Winter flowers are especially precious because of their scarcity. Their appearance in our gardens is cause for celebration and hope as we wait patiently for the arrival of spring. When the landscape around us is a patchwork of brown and green stretched out beneath a dustbin lid sky, any point of colour and interest is welcome. Moreover, many winter flowering shrubs and climbers are also scented and evergreen, adding to their appeal.
From the intoxicatingly sweet blooms of Daphne bholua to stately camellias, there’s a winter-flowering shrub here for every situation. I’ve included climbers, which are useful for clothing fences, walls and garden structures. Plant these shrubs close to your home or in clear view: if the weather is terrible or you don’t feel like going out, you can enjoy them from the comfort of indoors. And don’t be afraid to pick a few sprigs of flowers and pop them in a vase with some greenery. A single stem of Daphne, Sarcococca or Camellia supported by a flower frog will instantly lift your spirits.
Ten Shrubs To Banish The Winter Blues
1. Daphne bholua ‘Jaqueline Postill’ AGM
I’ve never forgotten the thrill of seeing daphnes growing wild in the forests of Nepal and Bhutan. Daphnes are low-growing shrubs that prefer minimal interference, so plant them and leave them alone. From white flowers flushed wine red, ‘Jaqueline Postill’ produces a pervasive, potent and delicious fragrance through the year's coldest days.
Pros: low maintenance, slow growing, hardy, fragrant. Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' has variegated foliage.
Cons: dislikes being moved, hard to propagate, short-lived, irritant sap.
2. Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna ‘Purple Stem’ AGM
Sweet box is a tough, tolerant shrub with many virtues. While some of its kin lack the kind of ‘wow factor’ modern gardeners seek in a plant, this cultivar has the advantage of pinky-purple flower-bearing stems. Sweet box will never be the centre of attention because its intoxicating fragrance tends to drift so far that people can’t tell where it originates! Still, it’s an essential part of any winter garden, and a single flowering branch placed in a vase will fill a room with its rich scent.
Pros: low maintenance, evergreen, shade tolerant, highly fragrant, attractive to bees, good for cutting.
Cons: not showy.
3. Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ AGM
Living in a milder, coastal area, I generally refrain from recommending plants that are a touch on the tender side. But what fun is gardening if no risks are taken? From October onwards, Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ produces single white flowers, occasionally with a pink edge. Although hardy to -10ºC, this shrub will thank you for providing shelter from cold winds and some warmth in the form of a sunny wall. Other varieties to look out for include 'Hugh Evans' (single pink) and 'Mignonne' (double pink). Image Credit - peganum from Small Dole, England.
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Pros: showy flowers, glossy, evergreen foliage, shade tolerant, will grow in containers.
Cons: requires ericaceous (acidic) compost and feed, and blooms can be damaged by frost.
4. Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’
Not many shrubs ignite passion during the winter months, but this one does so without producing a single bloom. Pruned hard every spring, almost to the ground, this fiery dogwood produces a flaming crucible of naked stems in shades of yellow, orange and red. A massed planting of this superb shrub, lit by the winter sun, will banish all traces of the winter blues.
Pros: attractive in all seasons, easygoing, striking in big groups, easy to propagate.
Cons: annual pruning is required to produce the brightest coloured stems.
5. Chimonanthus praecox
Wintersweet, as its name suggests, is prized for its intoxicating fragrance. The flowers are pale yellow and waxy – the colour, texture and translucency of grated cheddar. It can be slow to establish, but it’s terrific to have around once it gets going—plant against a dark wall, fence or hedge to show off the pale blossoms. A summer flowering clematis planted close by will provide relief from wintersweet's otherwise dull foliage.
Pros: unusual, highly scented, very early to bloom in the New Year.
Cons: slow to grow and sometimes shy to flower. Leafy but unexciting in summer.
6. Clematis cirrhosa
When I was a lad, a winter flowering clematis was a novelty. Now, several cultivars are on the market, including 'Wisley Cream' (above), 'Christmas Surprise', ‘Jingle Bells’ and 'Advent Bells’. As the names suggest, these clematis can be expected to flower during the festive season and far beyond. C. cirrhosa 'Freckles’ has white flowers finely speckled with red, and ‘Landsdowne Gem’ is a more heavily speckled, sometimes solid wine-red. These are Mediterranean plants, so they need sun, shelter, and plenty of space to ramble.
Pros: vigorous, evergreen, long flowering period from November to March, hardy.
Cons: unscented, not fond of wet conditions, may drop leaves in summer, flowers nod downwards and are best appreciated from beneath.
7. Mahonia x media ‘Lionel Fortescue’ AGM
Okay, your granny had a mahonia in her garden, and you thought it was gangly, boring and slightly dangerous. Me too. Mahonias can indeed be a little stiff and static; these days, this is applauded as being ‘architectural’. However, in late autumn and winter, mahonias produce lavish plumes of yellow flowers that smell like lily of the valley. Grown well, which requires space and artful pruning, a mahonia will make a handsome feature at the back of a border. Here, other plants will hide their bare legs, and you won’t impale yourself on the spiky leaves. If the prickles are off-putting, seek out autumn-flowering Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress' instead.
Pros: tolerant of most conditions, including full sun and shade, easy to grow, flowers attract bees and berries are loved by birds.
Cons: prickly, can become leggy if not well pruned, dislikes cold, windy situations.
8. Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' AGM
If any shrub could inspire jewellery, it would be the silk-tassel bush. This plant produces grey-green catkins up to 35cm in length in January and February, festooning its evergreen branches like silky lametta. A mature Garrya in its full winter glory is an unforgettable sight - we have specimens growing around our town that we worship yearly!
Pros: sophisticated and contemporary looks, blends well with Mediterranean plants, easy to grow.
Cons: prefers shelter from easterly winds, can grow large - up to 3 or 4 metres.
9. Hamamelis mollis
Few winter-flowering shrubs offer the spectrum of colours that witch hazels do, starting with pale yellow and ending deep red. Hamamelis mollis, the Chinese witch hazel, is one of the first to bloom, occasionally in time for Christmas. The flower petals look like little bundles of lemon zest. They curl into a tight ball in freezing weather, unfurling again when it warms up. Their fragrance is spicy and citrusy, not unlike that of freesias.
Pros: early flowering, highly fragrant, slow growing, requires very little pruning.
Cons: dislikes alkaline and waterlogged soil.
10. Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' AGM
We think of honeysuckle as summer-flowering climbers, but a handful of winter-flowering shrubs in the family make wonderful additions to medium and large-sized gardens. Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' isn't the most interesting plant in summer, but this can be remedied by growing a clematis through it. As Christmas approaches, you'll start to catch drifts of a fresh, clean scent with notes of lemon and jasmine. Very soon, any reservations about its worth will be forgotten!
Pros: long flowering period, pretty white flowers, suitable for cutting, attractive to bees, easy to grow.
Cons: unexciting for three months of the year, requires pruning to keep it tidy.
The best time to plant winter-flowering shrubs is in the autumn or early spring but provided the ground is moist and not waterlogged or frozen, you can plant containerised plants at any time. If you have oodles of space, consider creating a winter garden like those you see at RHS Gardens. Adding a few winter-flowering shrubs among plants that are interesting at other times of the year is a better approach in smaller gardens.
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