As the weather gets chillier, your garden may be losing its usual beauty. Summer plants cannot withstand harsh winters but thanks to nature, there are some hardy plants which retain their beauty even in winter. They will fill you with delight as they bloom gloriously through the snow and ice. In fact, these garden plants add texture and interest to your winter landscape and transform it to an enchanting place. Here’s a list of some incredibly sturdy plants which can survive severe winters.
17 Plants which can survive severe winters
1. Christmas Rose/Hellebore
This flower can not only survive severe winters, but it can bloom when almost all other plants are snowed under. They have very deep root systems which helps them flower in severe cold. But you have to protect them from harsh and cold winds.
2. Lily of the Valley
This is one of the winter plants which look delicate but are actually quite resistant to cold. It needs partial sun though. Plant it in an area where your garden gets a little sun. Being poisonous, it is safe from deer as well as other animals which come looking for food.
3. Camellias
If it’s not very cold where you live, then Camellias are the perfect choice to brighten up your garden. The beautiful evergreen leaves and gorgeous flowers which can be brilliant red to pale pink, will add color to the garden all through the year. The new hybrid variety can survive extremely cold winters too.
4. Blue Spruce
Blue Spruce is one of the plants which can survive severe winters, as they don’t freeze. It creates a lovely winter picture when it is covered with snow. Though it likes the sun, it is able to last through the winter. Do not ever use insecticides as they might strip the needles of the tree, which gives the tree its color.
5. Evergreen Holly (Ilex)
The distinctive leaves and red berries make it one of the best winter plants you can have in your garden. Holly creates a cheerful holiday mood, adding to the festive spirit of the season. You can choose Holly as a hedge to get some privacy. You can use Holly to make Christmas wreaths. This is undoubtedly a plant which can survive severe winters. Only thing is, they thrive in acidic soil, so keep that in mind.
6. Peonies
Peonies show their pretty blooms in summer, but as they don’t freeze in winter, they can be chosen as an integral part of your garden. They sleep through the colder days, and pop up in early spring. Peonies come in many colors and forms. Be sure to cut the dead foliage so the spring foliage can push through easily.
7. Wintergreen Boxwood
This plants looks winter perfect covered in a layer of snow. All it needs to survive severe winters is deep mulch covering around the shallow roots. It is a versatile plant and can be used as a hedge too.
8. Sedum
The sedum family plants can be planted as border or you can plant a creeper. These charming plants can survive the hottest of summers and the coldest winters. They’re drought tolerant too, so it’s the plant for you if you don’t have time to water or live in a place where water is scarce. You can plant sedums in containers indoors as they are beautiful and hardy houseplants too.
9. Monarda
The Monarda plant can survive severe winters when planted at the beginning of spring. Feed them organic fertilizer and help them grow, as they can survive the winter only when they have grown to their peak. The height they attain is 2-3 ft and the colors vary from red, orange, pink, white and purple. You’d be doing bees a good turn in summer, as they love to feed on its nectar.
10. ZZ plant
This plants is considered to be one of the very hardy houseplants. It thrives even in minimal natural light, which makes it a great indoor plant for winters. It water requirement is quite low, as it has to be watered only when the soil is quite dry.
11. Sweet Alyssum
These dainty flowers belie their appearance but they are actually strong, and survive light frosts too. They can adorn your garden in almost all the seasons, including fall and winter.
12. Clivia
Another hardy houseplant for winter is the Clivia as it can withstand freezing rooms which don’t get much sunlight. These plants prefer cool weather when they bloom. The vibrant orange and golden yellow colors will brighten up your home. Clivia is low maintenance and need little watering.
13. Witch Hazel
The Witch Hazel tree will be a lovely addition to your backyard. It has orange flowers which bloom in clusters on the tree.
14. Heuchera/Coralbells
Many varieties of Coralbells survive rough winter climate. They thrive in shady gardens and provide a burst of color to any garden. Purple, orange, red, green and yellow foliage look wonderful and in summer they send spikes of white or pink flowers. If you plant them in containers, be sure to transplant them onto ground, at least a month before frost sets in.
15. Pieris Japonica
The buds on the Japonica survive the snow and ice and open only at the end of winter in February or March. You will be thrilled to see the gorgeous urn shaped flowers in copper pink shades.
16. Siberian Iris
This plant which is native to Russia and Turkey is used to subzero temperatures. They’re perennials with purple, lilac, blue, white or yellow flowers. The plants grow to a height of 3-4 ft and do well in moist soil, but survive in drought conditions too. These plants are dormant during winter when they might become the food of various rodents. You’d have to pull back the layer of mulch and check if rodents have got to them.
17. Christmas cactus
You’ll find this houseplant around Thanksgiving time and it is valued for its bright colored blooms. They thrive on little or no maintenance and can be kept indoors or moved outdoor in summer.
Have fun planning and planting your winter garden. There are many other flowers, shrubs and trees which can survive the winter, which you can find out from a flower nursery or shop near you.
