Plant of the Month January

January 2026: Winter Interest Plants

This month we're celebrating plants that bring life and colour to the winter garden. Whether you're looking for structural evergreens, early flowers, or plants with striking winter bark, January need not be full of gloom.

Featured This Month

Nandina domestica 'Obsessed'

Also called Sacred or Heavenly bamboo, this is an elegant, compact
evergreen that is not at all related to bamboo, so no worries about it
becoming invasive. The young growth is a fiery red – or pink, depending
on the cultivar. Nandina ‘Firepower’ is a well known variety, but there
are several others, including ‘Obsessed’, pictured.
This is a low maintenance plant, growing to around 90cm. It will flower
and then have berries, but it’s really grown for its foliage. Trim to keep
tidy. I’m growing this one in a pot at the moment, but Nandina is happy
in the borders too – you’ll get a stronger colour on the new growth and
in the autumn if you plant it in a sunny spot, but it will grow in shade.

Winter Interest

Evergreens are important in the winter, but they need not be plain green.  Nandina colours up well in the autumn, but doesn't lose its leaves in winter. Mature plants will also flower and then produce berries. 

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