By Kathy Bildner
I am interested in native plants that stay green all winter. These are two that are still green in my yard. I know there are others underneath the snow.
Has anyone else noticed things that stay green?
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- Christmas fern
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- Columbine
My mature hellebore is just gorgeous this winter.
Great post topic!
Amy
Thanks for your comment.
I do not believe Helleborine is a native plant to the US.
Steyermark says it is a native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
Having said that, I have watched my neighbors Helleborine plant for years wishing I could have a piece of it. It stays green all winter and blooms very early. I would vote it in Native if we could do such a thing.
Kathy B
Kathy, Golden Ragwort (Senecio obovatus) is an evergreen ground cover that works well for me here in Kentucky. I posted a blog about it on my website.
Also, your milkweed pod photograph is great.
Thanks Betty.
I also have Senecio in my yard and it stays green all winter. In fact I believe it grows and spreads in the cold months.
I believe here in Missouri this will be a test year for green in winter. It has been colder here this winter than in many years.
Thanks for you comment.
Kathy B
Kathy! Say it ain’t so! It came from Grow Native, so I thought I was safe!
Amy
We should consult others.
It’s not looking good.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=VEVI
I don’t know if there is another hellebore native to the U.S. to check its range.
Soft Rush — Juncus effusus. And it looks great in snow! See https://stlwildones.org/native-plants-in-snow/, #13.
These natives are ever-green in my yard:
Coreopsis lanceolata
Heuchera richardsonii (alumroot)
Senecio aureus
Senecio obovatus
Penstamon digitalis has evergreen basal leaves
These natives are partially ever-green:
Carex albicans (oak sedge)
Carex muskingumensis (palm sedge)
Carex praegracilis (tollway sedge)
Columbine
Rose verbena
Pussytoes
Sand phlox
Echinacea simulata (glade coneflower)
Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower)
Interesting think about the Rose Verbena. Though I have never been able to keep it going in my yard, I have seen a lot of it this winter. We have been exploring the St Francis Mountains and it grows on tops of the Mountains there. It seem to stay low on the ground. We actually saw some blooming in a sheltered sunny place mid December. The soil there must be acidic as most of the rock near where it grows is some form of rhyolite rock.
I am keeping a list of the green in winter plants. Thanks for adding to my list.
I did not have all of these. I do have some others no one has mentioned yet.