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Colorful Shrubs
The colors of the winter landscape are white and various shades of gray and brown. An excellent way to brighten the dead of winter is to plant shrubs that possess colorful fruit or bark.Hollies
A plant often associated with winter and the Christmas season is the evergreen holly. The glossy, green-leafed and red-fruited sprigs of holly are often used in wreaths, centerpieces, and other decorations. When planting any type of hollies, a male variety must be planted for pollination and fruit set. One male plant is adequate for 6 to 8 female plants.Another type of holly used for winter color is winterberry. It is native to much of the eastern United States, and while most hollies are evergreen, winterberry loses its leaves in the fall. It grows 6 to 10 feet tall. The fruit on female plants turns a bright red in fall and will persist into the winter.
Winterberry performs best in moist, acid soils in partial shade to full sun. Best fruiting occurs in those areas that receive at least 6 hours of sun. In alkaline soils, winterberry leaves may become yellow-green. This is called chlorosis, and it can be prevented by incorporating peat moss into the soil before planting .
Viburnum
The American cranberry bush viburnum is an excellent shrub for screens and hedges. The shrub grows 8 to 12 feet tall and produces white, flat-topped clusters of flowers in spring. The fruit turns a bright red in fall and is very attractive to birds.Red Osier Dogwood
The red osier dogwood is noted for its red-colored twigs in winter. It grows about 6 to 8 feet tall. Several varieties are available. 'Cardinal' is an introduction from the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Its twigs are bright red in winter. 'Isanti' and 'Kelseyi' are compact, red-stemmed shrubs. 'Flaviramea' has yellow stems.Japanese Barberry
The Japanese barberry is a small, thorny shrub. Its green leaves change to orange or reddish purple in the fall. The Japanese barberry produces small, oval-shaped fruit which turn bright red in the fall and persist into winter. Many varieties are available. Most have reddish- purple foliage.Red Chokeberry
Red chokeberry is an upright, spreading shrub. It produces small, white flowers in spring, followed by red berries in fall. The common name chokeberry is derived from the astringent taste of the fruit. Red chokeberry grows 6 to 10 feet tall. The best fruiting variety is 'Brilliantissima.' 'Brilliantissima' is hardy in Zones 5 to 8.The brightly colored fruits of these shrubs may not remain throughout the winter. Extreme cold in mid-winter may cause much of the fruit to turn brown or black. Hungry birds and squirrels will also dine on the fruit. However, the display in late fall and early winter can be spectacular.
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