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5 Ornamental Shrubs that Survive Texas Winters

The past several years have taught Texans that there is absolutely nothing predictable about the winter weather. On average, winter temperatures linger between the 40’s and 50’s from December until March while most plants are dormant. However, freezing temperatures can sweep in at any moment, catching all of us and our plants unaware. You can outsmart Mother Nature by filling your garden with winter hardy plants. The following list is 5 ornamental shrubs that will survive our cold Texas winters.

Needlepoint Holly Shrub

Like most all varieties of Holly, the Needlepoint Holly shrub easily survives temperatures down to 0 degrees and is less likely to suffer from frost like other North Texas shrubs, if not protected. As an evergreen shrub, the Needlepoint also provides winter interest as it not only maintains its foliage, but displays a stunning array of red berries. The Needlepoint is considered a medium-sized shrub, maturing to 10 feet tall and wide. Needlepoint is also happy to be in full sun, shade or anything in between.

Cleyera Shrub

Cleyera is another great medium-sized evergreen shrub which can handle temperatures down to 5 degrees. If you follow common North Dallas winter landscaping practices such as applying mulch and proper watering, this plant will do fine in the cold Texas winters. The green foliage has a slight brown tinge to it and is a bit larger than other shrubs, giving it a more tropical look. Maturing to 10 feet wide and tall, the Cleyera shrub is happy in the sun but does best with partial shade.

Nandina Firepower Shrub

Also referred to as “Heavenly Bamboo”, all varieties of Nandina have a lot to recommend it throughout the winter season. First and foremost, the Nandina Firepower shrub can survive temps down to -10 degrees and will thrive in all ranges of sun exposure. The “Firepower” variety Nandina, matures at 2 feet tall and stays relatively narrow at about 2 feet wide. The Nandina “Firepower” offers further winter interest as their evergreen foliage color changes to a deeper red-orange color.

Silverberry Shrub

The Silverberry shrub also referred to as Elaeagnus is a fast-growing evergreen landscaping shrub. With softer greenish-gray colored foliage, Silverberry matures to 6 ft tall and wide and can survive temperatures down to 5 degrees. While Silverberry prefers full sun, it will still thrive in partial sun as well.

Abelia Kaleidoscope Shrub

In general, Abelia is a fantastic choice for a winter hardy shrub as they tolerate down to -5 degrees, but the Abelia Kaleidoscope shrub really puts on a show during the cold season. Considered a dwarf evergreen shrub, Kaleidoscope grows to a mature size of 3 feet tall and wide and will be happiest with part to full sun exposure. What makes Kaleidoscope such a special plant is the foliage variation throughout the seasons. The yellow-green foliage in the spring and summer months turns slowly to an orange and burgundy in the fall and winter.

There are so many great plants to choose from this list of 5 ornamental shrubs that will survive cold Texas winters. The best way to ensure your plants will survive even the coldest Texas winter starts by working with your Frisco landscaper and selecting plants that will tolerate our coldest possible winter temperatures, down to 5 degrees or even 0 degrees.