After the beauty of your fall flowers has faded, you may think that there aren’t any flowers that bloom even in the dead of winter. Well, you’d be wrong!
Many perennial flowers, annual flowers, and flowering shrubs and plants can survive – and even thrive – in the midst of cold winter weather. The best part?
They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, so if you’re looking to add a pop of color to your yard without the hassle, snow flowers are the way to go!
But if you’re not well-versed in planting flowers over the winter months, it can be difficult to narrow down the best additions for your land. That’s why we’ve written this article!
So if you want to find out our top picks for snow flowers, read on!
1. Algerian Iris
Family: Iridaceae
This unique-looking purple flower will keep your yard smelling sweet throughout the duration of winter.
The Algerian Iris is easy to grow as it only requires full sun exposure, making it the ideal addition to flower beds. However, these seeds can be hard to track down.
2. Camellia
Family: Theaceae
With glossy green leaves and remarkable flowers, the Camellia is an easy way to add some color and lusciousness to your land – or to a container.
There are many varieties of this flower available in pinks, reds, and whites, so it’s essential that you choose a type that will bloom throughout winter!
3. Chionodoxa
Family: Asparagaceae
These bulbous perennials are a glorious sight when they burst into bloom.
Chionodoxa typically features star-shaped pink or blue flowers, all of which have a pristine white center.
Also known as Glory of the Snow, these flowers appear even without snow on the ground!
4. Crocus
Family: Iridaceae
Crocus are sturdy, cup-shaped purple flowers that tend to bloom whilst snow remains on the ground.
They are exceptionally cold-hardy and provide a pop of color to your winter yard, exactly where you need it the most.
5. Cyclamen
Family: Primulaceae
The Cyclamen is a delightfully eye-catching tuberous perennial flower. It is usually a deep purplish-pink color and thrives in the cold, often flowering in winter or early spring. Petal shape varies depending on the species of flower.
6. Daffodils
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Frequently associated with the first signs of spring, Daffodils may begin showing as early as February.
These flowers are very cold-hardy and can survive a multitude of weather conditions.
7. Daphne
Family: Thymelaeaceae
These evergreen shrubs have an intense, fruity fragrance that makes them irresistible to humans and pollinators alike.
Daphne’s can typically be found with a variety of colored blooms ranging from white to lavender. These appear in late winter and early spring.
8. Distylium
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Distylium is a glossy green shrub that features tiny red flowers and cascading foliage. It is cold-hardy, rabbit and deer resistant, and drought tolerant – making it a great addition to any patch of land.
9. Edgeworthia
Family: Thymelaeaceae
With a simplistic appearance coupled with a mouth-watering scent, Edgeworthia makes for an excellent addition to any flower bed.
Typically, these plants have silky buds adorning bare branches during the winter – which then open to create rounded clusters.
10. English Primrose
Family: Primulaceae
The frost-hardy English Primrose can survive even the harshest of winters and offers a bold, bright color.
It features tightly clustered, five-petaled flowers that come in various shades including orange, yellow, pink, blue, and red.
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11. Heather
Family: Ericaceae
Heather is an underrated plant that plays a vital role in the creation of winter yards.
It is fully hardy and injects a pop of color against snow. Heather is also relatively low maintenance and easy to grow, simply requiring sunshine and decent drainage.
12. Hellebore
Family: Ranunculaceae
The Christmas Rose is cold-hardy perennial flowers are a stunning sight. With an exquisite color and lush petals, they’re a must-have for any green-fingered individual!
They also appear anywhere from mid to late winter, but this depends on the climate!
13. Holly
Family: Aquifoliaceae
Holly is one of the most recognizable winter plants during the holiday season.
This typically red and green plant is extremely hardy and can withstand very cold temperatures. You can look forward to white flowers in the spring!
14. Hosta
Family: Asparagaceae
It’s never easy being green, except if you’re Hosta! These hardy plants thrive in colder temperatures and will ensure a luscious-looking flower bed throughout the winter months.
It also comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
15. Ipheion
Family: Amaryllidaceae
The delicate star-shaped flowers of the Ipheion plant come in shades of blue, pink, and white. Not only are they sweetly scented, but they bloom in late winter to early spring.
16. Kaffir Lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Alternatively known as “Flame Lilies” these fragile-looking yet equally hardy flowers provide a tropical boost to any winter setting. This flower is easy to care for and will bloom in the late wintertime.
17. Leucojum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Also referred to as “spring snowflake”, this effortlessly stunning bulb can be commonly found during the midst of winter.
It features dainty bell-shaped flowers atop thin foliage and is a great addition under trees or in flower beds.
18. Mahonia
Family: Berberidaceae
Mahonia is an evergreen perennial shrub that features bursts of bright yellow flowers amongst frond-like leaves.
It usually lasts from late fall to mid-winter and is very hardy.
19. Nemesia
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Nemesia is a versatile plant that can be used for many purposes, including hanging baskets and flower containers.
This plant is reminiscent of orchids due to its shape and consistent bi-color flowers. It also grows well in cooler temperatures.
20. Pansy
Family: Violaceae
Similar to their relative, the viola, these beautiful plants showcase brilliant colors in late winter to early spring.
They’ll survive and bloom in the winter if the surrounding climate is mild, and can survive a light frost. Additionally, they come in a range of colors from purple to white!
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21. Pieris
Family: Ericaceae
The Pieris plant (Lily of the Valley) is decorated by hundreds of bell-like flowers that dangle from fine stems.
This striking shrub plant blooms from a glorious white in the spring to an eye-catching dark green in the winter and adapts well to the changing seasons – as long as the soil remains moist.
22. Primrose
Family: Primulaceae
Primrose bloom in the late winter to early springtime (depending on where you live) and are extremely cold-hardy.
These perennial flowers also come in many shapes and colors, including red, purple, pink, and white, and make great additions to hanging baskets.
23. Pussy Willow
Family: Salicaceae
They may not be big, splashy flowers, but the Pussy Willow offers unique characteristics that we just had to mention.
This shrub has cute, fuzzy catkins that appear on the bare stems in late winter and early spring. They’re a sure sign that spring isn’t far behind!
24. Red Twig Dogwood
Family: Cornaceae
Though this isn’t a flower, the bold, yet bare branches of this striking shrub are too great not to include on this list. They’ll last all winter long and require minimal care except for pruning!
25. Sarcococca
Family: Buxaceae
The Sarcococca flowers are highly fragrant with glossy evergreen foliage that can be easily maintained during the winter months.
This shrub is the perfect size for containers or borders for low hedging.
26. Scilla
Family: Asparagaceae
Featuring small blue star-shaped flowers and strap-like leaves, Scilla is a gorgeous yet equally cold-hardy perennial plant.
This flower comes in shades of pinks, violets, blues, and whites, and makes a lovely addition to any flower bed.
27. Snapdragons
Family: Plantaginaceae
The name stems from the flowers’ resemblance to a dragon head. Snapdragons can bloom in winter and have the capacity to handle intense frost.
They also come in a variety of colors, excluding blue.
28. Snowdrops
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Also called Galanthus, snowdrops are delicate-looking but extremely cold-hardy flowers.
These darling droopy-headed flowers look best at the front of borders and often start blooming when snow is still on the ground (this is where they get their name!)
29. Viola
Family: Violaceae
It is the largest genus in the violet family, containing between 525 and 600 species.
These small and sweet flowers can survive the colder climates of fall and winter. Plus, there are many variations to choose from, all with solid, bicolor, and tricolored petals.
30. Winter Aconite
Family: Ranunculaceae
Winter Aconite brings a sense of joy to your winter flower plot in the form of incredibly vibrant flowers.
These lesser-known bulbs feature buttercup-yellow blooms that can often be seen boldly popping up through the snow, although they’ll mainly pop up around February time.
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31. Winter Heath
Family: Ericaceae
This small, dense evergreen shrub works well as a ground cover.
It’s smothered in beautiful, tiny pale pink blossoms that bloom for weeks throughout winter and into early spring. However, you need to purchase the winter-blooming variety.
32. Winterberry Holly
Family: Aquifoliaceae
It bursts with gorgeous bright red berry-laden branches that simply pop against a carpet of snow.
This holly shrub has deciduous and evergreen types, meaning some may drop its leaves while others will retain their lives throughout winter.
33. Winter Honeysuckle
Family: Caprifoliaceae
This bushy deciduous shrub bears fragrant creamy-white flowers on seemingly leafless branches.
Generally, the species requires little protection from the cold in more moderate climates, and they are relatively hardy.
34. Winter Jasmine
Family: Oleaceae
This medium-sized shrub has long, arching branches and pretty (yet equally bright) yellow flowers.
It’s not fragrant like other variations of Jasmine, but it does offer a splash of color in the otherwise dull landscapes of late winter.
35. Witch Hazel
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Witch Hazel is a whimsical-looking shrub that features wispy flowers stemming from bare branches in early spring. It is a fun and highly attractive addition to any landscape.
But be sure to plant the winter-flowering variety because there are many types!
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Conclusion
And that concludes our list of some of the most popular (and most hardy) snow flowers out there!
Before making your purchase, we’d highly recommend checking to make sure the plant is suited for the climate where you live!
The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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