Evergreen shrubs offer greatly needed color and texture in the midst of winter, but deciduous shrubs should not be overlooked; many provide strong winter appeal as well.  By choosing shrubs for their exceptional form, structure or bark, beauty and color can be added to the winter landscape as well as year-round appeal.  Here are just a few shrubs that feature amenity in both the dormant and growing season.

Burning Bush – corky, winged stems and brilliant red fall foliage.

Japanese Barberry – bright berries that persist throughout winter

Rockspray Cotoneaster – bright red berries and fishbone branching pattern

Shadblow Serviceberry – smooth gray branches subtly marked with dark gray and white striations.

Red-twig Dogwood – bright, coral-red stems

Winter Honeysuckle – slender, recurving branches and sweet, lemon fragrance in fall

Yellow-twig Dogwood – bright yellow stems 

John Fech

Horticulture Extension Educator at Nebraska Extension

John Fech is a horticulturist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. The author of 2 books and over 200 popular and trade journal articles, he focuses his time on teaching effective landscape maintenance techniques, water conservation, diagnosing turf and ornamental problems and encouraging effective bilingual communication in the green industry. He works extensively with the media to extend the message of landscape sustainability, making over 100 television and radio appearances each year.