Ozark Garden Talk – Episode 12❄️ Winter Interest Plants: Why the Garden Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Released: December 17, 2025

Hosts: Sarah McCue, Charity Cox, Alex Royce

Episode Length: ~42 minutes

🎧Listen on Spotify / Apple / YouTube

Even though the landscape may feel quiet in winter, it doesn’t have to be dull. In this episode, Sarah, Charity, and Alex dive into their favorite plants that shine during the cold months—from evergreen structure and colorful bark to berries, grasses, and winter blooms. They also share practical winter-care tips to help your garden survive (and thrive) through Ozark winters.

🎙️ Welcome & Setting the Scene (0:00–1:00)

Sarah: Introduces the episode, recorded during an early December snowfall. With leaves dropped and perennials asleep, the hosts make the case that winter landscapes can still be beautiful and engaging.

🌲 Evergreen “Bones” of the Garden (1:00–5:30)

🌿 Hollies (Ilex spp.)

Alex & Charity discuss the importance of evergreen structure and why hollies are winter standouts:

• Provide year-round screening and strong architectural form

• Loved by birds and early-season pollinators

• Excellent backdrop plants for creating outdoor “rooms”

Notable varieties mentioned:

• ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ Holly – Extremely hardy; survived the February 2021 negative-20°F freeze (2:00–2:45)

• American Holly (Ilex opaca) – Native, large-growing, excellent wildlife value

⚠️ Design note: Be mindful of mature size—many hollies outgrow foundation plantings.

🔴 Winter Berries That Steal the Show (5:30–10:30)

🍒 Deciduous Hollies

• Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) – Bright red berries after leaf drop

  • Cultivars often paired male/female by name

  • Examples: ‘Berry Poppins’ & ‘Mr. Poppins’, ‘Winter Red’ & ‘Southern Gentleman’ (6:00–6:30)

  • Prefers wetter soils

• Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) – Native, often seen in fence rows and wood edges

  • Tolerates drier conditions

  • Harder to sex; berries confirm female plants (8:00–9:00)

Charity: Notes cultural differences help distinguish winterberry vs. possumhaw when spotted in the wild.

🌳 Trees with Winter Bark & Branch Interest (10:30–16:30)

🌲 Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Sarah: Loves the glowing white bark against dark winter skies (12:00–13:30)

• Massive mature size (60–100 ft)

• Best suited for large landscapes or natural areas

  

  Sycamore in Sarah's field

🌳 River Birch (Betula nigra)

• Exfoliating bark offers striking winter texture

• Needs space—messy near houses and gutters

• Valuable for birds like chickadees that cache seeds in bark (15:00–16:00)

💡 Design tip: Uplighting birch trunks dramatically enhances winter appeal.

🔥 Colorful Stems & Maples (16:30–20:30)

❤️ Red & Yellow Twig Dogwoods (Cornus spp.)

• Brilliant winter stem color, especially against snow

• Best color on younger stems (2–3 years old)

• Requires periodic renewal pruning (17:30–18:00)

  

  Red Twig dogwood

🍁 Coral Bark Japanese Maple

• ‘Sango-kaku’ highlighted

• Soft red-pink stems intensify after leaf drop

• Small stature (15–20 ft), ideal under power lines

• Offers multi-season interest: foliage, fall color, winter bark (18:30–20:00)

  
  

🌲 Native Evergreens & Grasses (20:30–30:30)

🌲 Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Alex: Praises snow-covered cedars and wildlife value (21:00–22:00)

• Tough native evergreen

• Berries feed cedar waxwings

• Often disliked historically, but highly ornamental when spaced properly

  
  

🌾 Ornamental & Native Grasses

Charity: Highlights grasses as winter structure and wildlife habitat (29:00–31:00)

• Switchgrass and little bluestem hold upright form

• Provide seeds, shelter, and nesting material

• Hollow stems shelter overwintering insects

🌾 Special mention: Broomsedge—once disliked by farmers, now appreciated for coppery winter color and structure.

🌸 Winter & Evergreen Perennials (23:30–28:30)

🌼 Hellebores (Lenten Rose)

• Evergreen, deer- and rabbit-resistant

• Bloom February–March

• Shade-loving woodland perennial

• New cultivars feature upward-facing blooms

🍃 Coral Bells (Heuchera)

• Grown for colorful evergreen foliage

• Cold-hardy but sensitive to wet winter soils

• Often fail due to crown rot rather than cold (28:00–29:00)

  

  Lenten Rose (Helleborus) from customer Dina's house

🛠️ Winter Garden Care Tips (33:00–38:30)

Key advice from the hosts:

• 🌱 Mulch matters: 2 inches to moderate temperature swings (no mulch volcanoes!)

• 💧 Water before hard freezes: Especially important for evergreens

• ❌ Avoid late fertilizing & pruning: Prevent tender new growth before cold snaps

• 🐞 Leave the garden standing: Supports overwintering insects and birds

Alex: Notes that dried stems act like natural mulch and insulation (39:00–40:00).

🐦 Wildlife Value in Winter (38:30–41:00)

• Standing seed heads feed birds

• Leaf litter and hollow stems shelter insects

• More insects = more birds and biodiversity

✨ Winter interest isn’t just visual—it’s ecological.

🌟 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up (41:00–42:30)

The hosts encourage gardeners to embrace winter’s beauty—bark, berries, movement, and structure all matter. With the right plants and care, winter can be one of the most rewarding seasons in the garden.

Thanks for listening to Ozark Garden Talk!

👉 Visit White River Nursery for plant availability and expert advice.👉 Follow along on social media for seasonal tips and upcoming episodes.

Episode references and quotes sourced from the Episode 12 transcript.