The following trees and shrubs will add interest to your garden during the winter, making sure that you can enjoy your garden all year round!
Blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana)
This medium-sized tree has uniquely smooth grey bark, and is a great understory species, as it likes a bit of shade. What makes this tree unique is that it holds its leaves throughout the winter. The leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall, which add beautiful colour to your garden, and then fade to orange as the tree goes into dormancy for the winter. These orange leaves stay on the tree throughout the cold season, adding a nice contrast to the white snow in your garden. If you’re looking to add colour to your yard throughout the winter, then this unique tree is for you!
Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Red osier dogwoods are a popular choice for beautifying outdoor spaces, as they sport beautiful clusters of white flowers in the spring and white berries in the summer. This shrub isn’t just a spring and summer beauty, however. If you’re worried about a lack of colour in your yard this winter, then this shrub may be what you’re looking for! Its branches and stems are a brilliant red colour, and stay that way all winter! Their branches are such a beautiful colour that they’re often used in winter holiday decorations and displays. These red stems look striking against white snow, and look especially beautiful when combined with a backdrop of evergreens. Flowers, berries and winter colour? The red osier dogwood has it all!
Bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica)
The bayberry shrub is a beautiful addition to any summer garden because of its beautiful shiny green leaves, and is resilient enough to grow in most conditions. What makes this shrub special during the winter, however, is its berries and winter leaves. As a semi-evergreen shrub, it often keeps many of its leaves throughout the winter, adding colour to a snowy landscape. Its silvery grey berries, which come out in late summer on the female shrubs , persist throughout the winter, providing interest during the snowy season and providing an important source of food for wildlife. This beautiful shrub will make sure that birds will keep flocking to your yard all year round!
White spruce (Picea alba)
This evergreen tree is a perfect choice for those who want green in their yard throughout the spring, summer, fall and winter! As it keeps its beautiful needles all year, the white spruce makes sure that your outdoor space is attractive, no matter the season. It provides shelter and food for a multitude of wildlife, its dense canopy provides privacy and shade all year, and its green boughs provide a striking contrast against the snow throughout the winter.
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
The sycamore is a North American legend, playing a unqiue role in history. It figures prominently in the legend of the first fire. This tree provides shade throughout the summer, but also has some interesting features that persist throughout the winter. The bark is multi-coloured and mottled, taking on a camouflage appearance. The round fruiting bodies, which appear in fall and remain throughout the winter, look just like Christmas tree decorations! They start out hard and spiky, become fluffy as they mature and are an important winter food source for wildlife. The sycamore, majestic and green throughout the summer and accessorized throughout the winter, will accent your yard beautifully across the seasons!
Whether you’re looking to attract birds to your garden this winter by providing berries, making sure there’s plenty of shelter for wildlife, or just want to add a pop of colour to your backyard winter wonderland, LEAF has lots of options available through the Backyard Tree Planting Program! Give us a call to see if any of these trees or shrubs is the right match for you!
Lisa Moore is LEAF’s Residential Planting Programs Assistant.
The Backyard Tree Planting Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation, York Region, Ontario Trillium Foundation, The City of Markham and Toronto Hydro.