What Is a Hardy Winter Plant That Will Last the Season in a Potted Container?

Common Boxwood

• Common Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is slow-growing, but with its dense foliage it's a traditional choice for topiary grown in pots. It has been a favorite plant for centuries. These do not need as much watering as other topiary varieties -- and should be given shelter in below-freezing weather.

Sweet Bay

• One of the few laurels not poisonous is Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis). Although not a hardy winter shrub, this plant with aromatic leaves grows well under shelter and withstands mild winter weather. Sweet bay is perfect for trimming into natural round shrub forms.

Winter Containers

• The right container is just as important as the health of your topiary tree. One tree should be grown per frost-resistant pot. The time to plant them is in autumn or early spring, and feeding them twice monthly during the growing season with a fertilizer that is nitrogen-rich helps prepare them to be hardy for winter. Trimming should not be done after the first autumn frost. Containers for winter plants such as these should be large enough, at least 15 to 20 inches deep, and 20 to 30 inches wide.