Plants that Grow in Winter in Many Garden Zones

by Jennifer Poindexter

Do you want your home to stay vibrant with color all winter long? Are you searching for plants that prosper during the winter?

Understanding which plants thrive in which seasons is vital to keeping your home welcoming and colorful throughout the year.

Yet, there are some seasons where it feels virtually impossible to keep plants blooming. Winter is one of those seasons, until now.

I have compiled a list of plants which bloom during the winter months. They’re divided out by planting zones.

Be sure to know what planting zone you live in, see which plants in our list apply, and read the general information about what these plants need to grow adequately.

Once you accomplish these tasks, you’re well on your way to having a landscaped home even during the winter months.

Winter Flowers for Planting Zone Three and Higher

The flowers that grow best in planting zones three and higher are:

• Snowdrops 
• Winterberry
• Glory of the snow
• Daffodils
• Dutchman’s breeches
• Crocus
• Hostas
• Ornamental Cabbage

Snowdrops, glory of the snow, and crocus are hardy in planting zones three through eight. They require well-draining soil and full sun in any growing location.

Winterberry grows well in planting zones three through nine. These flowers prefer heavy moisture, acidic soil, and partial to full sunlight.

Daffodils may sound like a spring flower, and in some areas they are. However, in the right planting zones, they may begin to bloom in late winter. Daffodils grow best in planting zones three through eight, prefer well-draining soil, and need full sun.

Dutchman’s breeches is a funny name but a gorgeous flower. These do best when planted in moist, well-draining soil in full shade. They typically grow in planting zones three through eight.

Hostas are a great plant to add color around your home but are also low-maintenance. They’re hardy in planting zones three through nine, prefer partial shade, and well-draining soil.

Our last plant to mention is for those who live below planting zone three. Ornamental cabbage is hardy in planting zones two through eleven. It can be grown by itself or included in a container garden for deep color against taller, more vibrantly colored flowers.

If you live in planting zones three or higher, any of these plants could be a great way to landscape your home during the winter.

Winter Flowers for Planting Zones Four and Higher

If you live in planting zones four or higher, you might be wondering which plants work best in your areas over the winter months.

The plants which should bloom in your area during this time of the year are:

• Violas 
• Winter aconite 
• English primrose 
• Pussy willow 
• Spring snowflake 
• Daphne shrub 
• Christmas rose
• Scilla

Violas are great flowers for planting zones four through ten. Like most flowers, they need well-draining soil and plenty of sun for them to bloom properly.

Winter aconite is a great choice for planting zones four through seven. The plant needs well-draining soil and should be watered regularly to keep moisture consistent.

English primrose, pussy willow, scilla, and spring snowflake are all great wintertime options for planting zones four through eight. Where pussy willow loves full sun, it will depend upon the plant variety of English primrose as to how much sun or shade you provide.

Spring snowflake can handle partial to full sun. Scilla, on the other hand, prefers partial to full shade. All of these plants need well-draining soil.

The last two plants, which are great for growing in the winter, are daphne shrub and Christmas rose. They both grow well in planting zones four through nine and both need well-draining soil.

Daphne shrub likes to receive some sunlight in the morning but needs afternoon shade. Christmas rose prefers full shade.

Now that you know which plants are good choices for planting zones four and higher, it’s time to discuss other plants that grow best in even higher planting zones.

Winter Flowers for Planting Zones Five and Six

In this section, we’ll be discussing plants that grow best during the winter in planting zones five and six. Let’s start with planting zone five. There are a few plants which grow best in planting zones five and up. They consist of:

• Cyclamen
• Witch hazel
• Lenten rose
• Pieris
• Mahonia
• Winter heath
• Holly

Cyclamen actually maxes out at planting zone five for hardiness. It prefers cool weather and a little sun in the morning. Yet, in the afternoon, it needs to be protected from the sun.

Witch hazel grows best in planting zones five through eight and prefers full sun. The rest of the plants mentioned above all thrive in planting zones five through nine.

Lenten rose, mahonia, and holly need well-draining soil and partial sun. Whereas, pieris and winter heath prefer full sun and well-draining soil. Pieris actually likes its soil to be slightly acidic.

Now, let’s discuss which plants grow best in planting zones six and above. Pansies and winter jasmine are a great fit for those who live in these planting zones. 

Winter jasmine grows best in planting zones six through ten. It needs full sun and well-draining soil, like many of the other plants mentioned on this list.

Pansies do best in planting zones six and higher. They like to receive morning sun and afternoon shade. They, too, should be planted in well-draining soil and watered consistently.

Ensure your growing space can provide the basic needs of the plants mentioned above to give yourself the greatest opportunity for a positive growing experience when caring for plants during the winter in zones five and six.

Winter Flowers for Planting Zones Seven Through Nine

In planting zones seven through nine you have a few more options to choose from when picking out what you’d like to grow in your yard or garden over winter. Your choices are:

• Algerian iris
• Camellia
• Ranunculus
• Kaffir lily

Planting zones seven through nine are a great place to grow Algerian iris. This plant resembles many of the other iris varieties and is great for adding a splash of color around your home, though they should be planted in full sun.

In planting zones eight and higher, you can grow camellia which needs well-draining soil and partial sunlight to remain healthy and vibrant over winter.

You can also grow ranunculus in planting zones eight through ten. As soon as I saw these blooms, I fell in love. 

Their tightly woven flowers, that are also brightly colored, can provide a welcoming touch to your home while most other plants are dormant. They should be planted in well-draining soil and in a sunny location. 

The final plant that’s a great choice for wintertime charm is the kaffir lily. It looks like many other varieties of lilies with the exception of its blooms having a more rounded shape.

This flower grows well in a sunny location with well-draining soil and grows best in planting zones nine through eleven. 

Most winter flowers have similar needs. Though there are a few that prefer shade to sun. If you can provide these necessary growing conditions, you should have no problem keeping plants blooming and healthy during a time of year it’s common to see even the most manicured yards appear dead.

Hopefully, this has provided inspiration for what you’d like to plant around your home to keep it fresh and lively all throughout the year.

Don’t forget to plant winter plants in enough time for their roots to be established before the dip in temperatures occurs. Good luck to you in beautifying your home in every season of the year.

More About Winter Plants

https://pitt.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/02/plants-for-winter-interest/

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/plants-for-cold-weather/

https://unlgardens.unl.edu/winterinthelandcape