Best winter flowering shrubs – 10 beautiful options to brighten up your winter garden

The best way to add colour to your garden over the colder months? Plant some winter flowering shrubs!

Whether you're looking for the best winter plants for pots or garden border ideas that bloom when the rest of the garden is asleep, there are plenty of options to choose from.

So, we've rounded up eight of the best winter flowering shrubs to help you brighten up your garden each year.

The best winter flowering shrubs

We get it: you've already got a lot to do in your garden this season, especially now you're having to suss out how to protect plants from frosts.

To help you out, then, we've consulted a panel of gardening experts to help you sift between the numerous flowering evergreen shrubs on offer – as well as, more generally, which shrubs actually flower in winter in the UK.

It's the easiest way to add colour to a winter garden!

1. Chinese witch hazel

We'll start with one of the more vibrant winter flowering shrubs. Chinese witch hazel, or Hamamelis mollis, produces golden-yellow flowers towards the end of winter.

'A favourite of mine, for the flowers, is Hamamelis mollis,' says garden designer Harriet Worsley. 'It has bright yellow flowers and looks as if spring has already arrived.'

If you're not a fan of yellow in the garden, there are other colour options – but Harriet thinks yellow is the most cheerful.

'There are also rusty orange and red versions, but in my opinion, they just don’t cut it,' she says. 'It’s the yellow, best planted as a focal point in the large country garden, that does it for me. It looks so fresh and uplifting against a grey sky and brown soil.'

Where to buy Chinese witch hazel:

• Gardening Express: Hamamelis mollis 'Pallida' produces yellow flowers
• Crocus: If yellow isn't your colour, try the orange-bloomed Hamamelis × intermedia 'Jelena'

Harriet Worsley

Garden designer Harriet Worsley set up Worsley Design & Consultancy after studying garden design and planting design and studying for her RHS Certificate of Horticulture. She has designed everything from small London roof terraces to large country gardens.

2. Daphne

One of our favourite winter gardening ideas, planting certain varieties of this charming evergreen (such as Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ or Daphne bholua 'Darjeeling') will bless your garden with richly fragrant flowers throughout the colder months.

'Extravagant and gorgeous in the garden, Daphne 'Perfume Princess' is a strong winter shrub that makes a welcome addition to a variety of gardens,' says Jemima Bowker, campaigns and events lead at Sarah Raven and former gardener at Perch Hill.

'When planting, avoid disturbing the roots of Daphne, as this may cause the plant to sulk for a year before it begins to grow new roots. I’d suggest planting Daphne next to a door so you can enjoy the spicy fragrance that emerges from the masses of long-lasting delicate blooms.'

Where to buy winter-flowering Daphne:

• Thompson & Morgan: Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' flowers from January to April
• J. Parker's: Another fabulous winter flowering Daphne odora

3. Wintersweet

If you're looking for winter fragrance in the garden, wintersweet is another beautifully-scented option. The clue is in the name.

'Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) has absolutely delicious primrose yellow flowers,' says Angela Slater, gardening expert at Hayes Garden World. 'It needs full sun in a sheltered, frost-free spot and a free-draining soil as it can’t stand being waterlogged.

'If your soil is heavy, try incorporating some horticultural grit, mini chipped bark or leaf mould.'

Where to buy wintersweet:

• Primrose: Buy wintersweet with a choice of sizes
• Crocus: Another beautiful wintersweet shrub

4. Camellias

Some types of camellia, namely Camellia sasanqua, flower in the winter, producing beautiful displays right through the colder months – so now's as good a time as any to learn how to grow camellias.

'Some of my favourite winter flowering shrubs are camellias for their perfect flowers, like winter roses,' says Harriet.

For best results, you'll need to ensure the shrub is planted in the right kind of soil. 'Camellias like acid soil, so use ericaceous compost if planting them in a pot, or make sure the soil type is acid, not alkaline,' Harriet advises.

Where to buy winter-flowering camellias:

• Gardening Express: Try Camellia 'Yuletide' for festive blooms
• Crocus: Camellia 'Winter's Toughie' flowers until the end of December.

5. Sweet box

Another sweetly-scented winter flowering shrub, Sarcococca, or sweet box, proved a popular choice with all of our gardening experts.

'An evergreen shrub that is both versatile and elegant, this variety of sweet box, with its glossy, dark green leaves and delicate, fragrant white flowers in winter, is sure to catch both the eye and the nose of anyone who passes by,' promises Charlotte McGrattan, nursery stock buyer at Hillier Garden Centres.

Harriet is also a fan of Sarcococca. 'If you pass a winter garden and a whiff of honey seems to drift by as if a fashionable Parisian in Chanel no 5 has just passed you on the street, then that’ll be Sarcococca,' she says. 'The flowers are almost invisible, but the smell is outstanding. Plant it by a doorway or path, so that you get a little hit every time you walk by.'

Sarcococca is ideal for dark borders, north-facing gardens, or woodland-style gardens.

Where to buy Sarcococca confusa:

• Crocus: Grow Sarcococca confusa for sweet white flowers
• Thompson & Morgan: Buy Sarcococca confusa as a potted plant

6. Winter heathers

If you're hoping your winter flowering shrubs might add a dash of Nordic coastal garden chic to your outdoor space, consider planting winter heathers.

'Known for their enchanting pink and purple colours, winter heathers are the perfect addition to any garden,' promises Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

'They are renowned for having a long blooming season, between November and April, and are relatively low maintenance.'

Personally, we're big fans of the ground-covering Erica × darleyensis 'Ghost Hills' from Crocus (shown above) – it promises an abundance of pinkish-purple flowers from late winter to mid-spring.

7. Viburnum

Many viburnum varieties flower in winter, but one type in particular stands out to Charlotte.

'If you're looking to add some pretty colour and fragrance to your garden border during the winter months, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' is a great choice,' she says.

'This winter flowering shrub is renowned for its stunning pink blooms, which are not only beautiful but also very fragrant when they emerge in the colder month. Plus, it's a winter favourite for both you and local wildlife.'

Where to buy Viburnun x bodnantense 'Dawn':

• Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' from Thompson & Morgan
• Viburnum × bodnantense 'Dawn' from Crocus
• Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ 3L from Hillier

8. Paperbush

If you're looking for a winter flowering shrub that well and truly stands out from the crowd, you need an Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Red Dragon' in your life.

'For a more unusual choice, I love this shrub which produces vibrant red-orange scented blooms during late winter,' says award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore.

Zoe Claymore

Zoe Claymore is a multi award-winning garden designer based in London. She focuses on creating outdoor places with emotional connection and ecological integrity for her private and commercial clients.

'I love this winter flowering shrub for its slight out-of-worldly look as much as I do for its scent, which is truly gorgeous to enjoy in a sunny corner,' adds Zoe.

'It also has an excellent form to create shadow – an easy garden idea that will help your garden look extra-special this winter.'

There aren't many places that stock this gorgeous shrub, but you can buy yourself an Edgeworthia chrysantha from Crocus.

9. Winter honeysuckle

Counted among the best winter flowers by many gardening experts, winter honeysuckle is an almost indestructible plant that promises beautiful blooms when it's cold outside.

'Fill your garden with large, cream-white flowers by planting winter honeysuckle,' says Morris.

'The best part? These flowers are really fragrant, making your garden smell beautiful. The fragrance is very sweet and lemony!'

Where to buy winter honeysuckle:

• Thompson & Morgan: Buy Lonicera fragrantissima for white flowers followed by red berries
• Crocus: Another great place to buy a Lonicera fragrantissima shrub

10. Oregon grape

If you're in the market for vibrant conical flowers, the Oregon grape could be the one for you.

'This winter flowering shrub is an evergreen, which means it thrives in your garden all year-around,' says Morris.

'In the colder months, though, you'll find it blooming with the most vibrant yellow flowers that will brighten up any garden!'

Again, not many places stock this little beauty, but you can pick up a Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun' from Thompson & Morgan.

FAQs

What evergreen has yellow flowers in winter?

A few evergreen winter flowering shrubs produce yellow flowers. Kowhai, mahonia and winter jasmine are all popular options, brightening up the garden during the colder, darker winter months.

What shrub has fragrant flowers in winter?

A fair few of the winter flowering shrubs on our list produce fragrant flowers in winter. Daphnes, wintersweet, viburnum, sweet box, winter honeysuckle and paperbush 'Red Dragon' are just some of the scented blooms you can add to your wheelbarrow.

If you'd prefer a fragrance-free shrub, many types of winter heather are unscented.

Now that you know which winter flowering shrubs are worth investing in, it's time to decide which ones will grace your garden over the bleak midwinter months.

We'll race you to the garden centre...