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Top 4 Annuals for Winter Foliage in Texas

In winter, when most plants are dormant, it is hard to find visually appealing or interesting plants to keep your landscape alive. While most plants are heavily affected by the barren cold, there are many plants and shrubs that can thrive in Texas winter temperatures, presenting beautiful winter foliage that can brighten any dull array of plants. In this article, we share the top 4 annuals for winter foliage in Texas to keep your landscape lively and energetic during the cool season.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is an ornamental landscaping plant with beautiful large red, lavender, gold, and green leaves. Although it’s more commonly known in its vegetable form and can seem like a leafy stalk rather than a vibrant plant, its vivid colors make it a great foliage plant for winter. Swiss chard thrives in full sunlight and reaches its peak during February, March, and April. Lastly, it has an upright form, growing 14-16 inches tall, and should be spaced at least 10-12 inches apart to promote growth and wellness.

Dusty Miller

Dusty Miller has many variations and species, but they are all recognizable by their hallmark gray foliage, creating a unique “dewy” and “dusty” look that is visually striking and appealing for a flower bed. This plant prefers full sunlight and thrives most of the year, from January to May, and later in the year in November and December. Dusty Miller has a rounded form, growing 10-16 inches tall, and should be planted 10-14 inches apart for the best growth. Lastly, unlike types of kale and cabbage, Dusty Miller is rabbit-resistant, making it a great winter companion alongside your other evergreen landscaping plants.

Ornamental Kale

Ornamental Kale is very similar to that grown in a garden, except it has been “bred” or grown to show certain colors of foliage. Its leaves can appear in numerous colors, such as white, pink, purple, and red. Ornamental Kale prefers full sunlight and thrives in January, February, March, October, November, and December. It grows 12–14 inches tall and should be spaced 12–16 inches apart because of its wide shape. It differs from Ornamental Cabbage in that it can be more “feathery” and hold its color for longer. It must be protected in any weather below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ornamental Cabbage

Ornamental Cabbage is similar to Ornamental Kale, except that it usually has smoother or scalloped foliage and grows lower to the ground. The foliage can come in many colors, like purple, pink, green, and white. Similar to Ornamental Kale, Ornamental Cabbage thrives in full sunlight and grows best during January, February, March, October, November, and December. It grows 12–14 inches tall and should be spaced 12–16 inches apart because of its wide shape. Ornamental Cabbage should also be protected from frost like other North Texas plants by being covered during severe weather conditions under 20 degrees Fahrenheit.