December doesn’t mean the end of a colourful garden! Many plants thrive in the colder months, offering vibrant flowers, fragrant scents, and interesting foliage or berries. Colour in December isn’t limited to flowers; strong architectural shapes and contrasting colours from foliage, stems, or berries can make a huge impact.
We’ve curated a list of our favourites at The Big Plant Nursery that are ready to plant right now. Whether you’re looking for the vibrant winter scent of Sarcococca, the fiery red new growth of Photinia, a stately screening tree, or a low-maintenance, brightly coloured shrub, these top choices will ensure your garden remains a source of beauty and life straight through to spring.
At The Big Plant Nursery we have plants of all shapes and sizes, here are our top choices that will look great in your garden in December:
Climbers
- Garrya elliptica – Silk Tassel Bush, is an evergreen shrub native to California known for its long, pendulous, grey-green catkins that appear in winter. It thrives in a sheltered spot, such as against a sunny or shady wall, and prefers well-drained soil. It can grow up to 3-4 meters tall and wide, providing year-round interest.
- Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ – A hardy, variegated evergreen climber with grey-green leaves featuring cream and silver margins. It can grow to about 1.5-2.5 meters in height and 1 meter in spread, is adaptable to sun or partial shade, and can climb walls and fences without support. Key uses include ground cover, containers, or as a backdrop for other plants.
- Pyracantha Saphyr Orange (‘Cadange’) – More commonly known as Firethorn, Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Orange’ is a spiny evergreen shrub with a compact habit, narrow glossy leaves and sprays of white flowers in late spring and early summer. Bright orange berries follow, providing valuable food for the birds throughout Autumn into early winter making it an ideal plant for wildlife gardens.
- Pyracantha ‘Golden Glow’ – Pyracantha ‘Golden Glow’ is an upright and spreading evergreen shrub with eliptical leaves and spiny stems. Small white flowers are produced in late spring and early summer followed by clusters of golden orange berries which last throughout Autumn and into Winter, if the birds don’t get them first!
Shrubs
- Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) – A highly fragrant evergreen shrub, we use this in many gardens as it’s so versatile. It has a broader leaf than the dewitteana varieties and is as fragrant but the benefits of this variety are that it can grow up to 2.5 metres. Prune after flowering to keep in shape.
- Daphne x transatlantica Pink Fragrance – A compact semi-evergreen shrub valued for its exquisite scent and vibrant pink blooms. It forms a tidy, rounded shape and is ideal for small gardens. In early spring, clusters of deep pink flowers with lighter pink edges emerge, filling the air with a sweet, rich fragrance that attracts bees and butterflies. Its glossy green leaves provide a lush backdrop to the blooms and remain attractive throughout the growing season. This low-maintenance shrub adds elegance to any garden. Height and Spread 1m.
- Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Westerstede’ – A hardy, deciduous shrub or small tree that grows to about 4 meters tall and features a vase-shaped habit. It produces lightly fragrant, golden-yellow, spider-like flowers with dark brown sepals on bare stems in late winter or early spring (December to March). In autumn, the mid-to-dark green foliage turns shades of yellow, orange, and red. It thrives in full sun to part shade in well-draining, acidic, moist soil and is a great specimen for winter interest in borders or woodland gardens.
- Nandina domestica – Commonly known as heavenly bamboo, it is a versatile evergreen shrub. It features attractive, feathery, bamboo-like foliage that changes colour with the seasons, shifting from vibrant green in spring to reddish or purple hues in autumn and winter. In late spring, it produces clusters of small, white flowers that attract pollinators, followed by bright red berries that persist into winter providing food for the birds. Its appearance and low-maintenance nature make it a popular choice for borders, hedges, and ornamental gardens.
- Photinia x fraseri ‘Pink Marble’ – An evergreen shrub admired for its vibrant, variegated foliage. New growth emerges as vivid pink, transitioning to green leaves with irregular white margins, creating a stunning, year-round display and in spring, clusters of small white flowers may appear adding seasonal interest. Its unique colouration and low-maintenance nature make it a standout choice for gardens. Height and Spread 4m.
- Sarcococca confusa – An evergreen shrub prized for its glossy, dark green foliage and delightful winter fragrance. This low-maintenance plant produces small, creamy-white, highly scented flowers from late winter to early spring, attracting pollinators. The blooms are followed by shiny black berries, adding seasonal interest. An excellent choice for shady borders, woodland gardens, or containers. Its dense, bushy growth also makes it ideal for low hedging. Height and Spread 1.5m.
- Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ – An evergreen shrub known for its striking red flower buds that appear in late winter, creating a colourful display before blooming into fragrant, creamy-white flowers in spring. As a male variety, it can be used to pollinate a female Skimmia to produce berries. Its dense, compact growth habit makes it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shaded borders, or containers. Height and Spread 1.5m.
- Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ – An evergreen shrub known for its year-round beauty and fragrant blooms. It forms a dense, compact, rounded shape and has glossy, dark green leaves. n winter, clusters of dark pink buds provide visual interest, while in late spring, it produces fragrant clusters of small, white flowers that attract pollinators. These blooms give way to red berries that ripen to black. An excellent choice for hedges or borders. Height and Spread 2.5m.
- Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ – A deciduous shrub celebrated for its intensely fragrant clusters of tubular, blush-pink flowers, this shrub blooms on bare branches from late autumn to early spring, gradually softening to white providing welcome colour and scent during the colder months. The dark green leaves emerge after flowering and turn bronze or reddish-purple in the autumn Height 2.5m Spread 1.5m. Grow in moist but well drained soils in full sun or partial shade.
Evergreen Trees
- Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ – This holly tree is smaller than most with spiky, dark green leaves and the classic red berries – which are very popular with wildlife. It is an evergreen and in early summer little white flowers appear followed by autumnal berries. We supply it as a screening tree as well as a shrub, ideal for hedgerows for wildlife and to act as a security barrier if needed. Plant in a sheltered spot with rich moist well-draining soil in a sunny position.
- Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel / Sweet Laurel) – This versatile evergreen is celebrated for its aromatic leaves, culinary uses, and ornamental appeal. With dark, glossy green leaves that provide a pleasant fragrance it is a valuable addition to any garden. Grow in well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
- Magnolia grandiflora ‘Gallissonnière’ – Magnolia grandiflora ‘Gallissonnière’ is a cultivar of the evergreen Bullbay Magnolia, celebrated for its majestic stature and large, fragrant flowers. This tree is prized for its glossy, leathery leaves with rusty-brown undersides, providing year-round ornamental appeal. ‘Gallissonnière’ is recognized for its impressive blooms, which are larger than those of the typical Southern magnolia. In late spring and early summer, the tree produces creamy-white, cup-shaped flowers with a delightful lemon fragrance. The blossoms stand out against the backdrop of the dark green foliage, creating a stunning visual display.
- Viburnum tinus ‘Lucidum’ – Viburnum ‘Lucidum’ is one of the finest of the evergreen cultivars, with dense dark green oval leaves and flattish heads of white flowers in Spring. Grown on a clear stem, they are perfect for screening and privacy purposes above standard fence height. They grow best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade and prefer a sheltered site away from cold, drying winds.
Winter stems
- Cornus (for coloured stems) – Common known as Siberian Dogwood, ‘Sibirica’ is a medium sized shrub with stunning red stems revealed in winter. Wonderful when mixed with other dogwoods these stems are great for adding interest to any garden in winter. A great plant for wet areas and near rivers we think we will be using these more and more, as climate change creates wetter winters. Height and spread 1.5-2.5 metres if left unpruned. Plant in moist but well drained, sunny/partial shade position.
- Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ (Ninebark) – In winter, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ has an interesting visual appeal due to its peeling, multi-layered bark and persistent seed pods, even though its leaves have fallen. The bare branches provide structural interest, and the dark, exfoliating bark creates a strong contrast against a winter landscape. This ‘ninebark’ is hardy and a great plant for winter interest in a garden.
- Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Yelverton’ – A deciduous shrub known for its vibrant seasonal colour and visual appeal. Its slender stems are adorned with narrow, lance-shaped leaves that emerge as a fresh green in spring. During winter, the shrub’s bare stems take on a vivid orange, yellow and red, creating a fiery display, providing year-round interest.
Conifers
- Picea pungens ‘Edith’ (Colorado spruce) – Ideal for rock gardens, borders, or containers, it thrives in full sun to partial shade, tolerates most soil types (especially moist, well-drained acidic soil).
- Pinus × schwerinii ‘Wiethorst’ – This Pinus is a real stunner. Considered a dwarf conifer it’s most loved for it long light green needles with silvery undersides that delicately dangle over its frame and gently wave in the wind. It’s a very tactile tree.
- Pinus mugo ‘Carsten’s Wintergold’
Herbaceous perennials
- Hellebores
