North Carolina Winter Outdoor Plants

Winter Daphne

• Winter daphne, also called marginata, is a shrub native to China and Japan that adapts easily to North Carolina, and is commonly used in rock gardens and woodland gardens. The 3- to 6-foot plant has variegated foliage and blooms in winter and early spring with purple, lavender or red flowers. Winter daphne is frost tolerant, can survive in zones 7 and 8 and is a moderate grower that thrives in full sun or partial shade with medium moisture.

Coral Bark Maple

• This Japanese maple is perfect for North Carolina, growing in hardiness zones 6 through 8. The coral bark maple is deciduous and grows moderately slowly in sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. The leaves are green in summer and golden yellow in fall, and the bark takes on a rich, red color in winter. Winter bark color can intensify to an almost salmon color, and is more pronounced in full sun. It can grow to about 25 feet high and 15 feet wide.

Southern Magnolia

• Southern magnolia can live in all but the coldest parts of North Carolina, and it is a broad-leafed evergreen. Be sure to give it plenty of space; it can grow to 90 feet tall with a 3-foot diameter trunk. Southern magnolia does best in rich, well-drained, acidic soils with full or partial shade, and is very drought tolerant. It grows rapidly from seed and blooms in spring and summer with large, fragrant white flowers.

Winterberry

• Winterberry is a type of holly that is known by a host of common names, including black alder, coralberry, Michigan holly and southern gentleman. The shrub is deciduous, shedding its leaves in the fall, but keeps its red berries well into winter, much longer than most hollies. Thriving in moist, slightly acidic soils with a high organic component, winterberry's flowers and fruits grow better in full sun. It can grow in any of North Carolina's hardiness zones, but is not at all resistant to drought.