Winter Color in New Jersey – Seasonal Color

Common Name: Jacqueline Postill
Herbaceous perennial
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Native: Nepal

Zone: 7
Height: 6 feet
Spread: 3 – 4 feet
Bloom: February to March

Bloom: Pink and white
Sun: Part shade
Water: Moist
Maintenance: Low

Originally from Nepal, this beautiful flowering shrub species will produce gorgeous and fragrant pinkish / white hues in the late winter and spring time. Also known as the Nepalese paper plant, or Lokta bushes for it’s use of the bark in Lokta paper which has been used for over a thousand years there. While this plant is useful for paper, it is also a great shrub to have planted in any yard.

The daphne bholua is an evergreen and will bloom around February or March usually. After blooming, in the summer the flowers will sometimes be replaced by black berries which are unfit for consumption. The shrub will not attract much wildlife but will attract bees.

While semi deciduous, this plant still will require some protection during any winters that are very cold. Without protection the shrub will lose foliage depending on how harsh the weather is.

Daphne bholua should be grown in an organic rich loam soil if possible. A fine alternative is in partial shade in a neutral to alkaline soil, moist and well drained.

The daphne bholua can potentially look amazing and grow well in a lawn with the right placement. Try placing it at the edge of a forest or in any area that gets some shade. The root of this plant should not be dug up, or else you will cause stress on the shrub, likely causing dieback on the shrub and reducing the overall appeal.

Common Name: Hybrid Lenten rose
Herbaceous / evergreen perennial
Family: Ranunculaceae
Native: Southern and Central Europe

Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Spread: 2 feet
Bloom: February to April

Bloom: Various colors 
Sun: Partial shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low

Hellebore are beautiful, colorful, rose-like flowers that thankfully can be grown right here in New Jersey. These are perfect flowers to use for any floral needs during the winter time, and are just amazing to have in your yard to look at during the winter, when compared to a dreary, dead looking garden bed. They are great to plant in any downward slope, since to their blooms face downward.

Hellebore will bloom around Christmas time and there are many different kinds of types of hellebore you can find these days. They come in varieties of shapes and color schemes, and are fairly easy to grow around NJ. They mostly bloom in shades of white, with some green and pink sometimes. As the plant ages, the colors will usually deepen. There are plenty of shades to pick from, so make sure to choose carefully before planting. Seed come in a mix of colors usually, so if you want a specific color you will need to purchase specific plants.

These flowers will require partial shade, with a rich and moist soil with a high content of organic matter. Prolonged moisture can cause rotting, so try not to let them sit in moisture for too long.

Hellebore seeds should be planted outdoors in the summer in containers and moved to where you want them once they start to get bigger. By keeping the soil moist, they will germinate in the fall or spring. Hellebore can also be grown from dropped seed pods.

To maintain hellebore, you will only need to prune leaves that have faded and sometimes cut back to basal growth in the spring, but only if your hellebore is worn from the winter.

Common Name: Winter Jasmine
Deciduous / evergreen perennial
Family: Oleaceae
Native: Northern China

Zone: 6 to 10
Height: 10 to 15 feet
Spread: 3 to 6 feet
Bloom: Late February to April

Bloom: Yellow
Sun: Full shade to part shade
Water: Dry or medium
Maintenance: Low

Winter jasmine is a vine-like yellow shrub that can add a great amount of yellow to any yard while also act as a type of barrier plant due to it’s size. The shrub grows from a central crown and will grow to be about 4′ when grown as a shrub, and up to 15′ when grow as a vine. The trailing branches will root to the grown once they reach it, and it produces nice looking stems during the winter along with their plentiful yellow flowers.

Winter Jasmine will do best grown in full sun to partial shade, along with well drained, moist, sandy loams. When planted as a vine, it will do best during winter with full sun, so make sure to plant it on a spot that will receive full sun. You should prune after the flowering has completed, usually in the early spring.

Lincoln Landscaping “The Natural Choice”
Mike Kolenut President & CEO

lincolnlandscape@gmail.com

https://lincolnlandscapinginc.com

(201) 848-9699