Southern Ornamental Winter Plants!

Dec 9

Winter Specimen Plant Options in Georgia!

For this winter time post we will be discussing the best plant options for winter time. Winter landscapes in Georgia often feel flat and lifeless. Lawns go dormant, perennials disappear, and many shrubs lose their leaves, leaving yards looking bare for several months. The good news is that winter doesn’t have to mean boring. With the right plant selection, your landscape can still have structure, color, and even blooms during the coldest part of the year.

Choosing the right winter specimen plants is especially important in North Georgia, where clay soil, fluctuating temperatures, and occasional cold snaps can limit plant performance. Below are some of the best winter-interest plants that thrive in Georgia landscapes and work well in professionally designed outdoor spaces. There are many options whether you are looking for the flowing texture of a grass with featherlike blooms, or color changing bark that turns into a focal point and really shines in winter time. There are plants in Georgia for every season and winter is no different. You may still plants trees, shrubs, and winter annuals just be sure to water atleast once a week depending on weather conditions. Plants will thrive once spring comes around that have been planted during winter time.

Thoughtful winter landscape design focuses on form, texture, and evergreen presence rather than relying solely on flowers. In North Georgia, this also means accounting for clay soils, winter moisture, and changing sun angles once trees lose their leaves. By incorporating specimen plants with interesting bark, branching, foliage, or winter blooms, a landscape can maintain visual interest year-round instead of feeling empty for several months. Placement is just as important as selection, you want to consider creatively how plants will be viewed from windows, patios, and entryways, and pair evergreens with winter-blooming plants for maximum visual interest. How do the textures of the plants stand out to you and pair with other textures, shapes, and sizes?

Here are some great tree, shrub, perennial, and annual plant selections for georgia landscapes!

Paperbush - Flowers when nothing else seems to be! Starting around Feb, plant will be leafless covered in white circular blooms that smell very nice! Plant loves Georgia and thrives here. Good as a backdrop plant towards a corner or backrow as it grows circular and medium sized. A full season plant with winter blooms, large tropical spring/summer leaves, followed by a beautiful yellow fall color! Some afternoon shade always helps this plant really thrive.
Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick - Contorted like branches that are spiraled and twisted all around! Very unique looking shape and branches that can be seen all winter long. During warmer seasons this is a medium sized shrub. Great for a specimen in winter time, could go well by a corner of the house or to the back drop outer edges. This is one of the most unique winter time options!
Coral Bark Japanese Maple - Beautiful medium sized Japanese Maple, beautiful bright red bark in winter time after the yellow fall leaves drop! This is a magnificent tree for any and all seasons! 20-25’ Maximum height over 10 years. Very versitile, low maintenance, and hardy tree.
Lenten Rose - Wonderful winter time flowering evergreen. Stay very small about 1.5’ x 1.5’ max. Will spread over time so you can split and put them all around your garden! These have very unique blooms that make them stand out and deer do not enjoy eating them! Prefers morning sun and afternoon shade!
Sasanqua Camellia - Winter blooming camellia! Beautiful shrubs that range anywhere from 2’ to 20’ based on the variety. Large selection of bloom colors. These camellias compared to the typical later blooming japanese camellias can handle much more intense sunlight so are more versatile than the japanese variety.
Autumn Ferns - Great choice as a shade loving evergreen perennial. These ferns prefer the north side of the house or being in indirect sunlight all day preferably. If possible limit light to just morning sun. Ferns are very carefree and do not require much after keeping them alive with water for the first year. They will turn a beautiful bronze shade in winter time while staying around for visual interest. Ferns are not heavily sought after by deer or rabbits which is always a plus!
Evergreen Clematis - A wonderful sharp long 2-4” shaped leafs. Growing vigorously as a vine so use on a fence, trellis, or outdoor structure. Evergreen clematis is a fast-growing, woody vine that keeps its glossy foliage year-round, providing structure and greenery even in the coldest months. In late winter to early spring, it produces fragrant white flowers that stand out against bare branches or neutral winter backdrops. Pruning after spring flowers is encouraged to help keep growth back!
Star Jasmine - Another vine that produces small fragrant white blooms in spring time. These leaves are shaped much different than the evergreen clematis they are much more of a round shape with a much darker green color to them. Grows dramatically as well an need a supported structure to cling onto. Wonderful in anywhere from shade to sun.
Annual Options - Ornamental Cabbage, Ornamental Kale, Pansies, Violas, Snapdragon, Dusty Miller. Pansies and violas space 6” apart. Most winter annuals do not get as big as summer annuals so they can be spaced much closer for higher color appeal. Slower growing than summertime annuals as well, but still can look very intriguing and colorful.