plant life that remain unripe through wintertime provide a ample visual constituent in the bleak shades - of - grey-headed landscape . Dense green tree diagram and shrub also render protective habitat for birds and other creature , as well as a contrast scope for bright red or yellow get onto , nude - stemmed winter shrubbery . Winter greenery starts with evergreen conifer but includes broad - riffle shrubs and an array of hardy perennial plants , depending on your winter mood .
Trees
Trees which persist unripened anchor the visual landscape painting in winter , supply blue masses that seem to retreat in fall snow , and a deep background for contrasting gray and white branchlet from unfinished deciduous shrubs . In the northernmost climes , pines ( Pinus spp . ) , spruce ( Picea spp . ) , fir tree ( Abies spp . ) , Douglas fir ( Pseudosuga Menziesi ) and California fern ( Tsuga canadensis ) all expand . There are unlike metal money , variety and cultivar of each of these to check any northern winter landscape gardening need . Their needles vary in ghost from sour William Green to grey - drab , and available size and habits run from low - growing shrubs to towering tree diagram .
In zone 5 and southward , holly ( Ilex spp . ) grow as a showy - leaved evergreen plant , available in numerous metal money from shrubs to the American Buddy Holly which reaches 50 feet tall . South from zona six , the Southern magnolia ( Magnolia grandiflora ) and Live Oak ( Quercus virginia ) add their glorious forms to the greenish wintertime landscape .
Shrubs
In the coldest wintertime climates , Arbor vitae , juniper ( Juniperus spp . ) , cedar ( Cedrus spp . ) and bush manikin of the northern conifer tree diagram cater green shrubbery all winter . In zona 5 and lower , the shrub form of holly ( Ilex spp . ) let in the glossy - leaved evergreen winterberry ( Ilex glabra ) , provide thick masses of unripe leave-taking , while the Wintergreen barberry ( Barberris julianae ) , Leatherleaf viburnum ( Viburnum rhytidophyllum ) , mountain laurel , azaleas and rhododendron ( Rhododendron spp . ) hang on to their leathery leaves all wintertime but grow in a more loose use , suited for hang small feeders to watch the hungry wintertime bird .
In zone 6 and southward , cypress tree ( Cupressus spp . ) , Abelia ( Abelia grandiflora ) and boxwood ( Buxus spp . ) , all remain green through the winter , and are often trimmed into geometric form which can be quite dramatic in the stark landscape , and even more so when topped with snowfall . The yucca ( Yucca spp . ) also keeps its green , spiky form through the wintertime in dry areas of geographical zone 6 and Confederate States of America . in the south of zone 7 , most species remain light-green through the winter as a strong halt is uncommon .
Groundcovers and Small Plants
There are kind of the crawl evergreen and small woodland evergreen plant desirable for all hardiness zones , admit : euonymous ( Euonymous spp.—there are also shrub varieties ) , English Hedera helix ( Hedera helix ) , periwinkle ( Vinca small fry ) , Oregon grape holly ( Mehonia aquifolium ) , Creeping Mehonia ( Mehonia repens ) and bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva - ursi ) .
plant like helleborus ( Helleborus spp . ) and ferns ( numerous families and genera ) stay on green all wintertime even under Charles Percy Snow , providing a welcome visual relief during January warming and a good enhancer for the earliest spring flowering bulbs .
