In February, snowdrops are in full flower in many parts of the country. And, although it’s still cold outside, there are signs that spring is just around the corner. Here are ten other plants that also look good in the garden at this time of year:
1. Acacia dealbata (Mimosa)
Mimosa are delightfully delicate-looking trees with their feathered foliage for February 2025 gardens. And at this time of year, they are smothered in scented, ball-shaped, fluffy yellow flowers. They are frost tender and so best grown against a south-facing wall in a sheltered spot. Its natural habit is to lean forward as it ages. So, consider this when planting it as it’s lovely to let it lean, creating wonderful, dappled shade during the summer.
- Flowers from January to April
- Tender
- Grows to 15m tall and 6m wide
- Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun
- Sheltered
For cheerful, yellow flowers to brighten up a dull, dark day in February 2025, this easy-to-grow, deciduous shrubby climber is a great choice. It’s fast-growing and can either be left to scramble along low walls or trained on a trellis. As the plant ages remove twenty-five percent of the old stems annually after flowering, cutting them down to the base.
- Flowers from January to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 250cm tall and 250cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
3. Polyanthus ‘Stella Pink Champagne’ (Primrose)
This cultivar of the ever-popular primrose has beautiful, soft shades of pink and lemon-coloured flowers. And, if planted in dappled shade, should appear year after year and flower for weeks on end. A bonus is that the flowers are edible, brightening up salads and baked goods.
- Flowers from February to April
- Hardy
- Grows to 30cm tall and 10cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Part shade
- Exposed
This multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub’s common name comes from its flowers resembling forsythia flowers, but, unlike forsythia, are white and scented. Plant these close to a path to get the full effect of the delightful late-winter scent. Prune, when needed, immediately after flowering to give the plant time to produce new stems for the following year’s flowers.
- Flowers from February to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 150cm tall and 250cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
5. Iris unguicularis (Algerian iris)
Evergreen, winter-flowering bulbs like this Algerian iris come into their own at this time of year. They produce richly coloured lavender flowers and should grow well in any well-drained soil.
- Flowers from February to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 60cm tall and 50cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun
- Exposed
6. Bergenia ‘Herbstblute’ (Elephant ears)
The evergreen leaves on this easy-to-care-for, mound-forming perennial are oval and make excellent front-of-border edging. It has the bonus of bright pink flowers on pink stems both in the spring and again in the summer. Remove the older leaves as they start to turn brown. Wonderful for February 2025 displays.
- Flowers from February to April
- Hardy
- Grows to 45cm tall and 45cm wide
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
7. Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna ‘Purple Stem’ (Sweet Box)
You can often smell the sweet scent from this unassuming-looking evergreen shrub before you see the plant. Easy to grow with a dense, mounded shape, it’s perfect in part shade and copes well in drier soils. The plant is often covered in dark purple berries after flowering.
- Flowers from December to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 120cm tall and 200cm wide
- Fertile, well-drained, acid soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
8. Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite)
These bulbs flower early in the year and quickly spread, producing carpets of bright yellow flowers above bright green leaves. They grow particularly well when planted under deciduous trees and shrubs.
- Flowers from January to February
- Hardy
- Grows to 10cm tall and 5cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part or full shade
- Exposed
9. Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumn Rosea’ (Winter flowering cherry)
For year-round interest, the winter flowering cherry has it all! Pretty rosy-pink flowers, fading to soft pink with time, appear from November and continue right the way through until March. The flowers are followed by fruit much loved by birds! Come autumn the dark-green leaves turn bright shades of orange, yellow and red. It’s tolerant of pollution making it a great choice for urban situations. Just make sure you keep the tree well-watered for a couple of years until it’s properly established.
- Flowers from November to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 400cm tall and 400cm wide
- Moderately fertile, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
This is an early flowering dwarf daffodil with white petals and a soft yellow cup which looks lovely planted en masse in front of flower borders or around trees and shrubs. A true staple for February 2025 gardens.
- Flowers from February to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 20cm tall and 10cm wide
- Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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