Winter shrub/bush/tree for front garden.

What's everybody's favourite bush/small tree in winter, for a front garden?

Can you suggest anything with soft fronds maybe red leaves, or an umbrella shape, a bit of a contorted trunk? (Not prickly or pointy or too rigid structure). Something decorative....?

 

Hi miraflores i havent a favorite all flowers ,shrubs are beatiful in one way or another but
Genus Sarcococca is pretty its compact, sometimes suckering evergreen shrub with simple, leathery leaves and tiny, fragrant creamy-white flowers in winter or spring, followed by red, purple or black berries which may persist into the following winter

 

@miraflores Have a look at the Daphne family, a number of species and hybrids, winter/spring flowering, scented, evergreen. As Janet said Sarcococcas are good plants, I have three species at the moment.
Have a look at the Mahonia family, many are evergreen if not too exposed. Mahonia eubracteata "Soft Caress" has had good reviews.

 

Arbutus undo 'Rubra'. Always interesting, evergreen, pink flowers, 'strawberry' fruit and pretty bark.

 

That arbutus rubra looks so pretty with those tiny pink flowers...also the sarcococca and daphne are not bad. But I find the Mahonia too linear then the leaves seem pricky and the yellow flowers..not so keen for the moment.

Do I get these plants through cuttings?

 

You can propagare sarcococca by semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer or propagate by seed sown in containers outdoors in autumn or spring in factt i am going to buy some seed for next year

 

@miraflores, reckon you are almost describing Acer palmatum Crimson Queen or Garnet.

 

Now, did I dream it, or is there a red-leaved form of corkscrew hazel?

(Sorry - mad weekend!)
Ah, yes! Corylus avellana “Red Majestic”
Corylus avellana 'Red Majestic' (PBR) | hazel 'Red Majestic'/RHS Gardening

 

Wintersweet and witch hazel are both good options for scented flowers in winter and very early spring.

If you want foliage though, I love the cryptomeria japonica elegans. Green through spring and summer, then red in winter. Foliage is soft and kind of rubbery, not hard like a pine or spruce. I had one in an earlier garden, but it was badly treated at the garden centre. I got it cheap, but I couldn't turn it around and it died in the end. I think they want more acidic and free-draining soil, like many conifers, and mine at the time was very alkaline clay, so the odds were against it anyway!

Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' Tree

Oh, and there's the "elegans nana" variety which is a smaller shrub-sized version.

 

I have seen a small tree with beautiful round leaves (remind me of the nasturtium leaves they are about the same shape and size)..any idea what it could be?

 

@miraflores What about pink flowers instead of red leaves? Unusual fragrance and a decent flowering period. (mine flowers from late December to late March)

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' | arrowwood 'Dawn'/RHS Gardening

Nick

 

Cercis canadensis???

 

Hi Mira ... I have Cercis silaquastrum, the Judas Tree ...



It blooms here on bare wood then develops the roundish/heart shaped leaves. Certainly not an attractive winter shrub, even here!

 

1) The cercis looks good, but this small tree had literally round leaves, not the smallest spike in sight...

Hi Vicky
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2) Corylus avellana 'Red Majestic' (PBR) | hazel 'Red Majestic'/RHS Gardening

I love it...dark purple leaves!

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3) are the spikes/leaves soft, of the
cryptomeria-japonica-elegans ? Ok sorry you say it in the description.

 

Here is the Cercis leaf ...



My tree is only about 4 meters tall and 15+ years old but it is deciduous.


Hope you and the chilluns are well. xx