9 Perennials That Will Add Winter Interest To Your Garden
As your garden winds down for the winter and you wait for the blooms of spring bulbs and shrubs, your garden doesn’t have to remain bare. Planting perennials for winter interest adds another layer of beauty to your garden’s design—even if you only enjoy them when peering out the window on a chilly winter day.
During the coldest months of the year, many perennials can add winter interest alongside your existing shrubs and evergreens. Many of these plants retain an upright form all winter, providing height and texture, while dried seedheads offer additional appeal. Some perennials actually peak during the cold weather months.
When choosing perennials, make they are suited to survive cold temperatures in your USDA zone (find your zone here). Also, read the plant tag to note a plant’s mature size so you don’t space it too close to existing plantings. Overcrowded plants will only cause maintenance issues down the road.
Ahead, the best perennials for winter interest in the South.
Hellebore
- Botanical name: Helleborus spp.
- Sun exposure: Dappled sun to mostly shade
- Soil type: Well-drained, rich
Hellebores have the most exquisite flowers nodding atop waxy evergreen foliage. Also known as Lenten roses because they bloom around the time of Lent before Easter, these flowers last from midwinter to early spring. They’re also deer, rodent, and rabbit-resistant. They slowly spread, making a lovely evergreen carpet, especially under deciduous trees.
Varieties for the South: Winter Dreams, Flower Girl, Confetti Cake
Bergenia
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- Botanical name: Bergenia crassifolia
- Sun exposure: Full sun to full shade
- Soil type: Moist, well-draining, rich
Bergenia is a clumping perennial with glossy cabbage-like leaves and pretty clusters of pink or purple flowers that appear in late winter, though it may bloom as early as December in warm climates. Some varieties have burgundy foliage. Fun side note: Its common name is pigsqueak because of the squealing sound it makes when a leaf is rubbed between two fingers!
Varieties for the South: Bressingham Ruby, Winterglow, Peppermint Patty
Carex
Southern Living Plant Collection
- Botanical name: Carex spp
- Sun exposure: Shade to part shade
- Soil type: Well-drained, moist
The bright green, gold, or white variegated foliage of these mounding grasses add pops of color to the landscape year-round. They work well lining walkways, in borders, or in mass plantings.
Hardy Cyclamen
- Botanical name: Cyclamen coum
- Sun exposure: Part shade
- Soil type: Moist, well-draining, rich
There are many species of cyclamen but the type that blooms in winter is Cyclamen coum. This variety has pretty heart-shaped leaves, often streaked with silver. The butterfly-like blooms appear in early to midwinter and last for weeks. In summer, the plant goes dormant but reappears when temperatures cool again in the fall.
Varieties for the South: Cyclamen coum white, Cyclamen coum pink, Cyclamen coum marble leaved
Cordyline
Saxon Holt
- Botanical name: Cordyline spp.
- Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil type: Well-drained, moist
Cold-hardy varieties of tropical cordyline add beautiful year-round color in gardens in the Middle and Lower South. With its strong upright presence and bladed leaves of pink or burgundy, it provides a lovely contrast to the more muted shades of green in your garden.
Varieties for the South: Design-A-Line, Charlie Boy
Beautyberry
- Botanical name: Callicarpa americana
- Sun exposure: Full to part sun
- Soil type: Well-drained, moist
Native to the Southeast, beautyberries actually are shrubs, but the bright purple jewel-like berries, which appear in clusters in fall and winter, make them a must-have in the cold weather landscape. This plant typically is deer-resistant and you can make a flavorful jelly, if you harvest the berries before the birds do.
Varieties for the South: Pearl Glam
Japanese Aralia
Southern Living Plant Collection
- Botanical name: Fatsia japonica
- Sun exposure: Part shade or shade
- Soil type: Moist, well-draining
This striking evergreen has giant palmate leaves with amazing variegation that changes throughout the season and as the plant matures. The unique round clusters of white flowers appear in mid-fall, providing blooms for pollinators at a time when other plants have faded. It makes a lovely specimen plant and works equally well in a mixed border.
Varieties for the South: Spider’s Web
Heath
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- Botanical name: Erica spp
- Sun exposure: Full to part sun
- Soil type: Well-drained, sandy; does not tolerate clay
This low-growing evergreen plant offers lovely texture all winter long in the Upper and Mid South. But even more appealing are the masses of pink flowers in late winter to early spring. There are many different types, so read the plant tag carefully so you choose a variety that is a winter bloomer. This plant is often confused with heather, which is in the same plant family (Ericaceae) but heather is in the genus Calluna and tolerates more cold.
Varieties for the South: Springwood White, Springwood Pink
Coneflower
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- Botanical name: Echinacea spp
- Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil type: Well-drained, most types
The bright daisy-like blooms of coneflower come in every shade imaginable from hot pink to coral to bright yellow or white. Although this perennial blooms in the summer into fall, the dried seedheads add texture to the winter landscape—plus, birds love them!
Varieties for the South: Crazy Pink, Kismet Intense Orange
