Winter-Proofing Your Garden With These Eye-Catching Plants
Top Winter Seedhead Plants for Wildlife and Christmas Wreaths
A selection of plants that provide both winter food for wildlife and aesthetically pleasing seedheads for Christmas wreaths includes the following:
- Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa): This plant produces fluffy seedheads used by birds for nest lining. It attracts monarch butterflies in summer and feeds birds in autumn and winter. Grow it in full sun and well-drained soil, and it will thrive in USDA zones 3 to 9.
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): This plant leaves seedheads through winter, which feed birds such as goldfinches. It grows in full sun with well-drained soil and is drought-resistant once established.
- Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea): This plant provides seeds valuable for wildlife and has golden yellow flowers. It supports pollinators like the black swallowtail butterfly and grows in full to part sun, preferring well-drained soil.
- Goldenrod (Solidago species): Some species of goldenrod produce seedheads that are excellent for birds in winter. Choose appropriate types like stiff goldenrod (S. rigida) or showy goldenrod (S. speciosa) based on garden size. They thrive in full sun and tolerate a range of soil types.
These plants generally prefer mostly full sun, well-drained soil, and are hardy to at least USDA zone 3, making them suitable for cold winter climates. Leaving seedheads standing through winter benefits wildlife and provides material for wreaths. Avoid cutting seed stalks in late fall.
Additional plants of interest include:
- Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus': This grass has dark red flower spikes that fade to silver and gold all winter. It is hardy to USDA 5 and grows best in sun or any soil.
- Lunaria annua: This plant has papery 'moon-like' seedheads that command attention later in the season. It is hardy to USDA 3 and prefers any fertile garden loam.
- Calamagrostis brachytricha 'Mona': This grass has soft mauve-tinted flower heads in late August and September. It is hardy to USDA 8a-10b and grows best in humus-rich soil and full sun.
- Chasmanthium latifolium: This woodland grass has an elegant, arching habit and broad blades. It requires moisture-retentive soil and dappled shade for growth and is hardy to USDA 4a-10b.
- Eryngium pandanifolium 'Physic Purple': This majestic, sword-leaved eryngium has serrated foliage and can grow up to 2.5m tall. It requires well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in sun for growth.
- Telekia speciosa: This plant has big leaves and large, yellow daisies that spray out in every direction all summer. It is hardy to USDA 3 and grows best in sun or shade, not too dry.
- Cephalaria litvinovii: This teasel family plant has deeply divided, dark-green foliage and small, cream, scabious-like flowers. It originates from South-central Russia.
- Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis: This plant has little pale-purple flowers on willowy stems in summer. It is hardy to USDA 8 and originates from China.
- Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford': This moisture-loving perennial has large, glossy, kidney-shaped leaves and deep orange flowers. It is native to Burma, central and western China, and Japan and grows to a height of 90cm.
Choosing native or well-adapted species ensures greater wildlife support and easier cultivation.
- In addition to the mentioned winter seedhead plants, the Goldenseal (Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis) from China, with its pale-purple flowers on willowy stems, also provides interest for home-and-garden lifestyle, especially in USDA zone 8 landscapes.
- For those seeking plants that blend nicely in a garden lifestyle, the Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford', native to Burma, central and western China, and Japan, with its large, glossy, kidney-shaped leaves and deep orange flowers, is an excellent choice, thriving in sun or shade and not too dry areas.
- Another tea-like plant that adds an exotic touch to home-and-garden settings is the Cephalaria litvinovii, with its deeply divided, dark-green foliage and small, cream, scabious-like flowers. Originating from South-central Russia, it's a great addition to gardens in various climates.
