![\"Winterberry,](\"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/files\/2017\/01\/1024px-Ilex_verticillata_fruits_01.jpg\")
<\/a>Winterberry, a native deciduous holly bush has red berries through to spring. Photo: SB Johnny<\/a>, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n Because my eyes are hungry these days for any visual delight, color stands out like a sore thumb. Which would probably also be conspicuous against winter\u2019s backdrop. Yet not as much as plants like red-stem dogwood, a shrub which prefers wet places, or winterberry, a native deciduous holly bush that has red berries through to spring. Another source of color this time of year are the catalogs that come pouring in. No, not the swimsuit ones; I\u2019m talking about those from nursery and garden suppliers.<\/p>\n Granted, the shrubs and trees featured in those glossy pictures have probably been fed nothing but steroids, fertilizers, and maybe rocket fuel, or else the images have been photoshopped. We want that lush specimen in our yard, yet we know it won\u2019t quite measure up to the photo. But take heart if you\u2019ve had less than stellar results landscaping in the past\u2014Many of the plants which provide the best winter colors are also the most bulletproof.<\/p>\n Red stem dogwood. First-year shoots are the most brilliant, so it is customary to cut them to the ground at the end of winter. Photo: USDA<\/a>, public domain<\/p><\/div>\n In the wild, the aforementioned red twig or red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera<\/em>) is more abundant in wetlands, but once established, will do quite well in nearly all conditions. The first-year shoots are the most brilliant, so it is customary to cut them to the ground at the end of winter and let them sprout back. This produces a 3-to-4-foot cluster of shoots, depending on your soil, that are especially appealing in winter. You can buy a named cultivar such as \u2018Midwinter Fire\u2019 from a nursery, or dig your own if you have a source. They transplant easily.<\/p>\n Many viburnums keep their berries, usually some shade of blue, well into winter. These also transplant readily, and can be sourced from natural settings. Cultivars of withewood viburnum (Viburnum nudum<\/em>) like \u2018Winterthur,\u2019 or of arrowwood viburnum (V. dentata<\/em>), for example \u2018Blue Muffin,\u2019 are more striking than their wild cousins. These 6-to-8-foot shrubs have great fall leaf color as well, and provide winter food for birds.<\/p>\n Winterberry (Ilex verticillata<\/em>) is a true holly, but does not look like you\u2019d expect because it is deciduous. Again, this 6-to-9-foot shrub is available, potentially at least, from a wild source, but since winterberry is dioecious, meaning some plants are boys and some girls, you need both for the female to produce fruit. A nursery will sell you the right proportion to get the best wintertime berries. Also there are many great cultivars like \u2018Winter Red\u2019 from which to choose.<\/p>\n “Jelana” witch hazel in February bloom at the Royal Botanical Gardens’ Arboretum in Hamilton, Ontario. Photo: Dean Gugler<\/a>, Creative Commons, some rights reserved<\/p><\/div>\n Lastly I\u2019ll mention witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana <\/em>and H. vernalis<\/em>), an oft-overlooked understory plant. It seems very plain and unassuming in the fall, but then will surprise you with flowers in either October-November, or February-March, depending on the species. In the native strain, petals are yellow, but cultivars will vary. One called \u2018Jelena\u2019 has coppery-orange blossoms.<\/p>\n These are all low-maintenance plants, and hardy to USDA Zone 4 or colder. Red-twig dogwood is hardy to Zone 2, which I\u2019m pretty sure means you can plant it in solid ice. Look through a catalog, or online, and see if anything colorful\u2014plants, that is\u2014catches your eye. Let\u2019s all pitch in to help assuage the winter color shortage. Even if it means hanging plastic Easter eggs from the bushes in February.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>