Infuse your winter landscape with color and vitality using these hardy container plants.
As winter settles in, many gardens appear stark and lifeless.
The vibrant hues of summer and fall perennials dim, while deciduous trees shed their leaves.
Yet, there’s no need to resign your outdoor spaces to dullness.
Embracing winter container plants offers a beautiful solution, allowing you to showcase striking frost-resistant options that thrive even in the cold months.
Here’s a curated list of winter container plants that gardening experts recommend for a lively winter display.
Top Winter Container Plants
- Red Twig Dogwood
The red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) brings a burst of color to frigid winters.
Its stunning red stems create a striking contrast against snow, and there’s even a yellow variant that glows with golden shades.
While you don’t need to prune it during the winter, keeping the soil moist can significantly enhance its appearance in larger arrangements.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 6 to 9 feet tall; 8 to 12 feet wide
- Care: Needs full sun and acidic, well-draining soil
- Green-and-Gold
This charming ground cover (Chrysogonum virginianum) maintains its lush evergreen foliage through harsh winters, creating a beautiful mat.
Vibrant yellow, daisy-like flowers appear in early spring, adding to its allure.
- Zones: 5 to 9
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall; 36 to 48 inches wide
- Care: Prefers partial to full shade with average, moist soil
- Moss Phlox
Known for its dense green foliage, moss phlox (Phlox subulata) remains visually appealing throughout the winter, with delicate blossoms gracing the scene in early spring.
Its compact nature makes it a versatile choice for winter arrangements across various climates.
- Zones: 3 to 9
- Size: 6 inches tall; 24 to 36 inches wide
- Care: Flourishes in full sun and well-drained, moist soil
- Hellebore
Infusing elegance into winter displays, hellebores (Helleborus spp.) produce charming bell-shaped flowers even in snowy conditions.
Their fascinating variety in textures and colors bring a unique touch to your winter garden.
- Zones: 3 to 9
- Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
- Care: Adapts well to full sun or partial shade, needing moist, well-draining soil
- Dusty Miller
With its soft, silver leaves, dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) offers a beautiful textural contrast in winter arrangements.
Pair it with winter pansies (Viola hiemalis) for an eye-catching combination.
- Zones: 7 to 11
- Size: Generally 12 inches tall; width is about 12 inches
- Care: Prefers full sun to partial shade, requires slightly moist and well-drained soil
- Viola
Brightening your winter garden, violets (Viola spp.) bloom in a multitude of colors throughout the colder months, making them perfect for personalizing your container displays.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 4 to 10 inches in height and width
- Care: Thrives in full to partial sun; requires moist, well-drained soil
- Flowering Kale
This frost-tolerant ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea) adds vibrant hues to your winter containers, providing visual interest even with winter’s chill.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Size: Reaches 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
- Care: Flourishes in full sun and well-draining, fertile soil
- Hens-and-Chicks
A perennial favorite, hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum) shine in sunny container settings, showcasing their resilience throughout the winter months.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall; spreads 6 to 18 inches
- Care: Enjoys full sun or part shade, requires minimal fertilization
- Wild Thyme
Trailing gently, wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum alba) adds both visual appeal and a delightfully fragrant touch to your winter containers.
- Zones: 4 to 9
- Size: 2 to 3 inches tall; spreads 3 to 10 inches
- Care: Prefers full sun and well-draining soil
- Japanese Sweet Flag
With its beautiful golden leaves, Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’) lends a soft texture to container edges.
- Zones: 6 to 9
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and wide
- Care: Thrives in full sun to part shade, requiring damp soil
- Winter Jasmine
Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) adds height and texture with its gracefully arching green stems, enhancing any winter arrangement.
- Zones: 6 to 10
- Size: Can grow to 10 to 15 feet tall; spreads 3 to 6 feet
- Care: Prefers full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
- Mahonia
With its intricate, spiky foliage, mahonia (Mahonia spp.) provides year-round interest and stunning yellow flowers in winter, making it a standout architectural specimen.
- Zones: 7 to 10
- Size: Typically reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
- Care: Prefers part shade and well-drained soil
- Singleseed Juniper
Singleseed juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’) is a magnificent choice for sunny containers during winter, adding a cool-toned beauty.
- Zones: 4 to 8
- Size: Ranges from 1 to 3 feet tall; spreads 1 to 4 feet
- Care: Requires full sun and moist, well-drained soil
- Myrtle Spurge
Thriving in sunlight, myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites) boasts cascading stems that spill beautifully over the edges of containers, presenting small blooms in late winter and early spring.
- Zones: 4 to 8
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and wide
- Care: Favors full sun and dry, well-drained soil
- European Wild Ginger
Perfect for shaded areas, European wild ginger (Asarum europaeum) features glossy, round leaves that offer striking visual appeal in containers.
- Zones: 4 to 8
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall; 6 to 18 inches wide
- Care: Enjoys partial sun, requiring moist, rich soil
- All Gold Forest Grass
All Gold Forest Grass (Hakonechloa spp.) contributes captivating texture to winter arrangements, enhancing the garden’s overall design.
- Zones: 6 to 9
- Size: About 10 inches tall and spreads roughly 20 inches
- Care: Thrives in full sun to partial shade, needing moist, well-drained soil
- Heuchera
Celebrated for its stunning foliage, heuchera (Heuchera spp.) is an excellent choice for container gardens, providing vibrant color and texture throughout the season.
- Zones: 4 to 9
- Size: Reaches up to 9 inches tall and spreads 14 inches
- Care: Enjoys full sun to partial shade, preferring moderately well-drained, organic soil.
Caring for Your Winter Container Plants
Incorporate these dynamic winter container plants to transform the icy grip of the season into a canvas of vibrant color and texture.
No matter the chill, your outdoor spaces can still exude beauty and charm.
Source: Marthastewart