The Southwest winter landscape doesn’t just have to be filled with various tones of brown and green. There are many beautiful flowers that can bloom throughout the milder months in our region. Here are some of our favorite shrubs that bloom all year long, including in winter, and how you can incorporate them into your garden.

Winter Blaze™ Emu Bush

Eremophila glabra ssp. carnosa cv., Zones 9–11

This highly drought-tolerant, evergreen shrub has showy, red, tubular flowers that bloom year-round. Hummingbirds in the neighborhood will flock to your yard to enjoy the nectar. This shrub can grow to 4 feet tall and wide. It prefers full sun and is a fast grower. If yours is getting a bit too large for its space, you can cut it back in late spring. Another emu bush we love is Blue Bells™ (Eremophila hygrophana cv., Zones 9–11), which has silver foliage and purple flowers. At 3 feet tall and wide, this variety is a bit smaller than Winter Blaze™. But like Winter Blaze™, it’s a year-round bloomer that loves full sun, has low water needs, and adds some serious impact to any garden or landscape.

Orange Shrimp Plant

Justicia fulvicoma, Zones 8–11

Orange shrimp plant is a compact grower that stays around 24 inches high, unlike red shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana, Zones 9–11), which tends to grow to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. These plants produce bracts that look similar to shrimp. Orange shrimp plant is a small shrub that will bloom year-round in full sun or partial shade. Beyond this shrub’s obvious visual interest, it also attracts pollinators, which is always a welcome addition to any garden. We love to plant it as a focal point. Find a great location, because it’s a conversation starter.

Cape Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata, Zones 8–11

One thing that makes cape plumbago quite unique in the desert are its flowers of light blue, a color that is quite hard to come by in the Southwest. This hardy shrub features its flowers in large masses. Although it can take full sun, it prefers partial sun or shade. This fast grower can take on different growing habits. Many use it as a shrub, while others let it climb a trellis, sprawl as a ground cover, or trail over the edges of a container. An established cape plumbago is drought tolerant, but be cautious if the temperatures dip below freezing. You will want to protect it with a frost cloth or take it indoors if it’s in a container.

Life doesn’t get much better than sitting outside on a beautiful day, smelling the sweet fragrance of flowers, and enjoying their vibrant colors. Visit your local nursery, and get creative with your garden. Be sure to add some color during the winter months here in the Southwest. Good luck, gardeners!

—Sheila Schultz and Laurel Startzel are a mother-daughter duo who founded Denver Dirty Girls Container Gardening while living in Denver and have continued their business since moving to Tucson, Arizona.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.

Buy at Amazon

Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area.

Buy at Amazon