10 Unusual winter flowering shrubs to brighten your garden and provide food for pollinating insects. Some of the following will grow well in containers – which means they’re also good for smaller gardens.
Winter flowering shrubs have a place in virtually every garden. Whilst some of them are grown primarily or purely for their winter interest this shouldn’t be seen as a ‘bad thing’. After all, we buy and plant flowers to brighten up a summer garden that die back over winter!
Interesting Fact
The floral display given by your shrubs can vary year on year. Obviously a sudden hard frost or prolonged rain may brown off some of the flowers. But generally it is the preceding summer’s weather that’s important, as the hotter the summer the more prolific the display the following winter.
Our List of 10 Unusual Winter Flowering Shrubs
You may know some of these, or you may know or grow a different cultivar of one of them. But I’ve tried to choose interesting shrubs that will fit a selection of garden sizes, soils and aspects. These are listed by their botanical Latin names, but the common names are included too where needed or available.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Coronilla valentina subsp. Glauca
Daphne ‘Perfume Princess White’
Edgeworthia chrysantha
Erica carnea ‘Springwood White’
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
Lonicera fragrantissima
Teucrium fruticans ‘Curacao’
Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’
Vinca difformis ‘Jenny Pym’
Are you concerned that you won’t be outside in the back garden to enjoy your winter flowering shrubs? Why not place them where they can be seen through a window, or near your front door. Or you could choose one of the slightly tender shrubs and have them in pots in your greenhouse, warm porch or conservatory.
I have grown some of these 10 unusual winter flowering shrubs in my own gardens or used in planting designs and garden designs. And there are a couple which are on the list for my current garden. Once I’ve cleared space and created suitable borders for them, that is! Now onto those plants in a bit more detail.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
A hybrid Camellia bred at Caerhays gardens in Cornwall. Parents are C. cuspidata and C. saluenensis. Single white flowers from October through to March. A slow growing evergreen shrub, eventually reaching 1.5 -2.5m so it’s suitable for a container. An acid or neutral soil pH is needed as is a shadier spot.
Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’
As the glauca epithet suggests, the pretty, divided, evergreen foliage has a blue tinge to it. Coronilla grows to 0.5 – 1m so it’s another suitable container shrub. Scented yellow pea-like flowers from December to April are a delight. As long as the soil is well drained it’s not fussy, however, it needs a sheltered position, south or west facing.
Daphne ‘Perfume Princess White’
You may know Daphne ‘Perfume Princess’ which has pink flowers. This is a recently developed hybrid from that plant. White flowers bloom from January to April against the evergreen foliage. Eventually reaching 1.5m, which makes it three in a row for smaller gardens and container growing. Daphne do like cool roots, so make sure the pot is in a shady spot over the warmer months. A great winter shrub for a woodland edge garden, it prefers an alkaline or neutral soil.
Edgeworthia chrysantha
This one definitely fits into our list of 10 unusual winter flowering shrubs. You may not even realise where the sweet, clove-like scent is coming from at first, having ignored the shrub as you walk along the path. The common name of paperbush comes from the fact the bark has been used for art paper and even bank notes. Flowers may be white, yellow or orange and bloom January to April on bare branches, making this the first of our deciduous shrubs. Preferring a sheltered east or west facing location, you may need to grow it in a pot to winter in a cool greenhouse as its not hardy below about -5 centigrade. It reaches 1.5m.
Erica carnea ‘Springwood White’
All the Erica carnea are tolerant of soil pH, so it’s a heather that more of us can enjoy! A low growing sub-shrub it only gets to about 20cm tall. Good for pots, ground cover and any aspect. I’m surprised more of us don’t make it a permanent feature rather than occasional winter bedding. Not that it doesn’t look good in a winter planter, it does, I’m just saying it has more uses.
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
Also known as the silk tassel tree for its long catkins that glow against evergreen foliage from December to March. These catkins are the male flowers. Good grown against a wall or fence, it’s happy in coastal gardens. It will need a sheltered position in colder areas. One of our larger shrubs, Garrya can grow to 2.5-4m. Come spring and summer the dark foliage makes an excellent backdrop for both pale and bright herbaceous perennials.
Lonicera fragrantissima
This winter flowering honeysuckle is one of the parents of the more popular Lonicera x purpusii. With creamy white, sherbet scented flowers on bare stems from November to February, temperatures as low as -20 don’t bother it. Although not a climber in the same way as most of the warm weather flowering honeysuckles, as it grows up to 3m it can be tied into a trellis. Dull red berries follow the flowers, so its along season food source for both birds and bees.
Teucrium fruticans ‘Curacao’
Bush Germander flowers from October to March with electric blue blooms loved by bees. Combined with the aromatic, silvery grey evergreen foliage this is a real stopper amongst our 10 unusual winter flowering shrubs. Another borderline hardy Mediterranean native, it’s happy in a poor or rocky soil but avoid a cool north facing spot. As it grows to about 80cm you could keep it in a pot in colder areas and give it winter protection.
Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’
A bushy, evergreen shrub with clusters of scented flowers from December to April. It amuses me to think of this as a patriotic shrub, as the buds are reddish, and white flowers are followed by ovoid metallic-blue berries! (Ojay, so some of the flowers are pink tinged, but still I think it fits). Smaller than many Viburnum, reaching about 2.4m, this hardy shrub is good for coastal gardens and wildlife too.
Vinca difformis ‘Jenny Pym’
This is one of the periwinkles that you’re probably familiar with as ground cover. But whilst many are spring and early summer flowering, this Vinca blooms from November to March. A low-growing evergreen sub-shrub it reaches about 40cm. Pink flowers with a white centre are borne on shorter upright stems, longer non-flowering stems creep across the ground. Prefers a shady spot and may not be as hardy as Vinca major in exposed or very cold areas, but definitely worth trying.
And finally
You may have noticed that the majority of our 10 unusual winter flowering shrubs are scented. This is a triple asset. Firstly it provides an easier to find food source for the many winter active pollinating insects. Secondly, the perfume provides an extra layer of pleasure for you when you’re walking through your garden. And lastly, the bonus is being able to cut a few flower stems and fill your rooms with fragrance.
There are some blogs below on related subjects for you to peruse. And if you’d like personal help with designing in your own garden, do get in touch.
Or why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden? We can help with both gardening basics and more ‘expert tasks’, carry out worm and other experiments and for example, also show you how to plan a vegetable plot. Have a read through this pdf download for info. And if you prefer company, there are small group Gardening Workshops to come to.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below Plus we have a monthly Tipsheet You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.
Feeling nosey? You can have a peek at the progress of my garden renovation, Spitfires and Slow Worms, on Instagram and Facebook
You’ll get to see it in person if you come to the Plews Gardening Workshops Although later dates and topics still need to be finalised, there are already a few up on Eventbrite for you to book into. Follow for updates on topics and dates on Instagram, Eventbrite, Facebook
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