Winter blooms experts' top picks for outstanding wintertime flora
Winter Blooms Brighten UK Gardens
As the cold winter months approach, British gardens come alive with a spectacle of colour and life. Here are some of the best winter-flowering plants that thrive in the UK's cool climate, offering a vibrant display from mid-winter through to early spring.
Hellebores, or Christmas or Lenten roses, bloom from late winter into spring. These plants prefer shaded and humus-rich, well-drained soil and come in a variety of forms with diverse flower shapes and colours.
Winter pansies, violas, and polyanthus are hardy and suitable for containers or beds. They offer bright, cheerful flowers that can last through winter, providing a welcome splash of colour in the garden.
Cyclamen coum, a perennial that flowers in winter, is another excellent choice. It can be used both in baskets and garden borders, and choosing winter-hardy types ensures longevity. The best forms of Cyclamen coum have pewter leaves with a thin margin and central midriff of green.
Erica carnea (winter heather) provides flowers from mid-late winter to spring and comes in various colours like pink and magenta.
Snowdrops are often the first bulbs to bloom after Christmas, creating delicate white flowers that signal early spring.
Witch hazel and winter jasmine add colourful flowers and scent respectively, with witch hazel offering red, yellow, or copper blooms and winter jasmine bright yellow star-shaped flowers.
Mahonia displays spires of yellow flowers against dark green leaves and is well suited to winter interest.
Winter-flowering cherry (Prunus subhirtella autumnalis) offers pale pink blossoms throughout the winter, making it an ideal small tree option.
Among the standout winter-flowering plants is Clematis cirrhosa 'Jingle Bells', reputedly the hardiest winter-flowering Clematis. This cultivar starts flowering in the autumn and has creamy yellow buds that open to flowers that fade from cream to white with age.
The hybrid daphne, a cultivar bred by Robin White, is a hybrid between Daphne bholua and the supposedly tender Daphne sureil. This hybrid daphne is winter-flowering and produces masses of pink flowers. It grows to a height of 2m and is best planted where the morning sun will not reach it while the plant is still frozen after a cold night. This hybrid daphne has proved hardy at Wildside, which is similar to much of southern England.
Primula 'Gigha' is a pure-white primrose with a yellow eye that will flower for months, giving pools of white in the woodland garden over winter.
Crocus thirkeanus produces the most intense orange flowers from the smallest crocus bulbs. It is hardy in RHS H7 and USDA 3a-8b and is wonderful growing alongside Corydais henrikii. Crocus thirkeanus is at its season of interest in late winter.
Erythronium caucasicum is best positioned in a sheltered, semi-shady spot. This plant, often the first erythronium in flower, is easily spoilt by bad weather, with strong winds being its main enemy.
Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' is an evergreen daphne cultivar with leathery, mid-green leaves. It produces large clusters of mauve-pink flowers that cover the daphne for weeks from winter into early spring. Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' was raised at Hillier Nurseries by propagator Alan Postill and named for his wife.
Using a combination of these winter-flowering plants will extend flowering periods and enrich winter garden colour and structure. Each plant varies in its cultural needs but generally benefits from sheltered positions, good soil drainage, and some prefer partial shade.
- Hellebores, also known as Christmas or Lenten roses, bloom from late winter into spring and prefer shaded, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
- Winter pansies, violas, and polyanthus are hardy and suitable for containers or beds, offering bright, cheerful flowers that can last through winter.
- Cyclamen coum, a perennial that flowers in winter, can be used both in baskets and garden borders, and choosing winter-hardy types ensures longevity.
- Erica carnea (winter heather) provides flowers from mid-late winter to spring and comes in various colours like pink and magenta.
