Winter Flowering Bushes

Wintersweet

• Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) blooms during the middle and end of winter, when most plants are still slumbering and waiting for spring to begin. The branches of the wintersweet lack foliage in winter, but in winter, yellow flowers will begin to blossom. The sweet-smelling flowers have deep purple centers that add vivid color to garden beds. Wintersweet may bloom from November to March if grown away from harsh winter winds. The plant takes at least three years to begin flowering regularly. The wintersweet shrub reaches 10 feet high with a rounded top.

  Wintersweet is a hardy shrub that tolerates cold well, surviving temperatures even down to 14 degrees F. Provide the plant with plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil to keep it healthy.

Witch Hazel

• Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is another flowering shrub that blossoms during the winter. The bright yellow flowers have a sweet scent and light green foliage that turns yellow in the fall. American witch hazel, a U.S. native, grows well in shaded garden areas.

  The leaves of the witch hazel shrub begin to drop in the fall. Once most of the foliage is gone and the branches are bare, the plant begins to flower. Blossoms will appear in late October or early November. Witch hazel grows as big as 30 feet high and 20 feet wide, though sizes of 12 to 15 feet in height are more normal. Each flower has four petals, each one 1/2 inch long or less. Plant witch hazel in a shady area with moist soil. The plant will flower after six years.

Hellebore

• Hellebore, also known as lenten rose, should be planted in rich, loamy soil in a shaded garden spot. Large hellebore flowers appear in late winter and bloom through early spring. Evergreen hellebore is a very low-maintenance plant that is easy to cultivate. Hellebore blossoms may be white, pink, orange, purple or green in color. Hellebore grows well in multiple soil types and will tolerate both frost and dry soil, but for best results you should provide the plant with moist, well-drained soil.