5 Winter Landscaping Plants for Northern Virginia

If you’re looking out at your yard right now and feeling like it’s a bit bleak in the winter, you’re not alone. Many homeowners think long and hard about the blooms they want to see in the spring, the foliage they crave in the summer and the blazing color they want to enjoy in the fall. But winter? Not many people think about Northern Virginia winter landscaping plants that will take them clear through the colder, darker months with class and beauty. But we do! Here are 5 Northern Virginia native plants you might add to your yard to make it lovely in the winter. And if you want to spruce up your winter landscaping, contact AllGreen Landscape Co. to schedule a consultation about ways to make your yard just as beautiful in the winter as it is the rest of the year: (703) 992-8787

1. Red Twig Dogwood

You know them for their beautiful spring blossoms, but the red twig dogwood’s branches turn a bright red in the winter too. So, instead of a dull brown color that so many tree branches sleep in through the winter, this particular tree provides shiny red twigs that look great on a clear day, or under a layer of snow. If you already have red twig dogwood, keep in mind that trimming them in the fall will encourage this red growth, so call us if you need them trimmed.

2. Native Evergreens

Evergreen trees are wonderful for winter because they stay green and give you a beautiful canvas for holiday decorating. They also look so festive whenever we get a winter snowstorm. Some of the native evergreen trees and shrubs you can try in your Northern Virginia landscaping include: Blue atlas cedar (a large, canopy tree), Atlantic white cedar (comes with a blue fruit in the winter), and the eastern red cedar make great winter evergreen choices that also provide shade through the summer.

3. American Holly

Also considered an evergreen with its shiny, pointy green leaves, it’s also well known for its bright red berries characteristic of the winter holidays. It’s also deer and disease resistant for our region and usually grows in a pyramid-shaped shrub.

4. Sweet Bay Magnolia

This is a real multi-season stunner that looks great from the street and the front window. You know its explosions of white, firework-like blossoms in the spring. But in the winter, this tree retains its leaves, which can morph between several different colors including green, orange and brown, providing color and interest all through the winter.

5. Winterberry Shrub

While it’s not the most attention-grabbing shrub in the summer, it absolutely shines in the winter. After the leaves fall in the autumn, sprays of bright red berries explode on the bushes, attracting songbirds and adding a lot of gorgeous interest throughout the winter.

Contact AllGreen Landscape Co. at (703) 992-8787 if you’d like to discuss making your winter yard a little more exciting for next year.