Best plants for colourful winter stems
Adding a dash of winter dazzle to your garden will pay huge dividends when friends and neighbours marvel at the stunning colours you’ve achieved on the gloomiest of days.
When there’s a burst of winter sun your eye-catching trees and shrubs will come even more alive, brightening the spirit and showcasing your fantastic sense of style.
Betula utilis var. jacquemontii amongst Cornus alba 'Sibirica' & Cornus 'Flaviramea'
And on a frosty day the scene will be a picture to behold.
Whether you choose red and orange dogwoods, vivid white brambles or luscious bark – or some of each – you can make your winter garden something special.
Note: hard pruning or coppicing in spring can stimulate even better coloured stems in winter.
Six triumphant trees
Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku': this coral bark maple tree is famed for its striking coral pink-red stems, triggered when the weather gets cold and providing a beautiful focal point.
Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis': an evergreen bamboo producing straight, regimented yellow canes with green stripes, growing to six or seven metres.
Prunus serrula: birch bark cherry renowned for its polished mahogany bark that flakes away in bands as it ages. A superb splash of colour.
Betulus albosinensis ‘Fascination’: Chinese red birch with a uniformed, pyramid canopy that is especially striking in winter. Creamy pink and copper bark matures to a brilliant white.
Arbutus andrachnoides: this red-barked strawberry tree is a fast-growing evergreen with wonderful red flaky bark.
Acer grisseum (paperbark maple): small and slow growing, this native Chinese tree boasts spectacular orange and red leaves in autumn, with cinnamon-hued bark coming gently away in thin papery layers.
Two trees/shrubs – depending on how they are pruned!
Salix alba vittelina 'Yelverton': a Golden Willow tree that looks glorious in winter when its bare stems glow with shades of red, orange and yellow. It can either grow as a shrub or be planted a single stem that will be six metres high in 20 years’ time.
Stewartia pseudocamellia: either a robust shrub or medium-high tree with smooth bark that peels off in thin greyish-orange to purple/brown plates. Underneath is a rich cinnamon brown. Also blessed with spectacular autumn leaves.
Six sensational shrubs
Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
Rubus cockburnianus: an unforgettable white-stemmed bramble with arching, thorny stems that develop a glowing winter bloom.
Rubus thibetanus: commonly known as silver fern, this upright, thicket-forming shrub has white stems with intriguingly menacing-looking thorns.
Cornus alba 'Siberica': a gorgeous dogwood that shows off lovely bright, coral-red stems once its leaves drop. Plant it alongside orange or purple-stemmed dogwood varieties for maximum effect, particularly in full sun and beside water.
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea': another species of dogwood, this time with dazzling yellow-olive winter stems. Plant it next to salmon-pink and red-stemmed varieties.
Salix alba 'Golden Ness': known for its stunning burnished gold winter branches, particularly impressive if planted by a stream or pond.
Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire': the blood-twig dogwood, with glowing winter stems that rise from a gold-orange base to orange-flamed tips. A blazing glory to warm your heart on the chilliest days!
If you want a colourful garden for all seasons, talk to us about your project. As plant experts, we know which species will bring the design elements you are after and which choices will thrive in your garden’s conditions.
If we can help you with your garden then please get in touch. You can reach us on 0207 305 7183 or email at enquire@alasteranderson.com
