Lexington, KY - I hear many people happily noting that the days are getting longer. We take comfort in this sign that warm temperatures, leafy trees and flowers in the garden will return.
While we do have to wait for spring, we don't have to wait for flowers in the garden. February and March blooming shrubs and perennials offer cold weather beauty and another sign that there's more to come.
First, here are some early blooming shrubs to add sparkle to your winter garden.
Witchhazel (Hamamelis) is an outstanding garden frontrunner. Of our two native species, Ozark witchhazel (H. vernalis) is the one that blooms at this time of year (H. virginiana blooms in the fall). Plant it in full sun to partial shade and this 6- to 8-foot tall shrub will reward you with very fragrant, frilly blooms that are yellow tinged with red and last for up to four weeks. The flowering stems can make an attractive winter bouquet. The leaves turn an attractive golden yellow in the fall. Cultivars include "Autumn Embers" and "Christmas Cheer" or get the straight species, if you can.
The non-native witchhazels can also decorate our winter gardens, flowering as early as January. They also offer attractive fall leaf color. Chinese witchhazel (H. mollis) is a large shrub that grows to about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. It flowers best in full sun. The fragrant blooms have yellow petals with a red base. Hamamelis x intermedia, a cross between Japanese witchhazel (H. japonica) and H. mollis, will take part shade, although it flowers best in full sun. Cultivars have varying flower colors: "Jelena" has coppery orange flowers; "Arnold's Promise," yellow; and "Diane" a coppery red, for example.
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is another March-blooming native shrub, requiring full sun to part shade, that can grow 6 to 12 feet tall. Spicebush is dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate plants). While the male flowers are showier, only the female plants set fruit. Crush the leaves to enjoy a heady, spicy fragrance. Add this to your garden and you're bound to see more spicebush swallowtail butterflies in your backyard since their larvae (caterpillars) require the spicebush leaves as food.
The non-native cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas) grows into a large shrub, 15-plus feet tall, which can be trained into a small tree with the removal of suckers and lower branches. You'll want to remove the suckers promptly in any case, if you wish to control spread. Clusters of tiny, yellow, star-like flowers decorate the branches before the leaves appear. The flowers give way to tiny red fruit which are often hidden by the foliage. The grayish bark exfoliates on mature branches, adding more garden interest. Japanese cornelian cherry (Cornus officinalis) is quite similar to Cornus mas, except it grows with a slightly more open habit, flowers about a week earlier and has more attractive bark. Also the fruits are larger and quite showy.
Winter hazel (Corylopsis glabrescens), a native of Japan and Korea, is a spreading shrub, 8 to 15 feet tall, with drooping clusters of fragrant pale yellow flowers. Well-known plantsman Michael Dirr says, "in full flower, they are as beautiful as any plant that could grace a garden." However, those flower buds are susceptible to damage from early spring frosts, so give it a protected location.
Pieris (Pieris japonica) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that is native to Japan, Taiwan and eastern China. It bears pendulous clusters of small, white flowers. There are also some pink blooming cultivars. Bloom time varies by cultivar, with some blooming in March. The naked flower buds are quite decorative and are present throughout the fall and winter. Although they can take full sun, partial shade and a somewhat protected location are best. The new foliage on pieris can be stunning. "Mountain Fire" is a very popular cultivar with its vivid orange-red new leaf growth.
Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), also called Hellebore, is a much-beloved winter-flowering shade (or part shade) perennial that blooms in sub-freezing temperatures, often when snow is on the ground. It grows to 18 inches tall and features cup-shaped, rose-like flowers ranging in color from white to rose-purple with center crowns of contrasting bushy yellow stamens. Hellebores bloom in February for six to eight weeks and, as a bonus, their leaves are evergreen. When massed, these plants form an attractive ground cover.
And now, on to those glorious early-blooming bulbs and corms: netted iris (Iris reticulata), snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae), winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) and snow crocus (Crocus tommasinianus). Under 6 inches tall, these little gems are best massed in sweeping drifts in areas where they can naturalize, such as woodland margins or in lawns under large deciduous trees. They are also effective in groupings in rock gardens, border fronts, in front of flowering shrubs or along walks or paths.
Blooms and fragrance -- why wait for spring?