition to your winter garden.

Add fragrant sarcococca to your winter border

Sarcococca breeds in containers
Image: Sarcococca fucheriana ‘Winter Gem’ by Thompson & Morgan (© Plantipp/Visions BV, Netherlands)

Sarcococca is a “must-have” scent for garden designer Belle Grierson. “I like to grow in containers, so I can move the plants closer to the house in the winter and benefit from their heady scent,” she says. Read this plant expert’s full article about evergreen shrubs of winter interest, and a list of other specimens she recommends for “color, texture, flowers, and a fresh look during the gray winter months.” Please find.

Place winter-blooming climbing shrubs on vertical supports.

Hamamelis petals are reminiscent of fresh lemon peel
Image: @dawns_gardening

Hamamelis or witch hazel is an essential winter scent in Dawn’s enviable Leicestershire garden. “On frosty mornings, I hold my hand over the spidery flowers and inhale the scent,” she says. Another winter-blooming shrub she loves is honeysuckle. Check out the gorgeous images of her Honeysuckle Purpsy “Winter Beauty”. “Small, sweet-scented, creamy white flowers bloom on bare stems,” she explains. Dawn’s gardens are carefully planted to provide plenty of winter charm. For more information, follow her at @dawns_gardening.

Spice up your celebrations with winter berries

Winter berries will make your garden look even more festive for Christmas
Image: @getplantinghort

“In the run-up to Christmas, plant some attractive fruit-bearing shrubs in your garden,” says BBC Beechgrove presenter Kirsty Wilson. She recommends the cotoneaster shrub, which has festive bright red berries and dark glossy foliage. Berries are also a great food source for winter wildlife. Scroll through Kirsty’s Instagram page (@getplantinghort) for more top gardening tips.

Provide bird-friendly berries during the coldest months

This viburnum has bright red fruits that turn black when ripe.
Image: Viburnum plicatum f. Thompson & Morgan’s tomentosum ‘Kilimanjaro Sunrise’

For a hard-working shrub that provides charm in many seasons, try Viburnum ‘Kilimanjaro Sunrise’, according to @davetheplantman. This triangular shrub, he says, is “reminiscent of the mountains,” and it blooms with elegant pinkish flowers in late spring that fade to pure white through summer. In autumn, the heart-shaped leaves turn a burnt orange color, and in winter, the glossy red fruits ripen to black. Dave says this low-maintenance upright shrub keeps birds happy even in the coldest of months. Check out his friendly TikTok video to learn more.

Plant holly pollinators

Holly ‘Argentea Marginata’ has glossy variegated leaves
Image: Thompson & Morgan holly ‘Argentea Marginata’

Holly is a great option for winter, not just Christmas, says Carol Bartlett of the Sunday Gardener. “An evergreen shrub with brightly variegated leaves and colorful berries, the slow-growing holly is perfect for difficult areas. It’s also very versatile and can be used as a border, an elegant standard, or a wind-resistant hedge. You can also add an interesting addition: Make sure your female shrubs have a male pollination partner to get lots of fruit, she advises in her full article on growing holly. Read on for top tips and growing advice.

We hope our collection of winter shrub content gives you plenty of food for thought. You can find even more inspiration on our shrub advice hub page. Feel free to contact us or share your favorite winter shrubs. Tag us on social media using #YourTMGarden.

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