From our perspective, the primary challenge of a northern winter is not the cold itself, but the combination of freeze-thaw cycles and desiccation. Our cells contain water; when this water freezes rapidly, it forms sharp crystals that can puncture cell walls, causing fatal damage. Furthermore, when the ground is frozen, our roots cannot uptake water to replace moisture lost through our evergreen leaves on sunny, windy days. This leads to winter burn, where our foliage dries out, browns, and dies.
Your first act of protection is choosing our home wisely. We thrive when planted on a sheltered slope or in a spot protected from the prevailing north and west winds, such as on the east side of a building or wall. This minimizes wind scour, which is a major cause of desiccation. Furthermore, planting us beneath the canopy of deciduous trees is ideal. In winter, when the branches are bare, we receive the sunlight we crave. The tree canopy also acts as a buffer, catching heavy snow that could crush us and lessening the impact of temperature swings.
Do not underestimate the insulating power of snow. A consistent, deep layer of snow is our best natural protector. It shields our crown—the critical growing point at the base of the plant—from extreme temperature fluctuations and bitter winds, maintaining a much more stable and tolerable microclimate. In fact, you will often find us blooming happily beneath the snow. The danger arises in winters with little snow cover, leaving our crown and foliage fully exposed to the elements.
In the absence of reliable snow, a human-applied mulch becomes our essential winter coat. However, timing and material are crucial. Apply the mulch *after* the ground has frozen hard for the first time, typically in late autumn. This ensures the soil remains consistently cold, preventing us from being tricked into premature growth during a temporary thaw. Use a fluffy, airy material like shredded leaves, straw, or evergreen boughs. Pile this loosely over and around our crown. Avoid using heavy, wet materials like whole leaves or dense compost, as these can mat down, trap moisture, and promote crown rot, which is more deadly to us than the cold.
For our prized evergreen foliage, the combination of winter sun and wind is our greatest adversary. You can employ a simple windbreak made of burlap or landscape fabric staked on the windward side (usually west and north). This breaks the force of the drying winds without creating a closed, humidity-trapping environment. The goal is not to fully enclose us but to deflect the worst of the wind. This simple barrier significantly reduces moisture loss from our leaves, preserving their beauty until spring.
