For most, the idea of gardening seems to begin with the unfolding of leaves on deciduous plants and the emergence of spring flowers. Harbingers of spring such as the yellow flowers of forsythia or the painted faces on pansies seem to benchmark a garden awakening. However, if that’s what you wait for then you’re missing a whole season of interest. 

There are many exciting plants whose winter attributes are just as exciting as foliage or any flower that you can imagine.  

Take for instance the exfoliating bark of Paperbark maple, Acer griseum.

Stripped of all its foliage, this tree comes alive in the winter months. Torn layers of cinnamon to red-brown bark seem to hold snow hostage in its crevices. Coral Bark maple, Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ is another favorite of mine. Patient for winter’s arrival, Coral Bark maple becomes a beacon of deep red bark in our coldest months. A small to medium sized tree this garden gem glows in a winter landscape especially when surrounded by fresh snow.

Perhaps the quintessential tree to appreciate during the winter is Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamellia. Truly a tree for all seasons, Stewartia’s muscular bark has been likened to that of a boa constrictor with some brilliant patchwork fragments of cream and brown.

Finally, two smaller sized plants to appreciate this time of year are Redtwig or Redosier dogwood, Cornus sericea and Japanese Kerria, Kerria japonica. As you would expect with Redtwig dogwood, the stems are a blood red to a dark purplish red shooting out from the ground. Kerria can be bright, neon green and both are suitable for mass planting in and around some medium sized trees.

Try to search out the smaller cultivars of the fore mentioned as these will help punctuate and give definition to smaller garden spaces. My hope is that you find winter landscapes as exciting as I do because really much is going on outside your door right now.