Plants in Bloom
December highlights
Beautyberry
This shrub’s iridescent clusters of berries persist after its leaves drop, providing winter sustenance for many species of birds.
Photo: Blanca Begert.
Candycane Sorrel
This festive, delicate geophyte, native to South Africa, spirals open in the daylight and closes at night.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Paperbush Buds
This shrub’s downy, golden-gray buds hang in tight clusters from its bare branches. The buds are protected by fine hairs that give them a shimmery quality so they sparkle in the winter sun.
Photo: Elizabeth Peters.
Tiger Orchid
This enormous tropical orchid weighs over 300 pounds and rarely blooms—but when it does, it’s magnificent, with hundreds of yellow-and-brown-spotted blossoms. Even in its native habitat in Southeast Asia, the species blooms infrequently, reportedly once every two to four years.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Papaya Fruit
Known as pawpaw in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago (different from the American pawpaw), green, unripe papaya is used in chutneys, salads, relishes, and pawpaw balls—a gelatinous, sugar-dusted dessert.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
English Holly
This is the holly species most commonly associated with Christmas, especially in England, where it is one of the few native evergreen plants. Its bright red berries ripen in winter and provide food for birds.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Deodar Cedar
The deodar cedar, native to the Himalayas, is the national tree of Pakistan. It is monoecious—both male and female cones grow on the same tree—with drooping, graceful branches.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Green Hawthorn
Native to the southeastern United States, this pretty understory tree produces small orange-red fruits in the fall.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Christmas-Rose
The first of the hellebores to bloom is the Christmas-rose, so-called because it blooms around Christmastime and has a flower arrangement that looks similar to that of a rose.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Winterberry
The lovely berries of this native holly relative persist through winter, sometimes spring. These fruits are a welcome food for hungry birds as the weather cools and other options get scarce.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Common Myrtle
This evergreen shrub produces fragrant white flowers that are followed by purplish-black berries. The berries are edible—but not particularly tasty.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Oak-Leaved Hydrangea
In fall, the oak-shaped leaves of Hydrangea quercifolia produce vivid shades of purple, red, and gold.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Malaysian-Orchid
Medinilla multiflora is commonly known as the Malaysian-orchid, though it is neither a true orchid nor native to Malaysia. Native to the Philippines, this species (like many orchids) is an epiphyte: an “air plant” that grows on top of other plants, rather than putting roots in the ground.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Japanese Mahonia
This evergreen shrub is actually native to China, though it’s commonly grown in Japan. Its sweet-smelling yellow flowers bloom from late autumn to early spring.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Cedar of Lebanon
Though many North American conifers were called “cedar,” there are only four true cedar species. Native to the mountains of Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon, this true cedar is under severe threat from climate change as its range shifts upward.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Fragrant Olive
The lovely, enveloping fragrance of this unassuming shrub helps make the Warm Temperate Pavilion a winter highlight at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Bird-of-Paradise
It’s hard to miss this iconic plant, whose flowers resemble a bright bird in flight. In its native South Africa, when endemic birds drink the nectar of Strelitzia reginae, its petals open to shower their feet with pollen.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Dogwood Baton Rouge ‘Minbat’
The bare, bright crimson stems of many dogwood cultivars provide vibrant color in fall and winter.
Photo: Blanca Begert.
Autumn-Flowering Cherry
‘Jugatsu-zakura’ begins blooming around October, continues sporadically into December, and finishes in the spring with a last burst coinciding with new foliage.
Photo: Elizabeth Peters.
Camellia
Most camellias begin to bloom in late winter and continue through early spring (though there are fall-blooming cultivars, too), often coinciding with Lunar New Year celebrations.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Chinese Juniper
Chinese juniper is an evergreen with scaly scented needles and brown bark that peels off in strips. Relatively salt-tolerant, it can thrive near roads and driveways.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Crabapple Fruits
The edible fruits from crabapple trees resemble tiny apples, though they’re much more tart. Birds, especially cedar waxwings, often feed on crabapples as the crop softens and ages.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Himalayan Pine
The blue-green needles of the Himalayan pine are arranged in groupings called fascicles, each containing roughly five needles.
Photo: Blanca Begert.
Brazilian-Plume
The Brazilian plume flower, native to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest region, is a shade-loving shrub with spectacular flared pink blooms.
Photo: Lee Patrick.
Rice-Paper Plant
The rice-paper plant, native to southern China and Taiwan, belongs to the ginseng family. The pith of its stems is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and to make rice paper veneer sheets and other products.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Heavenly-Bamboo
Actually an evergreen shrub, not a bamboo, Nandina domestica produces bright red berries in autumn that persist through winter.
Photo: Michael Stewart.
Cape Aloe
This evergreen succulent, native to South Africa and Lesotho, can grow up to 12 feet tall. It's also known as “bitter aloe” in reference to its traditional medicinal use as a purgative.
Photo: Blanca Begert.