One of the great challenges in landscape design is creating a yard that remains visually appealing throughout the year, especially during the colder months. While evergreen trees and shrubs provide year-round color and structure, there are plenty of other options to keep your landscape looking beautiful even in fall and winter. From vibrant foliage to unique textures, incorporating the right plants can make all the difference.
Evergreens: The Backbone of Winter Interest
Evergreens, as their name suggests, retain their foliage year-round, providing essential color and structure to your landscape. Options like arborvitae, boxwood, and spruce offer reliable greenery even in the harshest Midwest winters. But beyond evergreens, a variety of plants can bring seasonal color, texture, and visual interest to your outdoor space.
Best Plants for Fall and Winter Interest
Here are some of our favorite plants that can add beauty to your landscape when the temperatures drop:
- Red Twig Dogwood
A standout shrub in the winter landscape, red twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea) showcase striking red stems that provide a dramatic contrast against snowy backdrops. In fall, their foliage turns shades of burgundy and purple before dropping, leaving behind their vibrant branches. These shrubs thrive in a variety of soil conditions and add structure to any winter garden. - Stonecrop Sedum
Sedums, particularly the autumn-blooming varieties such as Sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ provide a striking presence in fall gardens. Their succulent leaves and clusters of pink flowers mature into rust-colored seed heads that persist throughout the winter, offering both texture and visual appeal. Plus, they’re drought-tolerant and require minimal maintenance. - Liatris (Blazing Star)
Liatris spicata, commonly known as blazing star, produces tall spikes of purple flowers in late summer that transition into seed heads, providing interest well into the colder months. Their vertical form adds contrast to lower-growing perennials, and their dried flower stalks attract birds in winter. - Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass)
For a pop of movement and color, Hakonechloa, or Japanese forest grass, is an excellent choice. Its graceful, arching blades turn golden in fall, creating a warm and inviting effect. Though it dies back in winter, the dried foliage offers delicate texture and contrast against snow and evergreen plantings. - PJM Rhododendron
The PJM rhododendron is a versatile shrub that provides year-round interest. In spring, it produces clusters of vibrant lavender-pink flowers, but its leathery, dark green leaves turn a stunning purple-bronze in fall and persist through winter. It’s also cold-hardy, making it a great option for Midwest landscapes.
Additional Ideas for Fall and Winter Landscape Interest
Beyond plant choices, consider adding these elements to enhance your landscape’s appeal throughout fall and winter:
- Decorative Hardscaping: Features like stone pathways, trellises, and pergolas can provide structure and visual interest even when plants are dormant.
- Ornamental Grasses: Varieties such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and maiden grass (Miscanthus) offer height, texture, and movement in the winter breeze.
- Berries for Color and Wildlife: Plants like winterberry holly and crabapples provide colorful berries that attract birds and add a festive touch to the landscape.
- Lighting Elements: Strategically placed landscape lighting can highlight key features and create a warm, inviting atmosphere during the darker months.
Plan Ahead for Seasonal Beauty
The best time to plan for fall and winter interest is during the spring and summer when you can select and plant the right varieties for your yard. Let the experts at Berns Landscaping help you design a landscape that stays beautiful all year long. From seasonal plant selection to year-round maintenance, we can create a customized plan tailored to your property.
Get Started Today!
Contact Berns Landscaping to schedule a consultation and ensure your landscape stays vibrant and visually appealing through every season.