Winter does not have to mean a yard full of bare brown branches.
Some of the best shrubs for winter interest provide bright stems, colorful berries, evergreen foliage, peeling bark, dried flowers, or even fresh winter blooms.
Here at Bobby & Lynn’s Plant Farm in Dallas, Georgia, two shrubs that really stand out after their leaves drop are Red Twig and Yellow Twig Dogwoods. Their bright red and yellow stems can bring color to a landscape when many other plants have gone dormant.
Quick Answer
Some of the best shrubs for winter interest in Southern gardens include Red Twig Dogwood, Yellow Twig Dogwood, Winterberry Holly, Yaupon Holly, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Panicle Hydrangea, Camellia, Loropetalum, American Beautyberry, Crape Myrtle, and Flowering Quince.
The trick is not to depend on just one type of winter interest. Mix colorful stems, berries, evergreen foliage, interesting bark, and winter flowers for a landscape that still looks alive in January and February.
About Bobby & Lynn
Why Shrubs for Winter Interest Matter in Southern Gardens
Southern winters can be a little strange.
One week may feel like spring, and the next may bring a hard freeze. Most flowering shrubs eventually lose their flowers, and many deciduous plants drop their leaves.
That is when the structure of the landscape really starts to show.
Good shrubs for winter interest give your garden something worth looking at even when nothing is in full summer bloom.
University of Georgia Extension specifically recommends plants with interesting bark and stems, including red-twig dogwood and crape myrtle, for winter landscapes. UGA Extension’s winter-interest guidance
If you are planning a landscape for all four seasons, you may also enjoy our guide to flowering shrubs for year-round curb appeal.
1. Red Twig Dogwood
Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is one of our favorite shrubs for winter interest because winter is when it really gets its chance to shine.
Once the leaves fall, the stems become the show.
The newer stems can turn a vivid red that stands out against brown mulch, pine straw, evergreen shrubs, and especially an occasional Southern snowfall.
We grow and sell Red Twig Dogwoods here at our plant farm, and their winter stem color makes them easy to notice when much of the nursery has gone dormant.
North Carolina Extension notes that the brightest red color occurs on younger growth and that the plant can tolerate clay and periodically wet soil. In hot Southern locations, it can appreciate some protection from the strongest afternoon sun. NC State Extension’s Red-Twig Dogwood profile
That bright red stem color is exactly why this shrub belongs near the top of our list.
2. Yellow Twig Dogwood
Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) gives you the same basic idea with an entirely different look.
Instead of bright red winter stems, these shrubs develop yellow to golden stems after the foliage drops.
We grow Yellow Twig Dogwoods at the nursery too, and the bright stems can almost look like someone turned on a light in the winter landscape.
Yellow Twig Dogwoods work particularly well when planted where the stems have something dark behind them. Evergreen shrubs can make that yellow color stand out even more.
Like Red Twig Dogwood, younger stems usually provide the strongest color.
NC State Extension notes that Yellow Twig Dogwood tolerates clay and wet conditions but can be more susceptible to problems in very hot climates, so choosing the right location matters in the South. NC State Extension’s Yellow Twig Dogwood profile
If you have room, red and yellow twig dogwoods planted where you can see both during winter can make quite a combination.
3. Winterberry Holly
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) loses its leaves in fall, which may not sound very exciting.
Then you see the berries.
Bare branches covered in bright red berries can provide some of the best winter color of any deciduous shrub.
Winterberry is also native to eastern North America.
There is one important catch: most female winterberries need a compatible male pollinator nearby to produce a good crop of berries.
NC State Extension recommends matching female plants with a male that blooms at the same time. NC State Extension’s Winterberry Holly guide
For gardeners wanting berry-producing shrubs for winter interest, winterberry deserves serious consideration.
4. Yaupon Holly
Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) provides a different kind of winter interest.
It is evergreen, so it keeps its foliage while deciduous shrubs around it become bare.
Female plants can also produce colorful berries when properly pollinated.
Yaupon is native to the southeastern United States and can work beautifully as a hedge, specimen, screen, or foundation shrub depending on the variety.
There are also compact forms for smaller landscapes.
Using evergreen shrubs between deciduous plants is one of the easiest ways to keep a Southern landscape from looking empty during winter.
5. Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) gives you much more than summer flowers.
After its beautiful fall foliage drops, mature stems can reveal attractive peeling and exfoliating bark.
Some old flower heads may also remain through winter, adding texture above the bare branches.
That makes oakleaf hydrangeas one of my favorite examples of a plant that changes completely through the seasons.
They bloom in summer, can develop beautiful fall color, and then reveal bark and structure during winter.
That is true four-season value.
6. Panicle Hydrangea
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) may be best known for varieties such as Limelight, Little Lime, Pinky Winky, Bobo, and Quick Fire.
But do not be too quick to clean them up in fall.
The dried flower heads can remain attractive well into winter.
We generally prefer leaving panicle hydrangeas alone in fall and doing the main pruning in late winter or early spring.
Those dried blooms may turn tan or brown, but they still add shape and texture when very little else is blooming.
If you are unsure about pruning, see our guide to when to prune spring-blooming and summer-blooming shrubs before reaching for the pruners.
7. Camellia
Camellias (Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua) turn the whole idea of winter gardening upside down.
Instead of giving you interesting bare stems or dried flowers, camellias can actually bloom during the colder months.
Depending on the type and variety, flowering can occur from fall into winter and even early spring.
The glossy evergreen leaves are attractive even when the plant is not flowering.
UGA Extension calls camellias the “winter rose” and notes that bloom times can extend from September through March depending on the cultivar.
If you garden in a part of the South where camellias thrive, they are hard to beat.
8. Loropetalum
Loropetalum (Loropetalum Chinese var. rubrum) can provide rich purple, burgundy, or reddish foliage through much of the year.
That darker foliage becomes especially valuable during winter when so many other plants have turned brown or lost their leaves.
Loropetalum also makes a good backdrop for brighter winter plants.
Imagine a Yellow Twig Dogwood planted where its golden stems can be seen against dark purple loropetalum foliage.
That is when plant combinations begin doing the work for you.
Just pay attention to mature size. Some loropetalums stay fairly compact while older varieties can become very large shrubs.
9. American Beautyberry
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a native shrub famous for its clusters of brilliant purple berries.
The berries are mainly a fall feature, but they can remain into the colder season until wildlife finds them.
American Beautyberry is native to the central and southeastern United States and works well in more natural-looking landscapes.
I would not depend on beautyberry for color all winter because the berries may disappear.
Still, it can help bridge the gap between fall and winter and is a great addition to a landscape designed for wildlife.
10. Crape Myrtle
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia species and hybrids) gets almost all of its attention in summer when it is flowering.
Take another look in winter.
On mature plants, smooth and peeling bark can expose shades of tan, cream, cinnamon, gray, and brown.
The branching structure itself can also be attractive when the tree or shrub is properly pruned.
This is another reason we do not recommend hacking crape myrtles down every winter.
A naturally shaped crape myrtle can become part of the winter landscape instead of looking like a collection of chopped-off trunks.
UGA Extension also lists crape myrtle among plants that provide interesting bark for winter landscapes.
11. Flowering Quince
Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) can bring color surprisingly early.
Depending on the weather and variety, its flowers may begin appearing in late winter or very early spring.
Red, pink, orange, or white flowers can look especially dramatic on branches that have not fully leafed out.
UGA Extension includes flowering quince among shrubs that can provide winter blooms.
For gardeners tired of looking at brown landscapes by February, flowering quince can be a welcome sign that spring is getting closer.
How to Choose Shrubs for Winter Interest
The best winter landscapes usually combine several types of interest instead of depending on one plant.
Try mixing:
- Bright stems
- Colorful berries
- Evergreen foliage
- Interesting bark
- Dried flower heads
- Winter or late-winter flowers
For example, you might pair a Red Twig Dogwood with an evergreen shrub behind it and a panicle hydrangea nearby.
During summer, each plant has its own job.
During winter, they work together.
When choosing shrubs for winter interest, always consider mature size, sunlight, moisture, drainage, and your USDA hardiness zone before buying.
A plant can be beautiful and still be wrong for the spot.
Don’t Prune Away Your Winter Interest Too Soon
This is an easy mistake.
Gardeners sometimes start cleaning everything up as soon as the first cold weather arrives.
But that can remove some of the things that make a winter garden interesting.
Dried panicle hydrangea flowers can stay.
Attractive bark should be allowed to show.
Berry-producing shrubs should not be pruned at the wrong time.
And colorful twig dogwoods need young stems if you want the brightest winter color.
Knowing why you are pruning is just as important as knowing how.
Our Favorite Shrubs for Winter Interest at the Nursery
For pure winter stem color, it is hard for us to overlook our Red Twig and Yellow Twig Dogwoods.
Once the leaves are gone, the bright stems finally become the main attraction.
That is one reason we like talking about winter landscapes.
A shrub does not need flowers to be beautiful.
Sometimes the flowers are gone, the leaves are gone, and the plant becomes more interesting than it was before.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shrubs for Winter Interest
What are the best shrubs for winter interest in the South?
Some of our favorites include Red Twig Dogwood, Yellow Twig Dogwood, Winterberry Holly, Yaupon Holly, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Panicle Hydrangea, Camellia, Loropetalum, American Beautyberry, Crape Myrtle, and Flowering Quince.
Which shrub has the brightest winter stems?
Red Twig Dogwood is known for brilliant red stems, while Yellow Twig Dogwood provides bright yellow to golden stems.
Both can be especially striking after their leaves fall.
Should I cut dried hydrangea flowers off in fall?
You do not have to.
We often leave dried panicle hydrangea flowers through fall and winter and prune the shrubs later in winter or early spring.
The dried flowers can provide useful winter structure.
What shrubs have berries in winter?
Winterberry Holly is one of the best-known choices. Some hollies also hold berries into winter.
Remember that many hollies require a compatible male plant nearby for female plants to produce a good berry crop.
What shrubs actually bloom during winter in the South?
Camellias are among the best choices. Depending on the species and cultivar, they can bloom from fall through winter and into early spring.
Flowering Quince can also begin flowering toward the end of winter.
Give Your Garden Something to Show in Every Season
A beautiful landscape should not have to disappear when summer ends.
Choosing a few shrubs for winter interest can give the garden color, texture, structure, and life during the quietest months of the year.
For us, Red Twig and Yellow Twig Dogwoods are perfect examples.
Their leaves may be gone, but those red and yellow stems make sure the plants are anything but boring.
If you are planning your own Southern landscape, look beyond flowers. Think about what a shrub will look like in January just as much as what it will look like in May.
And if you’d like to follow what we’re growing and doing around the nursery through the seasons, come visit Bobby & Lynn’s Plant Farm on Facebook.
