I would like to change the words behind this acronym.  Instead of “seasonal affective disorder,” gardeners might consider “stems abound delightfully.”  Even if you’ve purchased an old house that’s surrounded by nandinas, mahonias, quinces or even red loropetalum that the old owners planted too close to a beautiful Japanese maple, you should bring some of these lively stems inside to brighten a winter-darkened house.

Arrangements of cut stems ought not be relegated to the overpriced roses and other things that come from the grocery store.  Not only are you stepping outside to gather what nature is offering when you make your own displays.  In many cases, you wouldn’t be supporting an industry rife with the over-usage of pesticides inside hot-houses and a reliance on petroleum to heat those houses and to ship those stems, oftentimes, from thousands of miles away.

Getting outside during the slow season to cut stems is also a great way to understand your own garden.  Gaps in the structure (or bones) become more evident, and you might realize that you could use more plants that offer interest during the winter.  This is also an excellent time to study the different times of year to prune plants, since winter-flowering plants are often and unfortunately pruned when they’ve already set buds for winter flowers.

Cut stem preservatives will make many of these last much longer, although I prefer a chemical-free approach in my own house.  Some folks just use a little white sugar dissolved in warm vase water.  A clean vase is a must, as you don’t want to clog the cuts with dust, toenail clippings, or whatever snot-covered item your toddler has placed in it.  AND if the arrangement has a long life, empty the vase at some point and refill with fresh, lukewarm water.

At the bottom is a list of plants of whose attractive stems abound delightfully.  Some are tried and true, and some you may not be familiar with.  And don’t forget that there are many late-winter- and early-spring-flowering shrubs whose stems can be forced to flower when brought indoors.

PLEASE NOTE:  I am not recommending you plant every one of these.  Some of these are aggressive, but what harm is done by cutting stems from a plant that’s already there?  Enjoying a small branch of bamboo is NOT the same thing as dividing it and giving it away to unsuspecting gardeners.

azaleas (Some are good for forcing.)

bamboo

beautyberries (These might still have fruit on them.)

beautybush

beech (Their tawny dried leaves provide a color that compliments more vibrant ones.)

boxwood

bulbs (many different ones, the most obvious being daffodils or narcissus, and snowbells)

camellia

cast-iron plant

cat-brier, or green-brier (These might have colorful leaves still.)

cedar

corylopsis, or winterhazels

cotoneasters

crabapples (for forcing)

cryptomeria

danaë

daphne (if you can bring yourself to cut it)

daphniphyllum

dogwoods—red- & yellow-osiers for colorful stems, and cornelian cherries for flowers

edgeworthia

elaeagnus

falsecypress

fig (for the great stems)

forsythia, or yellowbells (These will force easily.)

fothergilla (You can try to force these.  Just remember that you’re removing spring’s flowers.)

grasses (Many of these will still have great flower sprays in winter.)

hellebores (stems with flowers, as well as flowers floating in a bowl)

hollies—not just the evergreens, but the deciduous winterberries with red, yellow, & orange fruit

iris (leaves)

ivy

Japanese maples (Many have purple stems.  Just be careful when removing anything so that you don’t

    affect their form detrimentally.)

Jerusalem cherries

Jerusalem sage, or phlomis (The leaves are great, but you’ll be removing spring’s flower buds.)

kadsura

kerria (Even if the flowers don’t force, the green stems are beautiful.)

lavender (for foliage, but keep in mind that you’ll be removing spring’s flower buds)

leeks

lomatia

loropetalum

magnolia (the southern evergreen as well as the “tulip trees”)

mahonia

nandina

palms

pears (for forcing)

pussy willows (for forcing)

quince

redbuds (for forcing)

roses (Some retain colorful foliage through winter.)

rosemary

ruscus

serviceberries (for forcing or just for great buds)

spireas (for forcing)

Swiss chard

tea olives

winter honeysuckle

winter jasmine