In the springtime, flowers shake off the cold and begin to bloom. Daisies, buttercups, tulips, and plethoras of more floral beauties show themselves and mark the arrival of the spring season. But what about the winter? Is the landscape just a barren, flowerless wasteland after fall is over? Contrary to what one might believe, there are actually plenty of flowers that bloom in the winter season.

Winter pansies are fast-growing perennials that range in color from gold to violet. They are tough flowers that can adapt to temperature drops well once they are growing, though they do not survive temperatures below freezing often. Overall, winter pansies grow best between 45°F and 65°F, so it is advised to plan planting them before soil temperatures drop lower than 45°F.

Hellebore flowers are “…perennials that thrive in shade or patchy sunlight and feature colors like pink, white, rose, burgundy, and light green,” says ProFlowers.com, a gardening site. Some Hellebores tend to resemble red roses, and because of this, they are also known as Christmas roses. They tend to bloom from November to April and become dormant in the summer.

Algerian Irises tend to bloom in late November. This lovely flower species has very thin leaf blades accompanying blue and purple flowers. Similarly to the Hellebore, the Algerian Iris becomes dormant in the summer and thrives in the winter.

Daniel Alexander, a senior, says his favorite of these flowers is the winter pansy, citing enjoyment of the flower’s coloring on different areas. Alexander was surprised to an extent when he learned that all three flowers grow in the wintertime rather than spring, stating that, “I knew that these flowers weren’t flowers that grew in a regular season, I just didn’t know which one.” While flowers are often believed to grow during the spring, the fact some flowers grow in the winter can mislead and surprise some people, such as Alexander.

Carley Parsons, a junior, declares that her favorite of these flowers is the Algerian Iris because, according to her, “That shade of purple is one of my favorite colors and the vibrancy makes it stick out to me.” When asked which flower she would give to a loved one, Parsons chose the Hellebore, because in her eyes, the pink and red color symbolizes love. Like Alexander, Parsons originally believed that the flowers bloom around springtime, but was not very surprised when she found out they bloom in the winter.

Winter pansies, Hellebores, and Algerian Irises are just some of the many flowers that bloom in the winter. Each flower offers its own unique type of beauty and draws in a different crowd of people who prefer it. Even after the winter flowers have stopped blooming, one should keep an eye out and look forward to those that blossom in the spring!