We often look to winter as the time of year that is best spent indoors, shuttered away from the cold. Annual flowers wither and die, vegetable gardens are bare, and perennials hide for the season. However, many cold hardy trees thrive in low temperatures and difficult growing conditions and add visual appeal to the landscape.

Not all trees tolerate the harshness of winter, however. Temperatures plummet, and cold winds blow, and only the toughest of trees withstand the difficulties mother nature throws at them. Some trees are natural-born survivors when it comes to the winter months and are the perfect choice for landscaping in North America’s cold climates. Winter hardy trees have much to offer.

1. Evergreens

Evergreen conifers are the kings of the north, as full-sized beauties with rich green needles or spectacular blue ones, or miniatures that look just perfect beside the house. As windbreaks and privacy screens they are ideal – tough as nails, great for catching drifting snow and dense all year for permanent privacy. A row of evergreen trees along the north side of your property will create a sheltered space behind where you can experiment with more tender plants like Bloodgood Japanese Maple, or Nikko Blue Hydrangea.

2. Cedar (Cedrus)

These beautiful and aromatic evergreens have reddish trunks and a blanket of green needle-like foliage. They have an irregular pyramidal shape and sweeping branches that birds enjoy nesting within. Cedar trees are often hardy in zones 6 through 9, but some varieties, such as the Eastern cedar, grow well in zones 2 and up. These low maintenance and deer resistant trees grow to 20 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet wide.

3. Willow

The graceful architecture of willow trees makes the trees of perennial interest whether they have leaves or not. Willows can play an ornamental role in the corner of your yard or serve as the focal point in the middle. They are an excellent choice for Asian-influenced gardens. Be sure not to plant flowers too near them, though. When willows bend, they can provide too much shade.

4. Pine Trees

We mustn’t forget the pine trees when looking for trees for cold climates. The Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra) is certainly hardy throughout zone 4 and makes a lovely tree, with its long needles and dense growth. It can be an attractive specimen, a privacy screen and even trims well into a hedge. Be careful if you plan to trim pines, to start when they are young, as you can only cut into areas that still have needles on them. For a completely different pine, take a good look at the Weeping White Pine (Pinus strobus ‘Pendula’) which forms an amazing cascading plant just perfect on a slope or falling over a retaining wall. Despite its exotic beauty, this tree is hardy to minus 40, so no problems growing it in cold regions. Finally, take a look at the Dwarf Siberian Pine (Pinus pumila ‘Glauca’), which makes a great little bush for foundation planting in zone 4. This beauty comes from the hills of Japan and with its short blue needles and dense form it makes a great addition to any garden in cold areas.

5. Holly

There’s a good reason that holly is associated with winter holidays. The distinctive red berries of holly are in season during midwinter and provide a beautiful contrast to holly’s leaves, which are glossy and dark green. While the green is the same as evergreens, the glossiness is distinctive, as is the shape and point structure of the leaves. With a holly tree, you can provide your neighbors and friends holly to decorate their homes and yards.