The Best Winter Plants To Decorate Your Patio With For A Gorgeous Pop Of Color

Not everything has to look gray and dull just because winter decides to step in. Sure, the deciduous trees will go bare and the turf will brown. Yet, there are ways to add a burst of color to your property if you know which flowers to use. Violas, snapdragons, boxwood, sedums, fringe flowers, and herbs are some of the best winter-friendly plants that will gladly make it their mission to enliven your patio.

That being said, there are some things worth noting. Not every winter-blooming plant will thrive in your area, despite matching the USDA hardiness zone. For instance, if you're growing cool-season flowers in containers, they're not as likely to handle the cold as well as if they were in garden beds. In this case, it makes sense to treat your containers one hardiness zone colder and choose plants accordingly. Likewise, always opt for varieties and cultivars that offer the highest frost hardiness. Moreover, as winters tend to slow down growth rates, look for decent-sized plants so you don't spend the entire season waiting for the containers to fill out. In the case of harsher-than-expected winters, raise the containers to improve drainage or wrap the plants in burlap for added protection. Having said that, read on to learn about the various winter plants that are sure to deck your patio in beautiful colors.

Available in a slew of colors, including purple, white, blue, and yellow, sorbet violas (Viola cornuta) are easily some of the best winter plants to make your patio pop. Although the blooms are petite, they are striking, and put out a splendid display right up until spring. Neither frost nor sub-freezing temperatures can mar their look in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 11. Sorbet violas are self-cleaning, meaning the faded blooms drop off without deadheading. They grow up to 6 inches tall and just as wide in full sun. Ensure the container soil never dries out.

Looking for velvety plants that'll add a hint of luxury to your patio? Dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) can help. Their silverish-white foliage adds moon-reflective decorative value that deer fortunately dislike. While they're typically cold hardy to zone 7, they've occasionally survived in zone 4's winters. They're unfazed around the first few frosts, with the foliage risking dieback only when the temperatures drop below freezing levels. Full sun exposure coaxes the best growth, with their mound reaching 2 feet top and across. Though, they will survive in deep shade if forced. Alas, they're not pet-friendly.

You might know snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) as a deer-resistant summer flower that'll fill your garden with sweet fragrance. But when planted in the fall, its colorful blooms will persist through the winter in milder climates of zones 7 to 10. Snapdragons tolerate mild frosts but not freezing temperatures. For your patio containers, stick to dwarf varieties that grow no taller than 12 inches. 'Candy Showers' series is a good fit if you're keen on the flowers trailing down the pots. Give them six hours of sun exposure and pinch their tops now and then to foster bushy growth.

'Golden Duke' eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis 'MonJers') is a slow-growing evergreen conifer fit for container gardening. Usually, its needled foliage glows golden, turning a burnished yellow in winter months and attracting birds. It's cold hardy in zones 4 through 8 and thrives in full-to-part sun. However, keep its roots mulched outdoors. 'Golden Duke' is narrower than it is tall, measuring 3 feet wide, but 10 feet tall at maturity (around 10 years), making it suitable as a windbreak or screen. You'll need to water it more frequently, as containers tend to dry out quicker.

Hardy in zones 4 through 9, 'Green Mountain' boxwood (Buxus 'Green Mountain') is a deer and rabbit resistant evergreen shrub. Its 5-foot-tall bright green mound serves spectacularly as a standalone specimen. Alternatively, it can be pruned into a topiary to lend a more sculptural look to your patio. Despite the hardiness, 'Green Mountain' requires protection from cold winds and snow cover. This is because they may dehydrate its foliage, causing discoloration especially around the tips. So, keep its roots mulched for moisture retention and protection. It prefers full sun, though partial shade is tolerated.

Deck your patio with hens and chicks (Sempervivum) 'Pacific Shadows' and enjoy their color-changing, evergreen foliage. In winter, they appear as a 6-inch-wide rosette of dark purple leaves, later assuming red and orange tones as the season changes from spring and summer. They're winter hardy through zone 4, tolerating dips to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Grow them in well-draining soil, or else their roots will rot. Position their pots in full sun, though they'll adapt to filtered shade if forced. Bees and butterflies adore their flowers, but deer steer clear of the succulent.

SunSparkler 'Lime Twister' sedum (Sedum spp.) is another hardy succulent worthy of a spot in your patio container. Its yellow-edged, lime green foliage tends to spill over the edges, adding visual contrast, particularly if paired with hens and chicks. It can spread 18 inches wide, and tops out at 6 inches. Keep it in a sunny spot, but it'll make do with slight shading. While it behaves like a perennial in zones 4 through 9, it's evergreen only in milder climates. Combine its soil with perlite or coarse sand to preclude rot.

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) 'Sunshine' is the type of Ligustrum tree that's perfect for growing in containers without encouraging its invasive tendencies. That's because 'Sunshine' is a non-flowering, sterile cultivar. Yet, it manages to brighten zones 6 through 10's winter landscape with its ever-bright chartreuse foliage. While it can grow 5 feet tall, pruning it down to the length desired for your patio is also an option since it tolerates heavy shearing. 'Sunshine' requires moist, well-draining soils along with full sun exposure to show its best growth. Keep the roots mulched and fertilize annually come spring.

Grow 'Kramer's Supreme' camellia (Camellia japonica 'Kramer's Supreme') if your patio receives little to no sun, as it thrives in shaded sites. While it can scale 8 feet high and similarly wide, it does so at a snail's pace, making it optimum for containers. Gardeners in zones 7 to 9 will appreciate it for its peony-esque red flowers that look spectacular against snowy winters. Its lustrous, emerald evergreen foliage is equally decorative year-round. Since 'Kramer's Supreme' prefers acidic soils, consider adding coffee grounds to the potting mix. Shield from desiccating winter winds and afternoon sun.

Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) is one of the few ornamental ferns that remain upright (as opposed to drooping) in winter. It's a looker, too, producing coppery-pink, toothed fronds when young that eventually turn a slick green, and are often riddled by red sori on their undersides. Also called Japanese shield fern, autumn fern feels at home in zones 6 to 12. While it's usually considered an evergreen, it will shed its leaves below 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Drought, shade, deer, and rabbit resistant, autumn fern requires an organically rich media to showcase its best performance.

Add a Mediterranean touch to your patio with cape mallow (Anisodontea capensis) or African mallow. In zones 8 to 11, it puts out flushes of pale pink flowers throughout the year, delighting butterflies and bees. However, where winters become severe, its flowers last until frost, with aromatic, sticky green blades providing cool-season interest. Grow cape mallows in moist, fine-draining soils and place them in an area receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight. At maturity, they may reach 4 feet up and across, though dwarf varieties befitting of containers are also available.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow plant (Brunfelsia pauciflora) is certainly rare as it's adorned by multi-hued flowers simultaneously. New blooms are purple that fade into lavender and eventually white, providing year-round interest in warm climates. Even when not in bloom, they look beautiful because of their lance-shaped, pale-bottomed, leathery evergreen foliage. However, they're winter hardy only through zone 9, and must otherwise be overwintered indoors. Avoid this plant if you're unsure your furry friends won't be able to resist feeding on its leaves since they're slightly toxic. Grow them in a slightly acidic medium.

An Asian import, albeit non-invasive, Japanese medlar (Eriobotrya japonica) or Japanese plum is an evergreen shrub, often used to flank or screen patios. By the time fall draws to a close, it blooms fragrant, five-petaled white flowers that last all winter long. Its brown-mottled, wrinkled green leaves also add ornate value. While it behaves as a hardy perennial in zones 8 through 11, it's bound to lose its fruits and blooms when temperatures sink to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Foliage remains cold-hardy up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Grows in full-to-part sun.

Enhance your shaded patio's appeal by growing Amazon lily (Urceolina amazonica), aka Eucharist lily. In winter, its lustrous evergreen foliage gets topped by tubular white flowers, perfuming the area with a sweet scent. You can even force them to flower more throughout the year by not watering for a month. Although originating from Peru, Amazon lily shows no invasive potential and is best grown in organically rich substrates. Delay repotting, as they flower better when overcrowded. They're only hardy in zones 10 and 11, as both frost and dips below 68 degrees Fahrenheit are injurious.

Himalayan sweet box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. dygyna) is another winter plant that pairs well with deeply shaded patios, infusing the area with a pleasant aroma. Besides sprouting pointed, slender evergreen leaves, it produces clouds of pink-tinged, white flowers come winter end that follow through into spring. Their polished blue-black drupes also merit appreciation. It grows wider than it's tall, spreading 4 feet wide in zones 6 through 8. Don't make the mistake of exposing the Himalayan sweet box to sunlight, as its foliage will fade. It'll need protection against desiccating gales. Prune every spring for shape.

Add a touch of purple to your patio with fringe flowers (Loropetalum chinense var. Rubrum), a broadleaf evergreen plant with velvety, burgundy-lavender foliage. It highlights the winterscape by bursting out fragrant, burgundy-pink flowers, which persist through spring. Fringe flower grows over 3 feet tall and just as wide, though it can be easily pruned to the desired height. It best adapts to zones 8 and 9, but can brave zone 7's winters provided its roots are mulched and it doesn't stand exposed to cold drafts. Site in full sun with noon protection, or in partially shaded areas.

The Mediterranean herb rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) can double as a winter plant in zones 8 through 10. Apart from aromatizing your patio, rosemary improves the wintertime visual aesthetic with its needled and fuzzy greenish-white leaves. These eventually get festooned by bee-friendly edible blue or lavender blooms and copper fruits during the growth season. Ensure good drainage, or the plants will rot. They'll need a minimum of six hours of sunlight to maintain bushy growth. Outdoors, rosemary is generally pest and disease resistant — even deer steer clear of their foliage. You can shape its mound into topiary forms.

Another ornamental herb that lends well to patio containers is sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) due to its languid growth rate. It's an aromatic evergreen herb with bluish-to-silverish green foliage atop a gray, deeply-furrowed bark. When given full sun and well-draining soil, it towers 12 feet high and spreads 30 feet across, bringing in birds to your yard. It can survive outdoors up to zone 8b, after which it's likely to incur frost damage. Since it responds well to pruning, its shape can be trimmed to suit personal preferences. Shave off stray roots every couple of years.

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is a deer-resistant European import that's prized for its long-lasting, late winter interest. Its nodding leafy bracts cradle cup-shaped, yellow flowers that persist through spring (sometimes summer) until they hit dormancy. Although winter aconite thrives in full sun, as a patio container, it's best to limit its sun and wind exposure for the best blooms. It's cold hardy through zone 3 so long the temperatures hover around 5 degrees Fahrenheit — any lower, and its leaves will suffer. In organically-rich, alkaline soils winter aconite grows about 6 inches wide and tall. This plant is incredibly poisonous if eaten, so those with pets or children may want to steer clear.

Another contender for late winter interest is winter heath (Erica carnea). From January through March, its 1-foot mound is swathed by urn-shaped, pink flowers that bees enjoy. Though, you could change up the color scheme by instead choosing cultivars that come in various shades of red, white, purple, and yellow. Year-round, winter heath rocks a bronze-speckled, needled evergreen foliage in zones 7 through 9. Good drainage and high organic content are a must, which can be achieved by adding peat to the potting mix. To ensure bushy growth, cut back the plant after it stops flowering.

Fall-planted pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) plants tend to reward their growers with gorgeous blooms throughout winter and spring, especially down south. Besides, they offer a wide variety in terms of color and form, ensuring you meet the right fit for your patio containers. While they're hardy through zone 6, unless the winters remain wild, they may shed a few leaves, showcasing their semi-evergreen nature. Pansies max out at 9 inches tall and spread just as wide before they die back from the summer heat. Pop them in sunny or partially shaded sites.