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Much value is put on plants with vivid fall foliage, but how about winter's colors? At Blake Nursery we are adamant that this lengthy season without foliage in Montana should not be overlooked in a planting plan. After all, we're talking about a sizeable length of time, in fact half the year - November through April.

Because neutral tans and grays are the predominant hues in our winter landscape, plants with colorful bark, buds and needles become significant for those who appreciate variety. If you like liveliness as much as we do, consider making room for some of the following in your landscape - many of which are Montana native plants. And keep in mind that white bark, as in birch and aspen, is a stunning complement to yellow and red.

Yellow Bark
Trees: Golden Willow, Mountain Ash, Flowering Crabs (such as 'Dolgo')
Shrubs: Native Willows, Yellow Dogwood

Red or Red-hued Bark:
Trees: Flowering Crabs (such as 'Red Splendor'), Water Birch
Shrubs: Red-twigged Dogwood, Native Willows, Rose (such as 'Therese Bugnet'), Chokecherry, Serviceberry, Purpleleaf Plum

Green or Blue Needles:
Conifers: Spruce, Pine, Arborvitae, Juniper, Douglas Fir

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