By Dan Jaffe

Most of the time January means dreaming of warmer weather, while perusing plant catalogs and drooling over potential purchases. This year, we find ourselves dreaming of snow, while perusing plant catalogs and drooling over potential purchases. Here are a few of our favorite plants to get you thinking about spring.

Botanical Name: Acer pensylvanicum

Common Name(s): striped maple

Sun Requirements: part shade to shade

Bloom Time: early spring

Bloom Color: green

Height: 15-25 feet

Soil Moisture: average to moist

Zones: 3-7

Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84

We seem to have developed a long list of favorites and A. pensylvanicum is certainly one of them. Despite the massive (up to 7 inches long), three-lobed leaves, it can easily be argued that the best time of the year for this small tree is in the winter. The bark, which lends the plant its common name, is especially vibrant when set against a backdrop of snow, and the new twigs turn a maroon red for the winter, while the buds turn a bright, vibrant red. This is a plant of many names from striped maple to moosewood to snake bark maple.

Botanical Name: Adiantum pedatum

Common Name: northern maidenhair fern

Sun Requirements: part shade to shade

Height: 1-2 feet

Width: 2 feet

Soil Moisture: average to moist

Zones: 2-9

Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84

This is one of our favorite ferns. Arching rachis (midrib) send out pinnae (leaflets) into a pattern reminiscent of the fingers on a hand. A. pedatum is exquisite when used in masses and graceful when left to stand alone. There is something simply irresistible about this "touchable" species and we constantly see people running their hands over the fronds in springtime. It is wonderful when planted in conjunction with upright plants like Iris cristata or Actaea racemosa for striking architectural contrasts. It prefers alkaline soils.

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Common Name(s): red bearberry

Sun Requirements: sun

Bloom Time: late spring

Bloom Color: white to pink, followed by a red berry

Height: 3-6 inches

Soil Moisture: dry

Zones: 3-8

Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84

Without a doubt, this is one of our favorite sub-shrubs for a tough spot. A. uva-ursi is one of those plants that should be restricted to the correct conditions as it tends to leave one wanting when planted in the wrong area. However, when this plant is planted in a sunny, dry location it simply cannot be beat. Pink flowers appear in the spring, followed by bright red berries in the summer. In the fall, the entire plant turns vibrant shades of red and burgundy and the leaves are evergreen, giving winter interest. With four seasons of interest, what more could one ask for in a plant?

Botanical Name: Gaultheria procumbens

Common Name(s): eastern spicy-wintergreen, wintergreen

Sun Requirements: part shade to shade

Bloom Time: early summer

Bloom Color: white to pink, followed by a red berry

Height: 2-4 inches

Soil Moisture: dry to moist

Zones:  2-8

Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84

This is another of our many favorites, and admittedly we seem to have a soft spot for tasty plants. Nothing says New England better than taking a walk through the woods while chewing on a few wintergreen leaves. These evergreen leaves emerge a deep red and mature to a glossy green. The flowers are the hanging bells typical of the Ericaceae. In the wild, these plants tend to form sporadic patches in moist, well-drained shady sites. When brought into a partly shaded area, they can fill in to form a dense mat, which is a sight to behold.

Ecoregion Key:

58 Northeastern Highlands
59 Northeastern Coastal Zone
82 Acadian Plains and Hills
83 Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands
84 Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens