Winter Beauties

Winterberry Holly ‘Winter Red’

(Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’)

What caught my eye about ‘Winter Red’ Winterberry Holly is that it loses its leaves in the fall; so in mid-winter you can see the bright, glossy red berries growing all the way up to the tip of the branches. This amazing plant is native to the Midwest and does well in wetter soils, a trait we find extremely valuable in the Northwest. ‘Winter Red’ is usually multi-stemmed and a moderate, rounded grower to 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. It does tolerate pruning, so keeping it smaller is an option. For the best berry show, plant a male holly (Ilex verticilatta ‘Southern Gentleman’) near a female holly to encourage pollination. One male can pollinate several females. Winterberry holly likes full sun to part shade, wet soils (although sandy loam soils are fine too), and is hardy to minus 40˚ F. The berry studded branches are great for cutting and bringing inside for holiday decorating.

Hypericum Mystical® Red Star

(Hypericum ‘Kolmarest’)

This plant is awesome. Its red berried branches are used by florists and is another great plant option to cut and bring indoors. ‘Mystical™ Red Star’ St. John’s Wort, as it is commonly known, has bright yellow flowers in early fall that turn into beautiful red berries in late fall and early winter.

‘MysticalRed Star’ prefers full sun to part shade, can grow to 3 feet high and 2.5 feet wide, and is hardy to minus 20° F.

Camellia 'yuletide'

(Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide’)

This Camellia celebrates Christmas by blooming in December and covering itself in bright red single flowers with yellow centers (or stamens). Its shiny evergreen leaves are dark green, dense and compact. This tidy shrub can grow up 8 feet tall, but will take some time to get there and can be easily pruned to be kept smaller. Camellia ‘Yuletide’ can grow in the full sun to part shade and prefers soil with good drainage. This easy to grow, versatile shrub is hardy to 0° F. ‘Yuletide’ is a great choice for a container to brighten up your entry way in the winter. With its blooms that last from December to February, it decorates itself for the holidays!

Witch Hazel ‘Arnold’s Promise’

(Hamamelis intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’)

Al’s grower, Philip Karsseboom, touts ‘Arnold’s Promise’ as the most fragrant variety of Witch Hazel he has come across. Blooming in winter, this big shrub’s spicy scent is a welcome surprise. ‘Arnold’s Promise’ blooms from January through March with "knock your socks off" yellow blooms covering its branches. The vivid blooms can be seen from a distance, perfect for brightening up the winter landscape. In the fall, the leaves of ‘Arnold’s Promise’ turn shades of yellow, orange and red, putting on a show that is spectacular in its own right. This shrub can grow 8 feet tall and wide, so give it some room. Cut blooming branches are a welcome treat inside the house in the winter. ‘Arnold’s Promise’ is plenty hardy (to minus 10° F) and does best when planted in the full sun or part shade. 

Deer Ferns

(Blechnum spicant)

Deer ferns are native ferns that have a small, very distinct shape that looks as great in a container as it does in the

ground. This deer resistant fern grows 12-19 inches tall and is easy to care for; just cut back the fronds once a year in March or April and you’ll have a tidy, fresh looking evergreen fern year round! Deer ferns thrive in moist or dry shade and are hardy to minus 20° F

Korean Rock Ferns

(Polystichum tsus-simense)

I really like these evergreen ferns because they stay a nice compact size, reaching a height of 1 foot, and they’re not as coarse in texture as a sword fern. The color variation of Korean Rock Ferns is also more interesting than the solid green of most ferns. Korean Rock Ferns need afternoon shade and are hardy to minus 10° F.

Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby'

(Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’)

Bergenia is a tough plant that can be almost ignored in the landscape and still look great. ‘Bressingham Ruby’ is a variety that looks especially good in the winter when its colors can change to hues of red and bronze. Its large evergreen leaves provide bold texture in the garden in winter. Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’ is a compact plant, growing to a height of 1 foot. You can plant this versatile workhorse in the sun or shade and it’s hardy to minus 40° F.