{"id":4418,"date":"2021-12-15T17:45:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T16:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=554"},"modified":"2021-12-20T21:10:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T20:10:26","slug":"the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads\/","title":{"rendered":"The best plants for winter seedheads"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By alyshurn\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 15 December 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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On bright, frosty mornings in winter<\/a> the garden can be magical. Rimed with frost and faded to dusty shades of brown and grey, the seedheads of herbaceous perennials are almost unrecognisable from their heyday in summer and bring a different sort of drama in the colder months. They\u2019re the perfect complement to the soaring branches of bare trees such as silver birch<\/a> and shrubs with colourful winter stems<\/a>. They are also an important source of food and shelter for wildlife<\/a> and birds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take a look at our list of plants for the best winter seedheads.<\/p>\n

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1<\/span>

Ligularia<\/em> \u2018Britt Marie Crawford\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Ligularia\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This moisture-loving member of the daisy family has large, glossy, kidney-shaped leaves with a dark purple reverse and deep orange flowers: a striking combination. The fleshy foliage is caviar to slugs and snails that can strip the leaves overnight, so be sure to protect plants. The wispy seedheads are particularly attractive covered in dew or rimed with hoar frost on a clear winter\u2019s day.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 90cm. AGM. Origin Burma, central and western China, Japan. Growing conditions<\/strong> Moisture-retentive soil; sun or dappled shade. Hardiness<\/strong> RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. Season of interest<\/strong> Late spring to early winter.<\/p>\n

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2<\/span>

Chasmanthium latifolium<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Chasmanthium\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

In its native habitat, this woodland grass is usually found on the banks of rivers and streams in light shade. Known colloquially as spangle grass, it has an elegant, arching habit. The foliage is rather like a small bamboo with broad blades and flowers that appear in late summer. Bronze and purple tints suffuse the flowers and foliage as temperatures fall.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 90cm-1.2m. Origin Southeast USA. Growing conditions<\/strong> Moisture-retentive soil; dappled shade. Hardiness<\/strong> RHS H4, USDA 4a-10b. Season of interest<\/strong> Summer to early winter.<\/p>\n

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3<\/span>

Eryngium pandanifolium<\/em> \u2018Physic Purple\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Eryngium\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Maayke de Ridder<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This majestic, sword-leaved eryngium is one of the largest in the genus: a striking architectural plant with serrated foliage. It flowers late in summer, producing reddish-brown, burr-like flower heads that persist on the plant. It is easy to propagate from seed if it ripens before the frost; alternatively it can be propagated from offsets.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> up to 2.5m. Origin<\/strong> South America (selected in the Chelsea Physic Garden). Growing conditions<\/strong> Well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in sun. Hardiness rating<\/strong> RHS H4. Season of interest<\/strong> Late spring to winter (for skeletal structure).<\/p>\n

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4<\/span>

Eryngium giganteum<\/em> \u2018Silver Ghost\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Eryngium\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Maayke de Ridder<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This biennial sea holly is a form of Eryngium<\/em>\u00a0giganteum, <\/em>with more silvery foliage and smaller cones. In its first year it produces a rosette of foliage, producing a flowering stem the following year (and sometimes the year after that). It reliably seeds around given suitable conditions. The flowers are loved by bees and the architectural seedheads persist into winter, providing sustenance for a wide range of insects and small mammals.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 60-75cm. AGM. Origin Turkey (collected by Martin Rix). Growing conditions<\/strong> Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness rating<\/strong> RHS H7, USDA 4a-7b. Season of interest<\/strong> Late spring to winter.<\/p>\n

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5<\/span>

Cephalaria litvinovii<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Cephalaria\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Maayke de Ridder<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The teasel family is one of the best groups of plants for attracting beneficial insects and birds that enjoy the nutritious seeds. The most familiar is the giant yellow scabious Cepahalaria<\/em>\u00a0gigantea<\/em>, which flowers in midsummer, but it has coarse foliage and leaves a huge gap in the border after flowering. More refined is this species with deeply divided, dark-green foliage and strong branched stems with small, cream, scabious-like flowers. These persist as seedheads into the winter months.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 2m. AGM. Origin South-central Russia. Growing conditions<\/strong> Well-drained soil; sun. Hardiness rating<\/strong> RHS H7. Season of interest<\/strong> Summer to winter.<\/p>\n

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6<\/span>

Calamagrostis brachytricha<\/em> \u2018Mona\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Calamagrostis\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This grass is particularly pretty and has soft mauve-tinted flower heads in late August and September. En masse<\/em> they cast a soft haze and mix well with Erigeron annuus<\/em> or Agastache<\/em> \u2018Blackadder\u2019. In autumn, the seedheads age to a pale straw colour and look beautiful backed by the setting sun. Cut down to the ground in late winter, when new shoots are appearing at the base.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 1.4m. Origin<\/strong> Garden origin. Growing conditions<\/strong> Humus-rich soil; full sun. Hardiness<\/strong> RHS H6, USDA 8a-10b. Season<\/strong> Late summer to autumn.<\/p>\n

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7<\/span>

Telekia speciosa<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Telekia\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

A bit of a thug, but a handsome one. The big leaves smother out any competition, allowing it to conquer a large area; the branching 2m stems tipped with large, yellow daisies spray out in every direction all summer. The flowers have many thin petals, like a raggedy fringe, around a flat, golden-orange centre. These eventually turn into handsome, dark-brown, disc-shaped seedheads that stand on their branching stems all winter. They gradually fade to buff as the birds peck them clean. Unusually for a daisy, it is happy in shade.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 1.5m-2m. Growing conditions<\/strong> Sun or shade. Not too dry. Hardiness<\/strong> USDA 3. Origin<\/strong> Central Europe, Russia, Caucasus. Season of interest<\/strong> August-February.<\/p>\n

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8<\/span>

Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Glycyrrhiza\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

A close cousin of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra<\/em>),\u00a0Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis<\/em> has little pale-purple flowers on willowy stems in summer. In autumn, the seed pods are almost as big as plums and bristly, with pointed facets like intricate sculptures. They gradually turn shades of purple, bronze and rust. They will stand, rattling slightly in the wind, through most of the winter. If you cut them, you can bring them inside as a rather eccentric dried flower.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 2m. Growing conditions<\/strong> Sun or light shade. Hardiness<\/strong> USDA 8. Origin<\/strong> China. Season of interest<\/strong> October-January.<\/p>\n

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9<\/span>

Miscanthus sinensis<\/em> \u2018Malepartus\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Miscanthus\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Miscanthus<\/em> is a wonderful, upright grass. It blooms in late summer with silky flower spikes that are dark red for a month, then fade to silver, and finally gold all winter. Books tell you to cut the plants down in March when you see new growth, but if you leave them, the skeletal dead flowers stay until almost July above the new green growth. \u2018Malepartus\u2019 is also a good choice if you want to make a grass hedge.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 1.8-2.1m. Growing conditions<\/strong> Sun, any soil. Hardiness<\/strong> USDA 5. Origin<\/strong> East Asia. Season of interest<\/strong> August- April.<\/p>\n

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10<\/span>

Lilium martagon<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Lilium\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The martagon lily is a plant with dual appeal. In June, the upright stems carry ascending whorls of flowers, each small and demure, in shades of plum, pink and white. Their exaggerated reflex petals and pronounced stamens add a welcome dash of colour to a woodland edge or meadow. By August, the flowers give way to plump, geometric seed capsules, their coats smooth and polished. Bleached by sun and dried by summer winds, they achieve a lightness of colour and texture which endures late into the winter. Falling seeds will ensure your clumps expand.<\/p>\n

Height\/spread<\/strong> 1 -1.25m x 40cm. AGM. Growing conditions<\/strong> Tolerant of most soils but prefers neutral to alkaline. Origin<\/strong> Southern Europe. Season of interest<\/strong> June-December.<\/p>\n

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11<\/span>

Lunaria annua<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Lunaria\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Photo: Jason Ingram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Honesty is a plant that has two peaks of interest in the garden. Early, rosy-purple flowers in spring give rise to papery \u2018moon-like\u2019 seedheads that command attention later in the season. At first, outer seed husks appear a rather dingy flat beige but as the seeds ripen, the outer faces fall away to reveal a perfect white surface with a pearl-like luminosity. Impatient gardeners may assist the process by gently running between forefinger and thumb. Be sure to let some seeds fall to perpetuate the display for next year.<\/p>\n

Height<\/strong> 60cm. Growing conditions<\/strong> Any fertile garden loam. Origin<\/strong> Central and southern Europe. Season of interest<\/strong> May to December.<\/p>\n

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You can find more information on plant hardiness ratings here<\/a>.<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

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By alyshurn Published: Wednesday, 15 December 2021 at 12:00 am On bright, frosty mornings in winter the garden can be magical. Rimed with frost and faded to dusty shades of brown and grey, the seedheads of herbaceous perennials are almost unrecognisable from their heyday in summer and bring a different sort of drama in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4419,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-scaled.jpg",1704,2560,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-200x300.jpg",200,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-768x1154.jpg",768,1154,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-682x1024.jpg",682,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-1022x1536.jpg",1022,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/12\/the-best-plants-for-winter-seedheads-1363x2048.jpg",1363,2048,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By alyshurn Published: Wednesday, 15 December 2021 at 12:00 am On bright, frosty mornings in winter the garden can be magical. Rimed with frost and faded to dusty shades of brown and grey, the seedheads of herbaceous perennials are almost unrecognisable from their heyday in summer and bring a different sort of drama in the…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/4418"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}