Plan to Include Winter Flowers
in Your Garden for
Color and Fragrance

When it comes to plants with winter flowers, there are more choices than you might expect to add life to your winter landscape.

My first choice for flowers for the winter garden is always pansies and violas. These charmers add color and fragrance to your garden in winter and can be used in so many ways--as bedding plants for masses of color, as borders, as accents, to overplant spring bulbs, and in containers. Other annuals for consideration include snapdragons, dianthus, alyssum and ornamental cabbages and flowering kales.

Bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, and reticulated iris that bloom in late winter/early spring are a delight, and can be naturalized in drifts of color that will increase every year. Of course, don't forget amaryllis (HIppeastrum) for indoor holiday color.

Hellebores, certainly, are a must for the winter garden. These tough perennials are beautiful, long-lasting and easy to grow.

There are a surprising lot of winter-blooming shrubs and trees. Though most bloom during periods of warmth and closer to spring, they let us know that winter is almost over, and often have the bonus of delightful fragrance.

Annuals for Winter Flowers

Antirrhinum majus, snapdragons, Zones 7-11.  Snapdragons are tender perennials or biennials, usually used as annuals as they prefer cooler temperatures.  In the South, they are often planted in the fall and will survive the winter to bloom through the spring, and  indeed, often last through the summer. They come in a wide range of colors including white, yellow, peach, orange, pink, red and purple, making them versatile additions to the border.  And, of course, they delight children with their “snapping” mouths—and hummingbirds love them too!

Brassica oleracea capitata, ornamental cabbage and Brassica oleracea acephala, flowering kale, Zones 2-11.  Though ornamental cabbage and flowering kale are in the same genus and species as the vegetables we all know, they are classified as a distinct group and are not generally eaten having a bitter taste.  So, they are used purely as decorative elements and add much to the beauty of the fall and winter garden in containers and as bedding annuals.  In fact, they require cool temperatures to produce the best colors.  In Zone 7 and below they may survive the winter until warmer temperatures cause them to bolt and set seed, at which time they are discarded.  Colors range from white to pink, red and purple with some varieties having finely divided leaves (considered flowering kale) and some with broader leaves that resemble roses (considered ornamental cabbage).  Combine them in containers with pansies and violas, or in beds with other cool weather annuals like dianthus or snapdragons and include some spring bulbs for a lovely display.

Viola cornuta, viola or horned violet, Zones 5-11.  Charming and cheerful, violas are a must in the winter and spring garden. Though smaller than their pansy cousins, they are more cold tolerant, and put on a colorful show with their prolific bloom.  New varieties of violas have been developed in a wide range of colors, including white, yellow, orange, peach, pink, rose, violet, blue, purple, and near black, in bi-color and tri-color combinations.  They are superb for mass planting for drifts of color, to edge a path, in beds, borders, and containers, and make great companions with spring bulbs and cold-tolerant annuals like sweet alyssum, dianthus, English daisies, forget-me-nots, pansies, and wallflowers.

Viola tricolor, Johnny-jump-up, viola, Zones 3-9.  Viola tricolor is one of the species used to develop the pansies and violas we know and love today.  Its charming “face” and tricolors of blue, white and yellow have endeared it to gardeners for centuries.  Easy to grow, and will self-seed where happy.

Viola x wittrockiana, pansy, Zones 4-11.  Pansies are much loved for their rainbow of beautiful colors, cheerful "faces" and fresh scent.  In the milder areas of the country (Zones 7 and above) they are planted in the fall to overwinter and will bloom in the fall, slow down during the coldest part of winter and resume as the days lengthen.  They are best treated as annuals because by the end of May they begin to languish in the growing heat and can be replaced with summer annuals.  Sometimes they will self-seed and reappear in the fall when the temperatures cool off.

Bulbs for Winter Flowers

Crocuses--There are crocuses that bloom in spring and fall, and there are a few that are extra early and bloom in late winter to early spring.

Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch,' Zones 3-8.  An early bloomer, ‘Golden Bunch’ is a cheery sight in late winter or early spring with its burst of golden blooms.

Crocus chrysantha, golden crocus, Zones 4-7.  Another early blooming species of crocus.  There are other colors available besides the yellow of the species—white, cream, blue and purple. 

Crocus etruscus, Zones 5-8. Pale lilac.

Crocus imperati, Zones 5-9. Striped yellow on the outside, purple on the inside.

Crocus sieberi subsp. sublimis ‘Tricolor' Zones 3-8.  An intriguing little purple crocus with a golden throat edged in white, ‘Tricolor’ blooms in late winter to early spring.  In my 7b garden, it bloomed in mid-February; however, one day they were in full bloom, the next the rabbits (or deer) had nibbled them to the ground, so they were not able to return the next year.  But they were charming, so if I try them again I will plant them in a pot.

Crocus tommasinianus, Tommasini's crocus Zones 3-8. Purple.  Nicknamed "tommies" these charmers bloom in late winter to early spring and are great to naturalize in large drifts under the still bare trees where they can be left undisturbed to increase in number.

Cyclamen coum, cyclamen, Zones 6-9.  Cyclamen coum is a late winter, early spring blooming tuber with pretty round, mottled leaves of green and silver.  There are groups with leaves that are primarily silver, or primarily pewter-gray.  Flower colors range from deep pink, to pale pink, to white.  They differ from the autumn-blooming C. hederifolium not only in bloom time, but also in leaf shape—C. coum has a rounder leaf, while C. hederifolium has a pointier one.  Also, the flowers of C coum are shorter, C. hederifolium’s are longer.  This is a lovely choice for a woodland garden to plant at the base of trees and allow to form colonies.  Plant in moist soil enriched with compost or leaf mold.  Grow them together with ferns, hellebores, snowdrops, and primroses.

Eranthis hyemalis, winter aconites, Zones 4-9. These small bright yellow flowers look like they are wearing green Elizabethan collars and often open before the snowdrops.

Galanthus (Snowdrops)—Snowdrops are very popular, especially in the U.K., where one can see large drifts of them blooming in winter into early spring.  So popular, in fact, that enthusiasts are known as galanthophiles, and they collect as many species and cultivars as they can and visit specialist gardens and nurseries. 

Even a few of these charmers in our gardens are welcome in the dead of winter signaling that spring is on the way.  It is easy to multiply them by digging up clumps “in the green” after flowering, dividing them, and replanting.  Interestingly, the seeds that fall are spread by ants and the display can increase rather quickly.  And another benefit is that they are deer-resistant. 

Order bulbs starting in summer from specialist bulb companies and plant as soon as received in the fall.  Grow snowdrops under trees, in woodlands, in containers, even in grass, in sun or shade.  They prefer a rich, deep soil amended with compost or leaf mold and kept moist during the growing season, but not allowed to completely dry out in summer.  Try a few, and you may find yourself becoming a galanthophile!

Galanthus elwesii, giant snowdrop, Zones 3-8.   G. elwesii is larger in all parts than G. nivalis.  It is taller to about 5-9”, the leaves are broader, and the flowers are larger with the outer petals being about 3 times as long as the inner ones.   Pure white with green markings on the inner petals.  For me, they begin blooming in November and continue into February.

Galanthus nivalis, snowdrops, Zones 3-7. A true harbinger of spring, snowdrops emerge from the ground in late winter or early spring--sometimes peeking through the snow. The three pure white petals that flare out like little rotors and the inner cup tinged with green are freshness itself. Snowdrops will perform better in colder climates. Plant in drifts under trees where they will be undisturbed and they will multiply into a magnificent display.  The double form, ‘Flore-Pleno,’ is especially lovely.

Galanthus woronowii, Woronow’s snowdrop, Zones 3-8.  A native of Russia, this snowdrop is distinguished by its wider leaves.  The white flowers with smaller than some and the petals are narrow with yellowish-green markings on the cup.  This snowdrop blooms a little later in the season for me in Zone 8a (Feb.-Mar.).

Iris danfordiae, Zones 5-9. This small bright greenish-yellow iris with brown spots on the falls blooms close to the ground, and provides welcome winter flowers of cheery color at the gloomiest time of the year. Plant a few in drifts in the fall, or tuck a few in pockets on the edges of beds or under trees where they will be undisturbed.

Iris histrioides ‘Katharine Hodgkin,’ reticulated iris hybrid, Zones 5-8.  What a lovely little iris this is!  Pale silvery blue veined with deeper blue and highlighted with yellow splotches.    

Iris reticulata, reticulated iris, Zones 5-8. A small iris that blooms in late winter or early spring depending on location and the weather, the reticulated iris is named for the net-like veining on the petals. The color range is pale blue to deep violet usually with some markings of white or yellow. Other cultivars include 'Cantab,' light blue; 'George,' violet; 'Harmony,' dark blue; and 'J. S. Dijt,' reddish-purple.

Iris unguicularis, Algerian iris, Zones 7-9. Known as the winter iris, this North African native blooms in late winter into spring close to the ground as if to protect itself from the winter chill. Best for milder climates similar to its Mediterranean origins.

Leucojum aestivum, summer snowflake, Zones 3-9.  Though called “summer snowflake,” Leucojum aestivum blooms from late winter into spring depending on your location.  Nodding white bells with a drop of spring green at their tips, make a charming display in a woodland setting when planted en masse. They mix beautifully with Scilla siberica, wood hyacinths, and English bluebells. ‘Gravetye Giant’ is a cultivar larger in all aspects—leaves, flowers, and overall size (18-20”).

Narcissus papyraceaus ‘Ziva,’ paperwhite, Zones 8-9.  Very easy to grow and beautifully scented. You can plant them in a bowl on pebbles or marbles with water just touching the bottom of the bulb, or you can grow them in a pot with soil.  Very popular for the holidays.  If you live in a warmer zone, you can plant them outdoors in a sunny, protected spot. 

Perennials for Winter Flowers

Helleborus foetidus, stinking hellebore, Zones 6-7.  Don't let the common name put you off!  A bad odor is not readily noticeable, and you can call it bear's foot hellebore, if you prefer.  Whatever you call it, this hellebore is a handsome addition to the woodland garden, with narrow dark evergreen  leaves and pale, creamy-greenish flowers tinged with a bit of rose around the edges.  It will self-seed where happy, preferring moist, humusy, alkaline soils.  Be aware that the plant is highly poisonous in all its parts.

Hellebore Hybrids : hybrid Lenten rose, Zones 4-9.  No shady winter garden is complete without Lenten roses.  They are tough plants, heat and drought tolerant, and deer-resistant. Hellebore species and those crosses called H. x hybridus tend to have down-facing flowers and can self-seed prolifically—great if you want to develop a large colony —but all you have to do is cut off the flower stems before the seedpods ripen to prevent this. Recent breeding programs have developed beautiful hybrids that do not self-seed, and have larger flowers that are more up-facing. Look for hybrids called Helleborus x ballardiae, H. x ericsmithii, H. x glandorfensis, and H. x iburgensis in their nomenclature for cultivars for that are sterile.  Some hybrid series to look for include Frostkiss® and HCG® (Helleborus Gold Collection) Ice n' Roses® for sterile varieties.

Hellebores are available in shades of pure white, pink, mauve, plum, purple, and greenish to reds, yellows, apricots, and near black in solids and bicolors, singles and doubles, simple or fancily-frilled.  The large, leathery palmate leaves are evergreen and attractive all year, and some of the newer varieties even have beautiful variegated foliage such as Frostkiss® ‘Dorothy’s Dawn™,’ see below.  Hellebores are easy to care for and are long-lived.  Grow them in a shady to semi-shady location, in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil that is pH neutral.  Do not plant in an area that stays wet to prevent rotting.  In winter or early spring, when the flower buds and new leaves begin to rise, just cut off the old, tattered leaves from the previous year.  For me, in my Zone 7b garden, some varieties begin blooming in late November and continue until April.

Helleborus niger, Christmas rose, Zones 3-8. Helleborus niger is a beautiful plant under the right conditions--it prefers moist, humusy alkaline soil in a shady location. The pure white flowers with centers of golden stamens fade to pink as they mature and tend to bloom earlier than the Lenten roses; however, they do not necessarily bloom at Christmastime.

Salvia rosmarinus, rosemary, Zones 7-9.  The plant we had long known as Rosmarinus officinalis, has apparently been reclassified into the Salvia genus and renamed Salvia rosmarinus.  However, it is still the same plant with the same aromatic foliage that is so wonderful for cooking and to brush by in the garden.  Flowers appear in the winter in shades of light to dark blue as well as lavender, pink and white.

There are many uses for rosemary.  For the winter garden, try combining it in pots with violas or pansies and small late winter/early spring bulbs.  Keep a pot near the kitchen door to snip sprigs for cooking.  A woody sub-shrub, it takes well to pruning and can be used as a hedge, or even topiary.  Rosemary likes full sun, good drainage and is drought tolerant and deer resistant.

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