Flowering landscape bushes
25 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - Best Flowering Bushes for Gardens
Flowering shrubs add an extra element of beauty to your garden. They not only boost curb appeal but also add reliable color, attract pollinators, and provide structure and privacy to your garden. Whether you have a large lot or a small patio, you can plant shrubs that bloom from spring to fall so you'll have color all season long. Many flowering shrubs also do well in containers to add color to a front porch, patio, or deck. Flowering bushes also are ideal for foundation plantings, along walkways, around pool areas, and as accents in a mixed border with evergreens.
What's the easiest flowering shrub to grow?
Shrubs are typically some of the easiest plants to grow. Most flowering shrubs will thrive if you follow some basics: For starters, read the plant tag or description so you'll know what it needs in terms of light. Most (but not all) flowering shrubs need full sun, or at least six hours of direct sunlight to bloom. Otherwise, they get leggy and offer few flowers. Also, don't forget to check if it can survive winters in your USDA hardiness zone (find yours here).
You should also pay attention to details such as the plant's mature height and width. It may look tiny now in its quart-sized pot, but when it reaches its full size in a few years, you don't want to have to hack it down because it's covering a window or crowding out other plantings. Finally, keep it watered the first season or two, especially during dry spells, so that it establishes a healthy root system.
What is the longest flowering shrub?
Every plant has a cycle of growth, blooming and dormancy, so there's not one type of shrub that flowers all year long. However, there are quite a few with extremely long bloom times or three-season interest, meaning they offer something to see in spring, summer and fall. A few that work in many different regions of the country include hydrangeas and butterfly bushes, along with new reblooming varieties of lilacs, azalea, spirea, and shrub roses.
Read on to learn about the 25 most beautiful flowering shrubs, along with a guide to when they bloom and landscaping ideas for how and where to plant them.
1
Best Flowering Shrub for Fragrance: Daphne
Rosemary CalvertGetty Images
Daphne are pretty, appealing shrubs that aren't that well known, though they've become more popular in recent years. Plant near walkways where you can enjoy their ethereal scent.
USDA Zone: 6 to 10
Exposure: Full sun with afternoon shade in hot climates
Their fruity-scented blossoms of pink, white, or lavender bloom in late winter and early spring long before many other shrubs, and they maintain a nice compact shape without pruning.
SHOP DAPHNE SHRUBS
2
Best Flowering Shrub for Shade: Lily of the Valley Bush
magicflute002Getty Images
This gorgeous early spring bloomer, also called pieris, has cascading blooms that resemble the perennial flower lily of the valley.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Exposure: Part shade
Its glossy evergreen leaves offer year-round structure and interest to the garden. Plus, it's one of the few flowering shrubs that prefers part shade.
SHOP LILY OF THE VALLEY BUSHES
3
Best Flowering Shrub for Fragrance: Korean Spice Viburnum
Jennifer McClureGetty Images
Korean spice viburnum produces pale pink buds in early spring that bloom into white or pink clusters. Plant it where you can enjoy its heady scent.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Exposure: Part to full sun
It has a delicious spice cake fragrance that tells you spring has arrived. It's also deer resistant!
SHOP KOREAN SPICE VIBURNUM SHRUBS
4
Best Flowering Shrub for Long-Lasting Blooms: Ninebark
Elizabeth GaubekaGetty Images
Ninebark is a native shrub that's got it all: colorful foliage that's dark burgundy, chartreuse, or bronze all season long; fragrant white flowers that bloom in mid- to late spring; and a natural arching shape that doesn't need pruning. Look for new dwarf varieties for smaller gardens.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Exposure: Full sun
This shrub looks great most of the season and works equally well in mixed borders or beds or as an accent plant. It's also a pollinator magnet!
SHOP NINEBARK SHRUBS
5
Best Flowering Shrub for Adding Interest: Sweetshrub
DEA / R. SACCOGetty Images
With unusual, large red or white flowers that can carry a spicy scent, this easy-to-grow flowering shrub also is known as Carolina allspice, spicebush, or strawberry bush. It's a very large shrub, maxing out at 10 feet tall, so plant it where it has plenty of space to spread.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Part to full sun
The interesting flowers last for weeks in early summer, blooming most of the season in moderate climates. It's also deer resistant.
SHOP SWEETSHRUBS
6
Best Flowering Shrub for Early Blooms: Mahonia
Photos from Japan, Asia and othe of the worldGetty Images
Not particularly well known, this evergreen shrub blooms in late winter or early spring with bright yellow blooms that become handsome blue berries in fall. Place it along borders or as a backdrop to a mixed planting bed.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Part to full sun
Mahonia is an early bloomer and a great screening plant.
SHOP MAHONIA SHRUBS
7
Flowering Shrub with Most Unique Blooms: Witch Hazel
Jacky Parker Photography
The fun flowers on this shrub make it worth planting. This is a great plant to place along woodland borders.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Exposure: Part to full sun
The crazy, curly flowers appear in late fall and linger long after the colorful leaves have dropped. Some types also bloom in late winter.
SHOP WITCH HAZEL SHRUBS
8
Best Classic Flowering Shrub: Azalea
Pierre-Yves BabelonGetty Images
Known for their beautiful show at the Masters each April, these evergreen shrubs come in every color from peach to hot pink to pure white. They're lovely planted in masses or as foundation plantings.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Exposure: Part sun to sun
Why we love it: Classic Flowering Shrub
New varieties are more cold hardy and rebloom, offering a spring show and secondary blooms throughout the season.
SHOP AZALEAS
9
Best Low-Growing Flowering Shrub: Deutzia
Jacky Parker PhotographyGetty Images
This lovely deciduous shrub has a natural arching shape and produces abundant clusters of small white or pink flowers in spring. Plant as a low hedge, in mixed borders along walkways, or on slopes for erosion control.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Exposure: Part sun to sun
The pretty blooms last for weeks, and it's deer resistant. It's also a low-maintenance shrub that rarely needs attention.
SHOP DEUTZIA SHRUBS
10
Best Fast-Growing Flowering Shrub: Forsythia
ullstein bildGetty Images
When forsythia blooms, it's a sure sign spring is starting. Look for newer varieties that are more compact and better behaved than old standards, which can become tall and unwieldy in small gardens. Plant as accents or in a mixed border.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Exposure: Full sun
The canary yellow blooms appear in early spring before the shrub even has leaves. The rest of the year, it's a handsome deciduous shrub. And it's a fast grower!
SHOP FORSYTHIA SHRUBS
11
Best Flowering Shrub for Old-Fashioned Scent: Lilac
Kevin KobsGetty Images
Plant this late spring flowering shrub where you can enjoy its old-fashioned fragrance and heart-shaped leaves. Many new varieties are more compact or rebloom in midsummer.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Exposure: Full sun
The sweet scent signals summer is around the corner, while the heart-shaped leaves offer charm the rest of the season.
SHOP LILACS
12
Best Low-Maintenance Flowering Shrub: Flowering Quince
NatthawatGetty Images
This deciduous shrub features beautiful vibrant flowers in shades of peach, scarlet, orange, or red in late winter or early spring.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Full sun
Flowering quince is a decidedly low-maintenance shrub that makes for an ideal hedge, screen, or barrier in front yards and backyards. New varieties are thornless.
SHOP FLOWERING QUINCE SHRUBS
13
Best Evergreen Flowering Shrub: Rhododendron
Heritage ImagesGetty Images
This flowering shrub with glossy green leaves boasts blooms in white, peach, pink, or shades of purple in late spring. It's an old favorite with many new varieties available.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Exposure: Part to full sun
Rhododendron makes for beautiful hedges and thrives under a canopy of trees. New varieties are more cold hardy.
SHOP RHODODENDRON SHRUBS
14
Best Flowering Shrub for Hummingbirds: Weigela
non exclusif mes photosGetty Images
This deciduous shrub comes in a wide range of foliage and flower colors. Plant weigela as a showy hedge, or use as an accent or in mixed borders. New types rebloom throughout the growing season.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Exposure: Full sun
The beautiful tubular blooms attract hummingbirds and butterflies from late spring to summer.
SHOP WEIGELA SHRUBS
15
Best Flowering Shrub with Berries: Beautyberry
Moelyn PhotosGetty Images
Although this deciduous shrub produces pretty flowers from late spring into summer, it's better known for its stunning clusters of purple berries that persist into winter. Group several plants for a colorful border, or plant as a focal point.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Exposure: Full sun
It's simply striking! It's also deer resistant and attractive to pollinators.
SHOP BEAUTYBERRY SHRUBS
16
Best Flowering Shrub for Butterflies: Butterfly Bush
TracieMichelleGetty Images
This deciduous shrub features masses of blossoms from summer to fall. It comes in an array of colors including pink, purple, red, and white. Use it to add color, texture, fragrance, and height at the back of beds or near patios and other outdoor living areas. New varieties are more compact, reaching just 2–3 feet tall and wide.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Full sun
This fast grower is in bloom from summer to first frost. As the name indicates, butterflies love it!
SHOP BUTTERFLY BUSHES
17
Toughest Flowering Shrub: Potentilla
BaizGetty Images
Also known as cinquefoil, this hardy pink, white, or yellow flowering shrub features a long bloom time with some varieties flowering in late spring through early fall. It makes a beautiful addition to everything from small container gardens to mixed borders.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7
Exposure: Full sun
Potentilla is a super-tough plant, standing up to both urban and coastal environments. It's also deer and rabbit resistant.
SHOP POTENTILLA
18
Longest-Blooming Flowering Shrub: Hydrangea
dreaming2004Getty Images
Hydrangeas works as a hedge, as an accent, or even in containers. They boasts three-season interest because the flowers, which emerge in early to midsummer, stay intact through fall and winter. Many new varieties have been introduced in the last decade, so shop for one sized to your garden (some max out at just 2–3 feet tall and wide).
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Exposure: Part to full sun, depending on the variety
No matter where you live, there's a hydrangea that will thrive in your environment. The papery blooms persist throughout the season and make excellent dried flowers.
SHOP HYDRANGEAS
19
Best Late-Blooming Flowering Shrub: Rose of Sharon
Iva VagnerovaGetty Images
Rose of Sharon boasts large, lush flowers in every color from white to pale pink to deep chiffon blue in late summer. Plant as a hedge, either on its own or as a backdrop for lower shrubs or flowers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Full sun
Just when the rest of your garden is fading in late summer, rose of Sharon begins to bloom.
SHOP ROSE OF SHARON SHRUBS
20
Easiest Flowering Shrub: Shrub Rose
ShintartanyaGetty Images
Shrub roses are hardy, disease resistant, and bloom from late spring to a hard freeze for long season color. Some also are fragrant. Plant shrub roses as screens, as hedges, or en masse on a hillside.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Exposure: Full sun
Why we love it: Easy-to-grow Flowering Shrub
Every garden needs at least one rose bush, and shrub roses are the least fussy type of rose to plant.
SHOP SHRUB ROSES
21
Lowest-Maintenance Flowering Shrub: Spirea
Photos by R A KeartonGetty Images
Thanks to its long-lasting blooms throughout the summer, along with its versatility in beds or borders, spirea has become one of the most popular flowering shrubs. Many new varieties have been introduced with flower colors ranging from white to pink with deep green, gold, or chartreuse foliage.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Exposure: Full sun
This super-tough shrub attracts bees and butterflies but is resistant to deer.
SHOP SPIREA SHRUBS
22
Best Native Flowering Shrub: Summersweet
Douglas SparkesGetty Images
Summersweet has dense, upright branches with fragrant white flowers in mid- to late summer with dark green foliage that turns golden yellow in the fall. Plant en masse, in mixed borders, and along property lines.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Exposure: Part to full sun
This native shrub attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds, and deer tend to leave it alone.
SHOP SUMMERSWEET SHRUBS
23
Best Flowering Shrub for Scent: Abelia
Michel VIARDGetty Images
This pretty shrub has lovely white or pink fragrant spring flowers. Plant as a hedge or screen, or mass along a slope or hillside for erosion control.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Exposure: Part to full sun
The jasmine-scented blooms attract pollinators, but it's deer and rabbit resistant.
SHOP ABELIA SHRUBS
24
Best Blue Flowering Shrub: Caryopteris
Robert KirkGetty Images
This woody flowering shrub features aromatic foliage and small blue flowers that bloom from late summer into autumn for late-season color. Try this small shrub in borders, repeated for full effect, or potted in containers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Exposure: Full sun
The deep blue flowers, which are not that common in the garden, are a pollinator favorite!
SHOP CARYOPTERIS SHRUBS
25
Flowering Shrub with Most Beautiful Blooms: Camellia
UniversalImagesGroupGetty Images
This evergreen flowering shrub blooms in winter through early spring and summer, depending on the variety. Plant in groups of three to five for a magnificent screen or hedge.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
Exposure: Part to full sun, depending on the variety
Its lovely rose-like blooms have rich color and beautiful form.
SHOP CAMELLIAS
Arricca Elin Sansone Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more.
16 Best Flowering Shrubs - Beautiful Bushes with Flowers
A seasonal guide to the best flowering bushes By Anne Balogh
Flowering shrubs provide color and structure and can be used as groundcovers, hedge plants or eye-catching focal points. You can fill your garden with ornamental shrubs that bloom from early spring through late fall and even into winter. Many flowering shrubs also perfume the air with their own signature fragrance.
On this page: Spring Flowering Shrubs | Summer Flowering Shrubs | Fall & Winter Flowering Shrubs
On this page:
- SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS
- SUMMER FLOWERING SHRUBS
- FALL & WINTER FLOWERING SHRUBS
Get seasonal plant information, gardening solutions, design inspiration, and more delivered weekly to your inbox.
SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS
Buy Now
Bloomerang® Dark Purple reblooming lilac. Photo: Proven Winners.
LILAC (
Syringa spp. and hybrids)Zones: 3-8 for most, a few hardy to Zone 2
Exposure: Full sun; will tolerate some light shade
Mature size: 5 to 15 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Bloom time: Late April to May; again in summer for rebloomers.
Flower colors: Purple, pink, white
Throw open your windows on a warm day in May, and you’re apt to be greeted by the intoxicating, unmistakable fragrance of spring-blooming lilacs. Early-, mid- and late-season cultivars extend the bloom time for at least 6 weeks. Reblooming varieties bloom once in spring and again in summer through fall.
Learn more about growing lilacs.
Buy Now
Dandy Man® Pink rhododendron. Photo: Proven Winners.
RHODODENDRON & AZALEA (
Rhododendron spp. )Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 18 inches to 20 feet tall, depending on variety
Bloom time: Peak bloom usually occurs mid-spring; however, some bloom as early as March, others as late as July.
Flower colors: Shades of pink, white, purple, crimson, and yellow
Prized for its spectacular spring flowers, many varieties are evergreen and can be enjoyed year-round. Their size and shape vary, from low-growing groundcovers to tall shrubs.
Learn more about growing rhododendrons and azaleas.
Buy Now
Show Off® forsythia. Photo: Proven Winners.
FORSYTHIA (
Forsythia spp.)Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade; flowers best in full sun
Mature size: 1 to 20 feet tall, 3 to 10 feet wide, depending on variety
Bloom time: Early to mid-spring
Flower colors: Bright yellow
The vibrant canary-yellow flowers of forsythia are like the first ray of sunshine after the dark days of winter, covering each arching branch with a profusion of blooms lasting one to two weeks. The welcome explosion of yellow flowers makes this shrub well worth planting, despite the short bloom time.
Learn more about growing forsythia shrubs.
Buy Now
Spice Girl® Korean spice viburnum. Photo: Proven Winners.
KOREAN SPICE VIBURNUM (
Viburnum carlesii)Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Partial to full sun
Mature size: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: April
Flower colors: White, pink
This showy shrub produces clusters of pastel-pink buds in late March that open to domed clusters of white or pink-flushed flowers. However, it’s the heady fragrance, similar to spice cake, that makes this exceptional species a delightful addition to the garden.
Learn more about growing viburnum shrubs.
Buy Now
Sonic Bloom® Pink weigela. Photo: Proven Winners.
WEIGELA (
Weigela florida)Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun; will tolerate partial shade
Mature size: Varies; from 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide to 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Bloom time: Mid to late spring, with sparser rebloom in summer and fall
Flower colors: Shades of red, pink, white, and yellow
Gardeners love this popular shrub not only for its abundance of white or pink flowers on arching branches, but also for its unflappable nature and reliable performance. The trumpet-shaped flowers are a favorite of bees and hummingbirds, and often continue to bloom in scattered fashion from mid to late summer.
Learn more about growing weigela shrubs.
Buy Now
FLOWERING QUINCE (
Chaenomeles speciosa)Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Full sun
Mature size: 6 to 10 feet tall and wide; some compact cultivars to only 3 or 4 feet
Bloom time: Early to mid-spring
Flower colors: Shades of red, orange, coral, pink, and white
Flowering quince blooms earlier than other spring-flowering shrubs, appearing as early as late January in the South, and March in northern areas. Adaptable and easy to grow, quince is also tolerant of heat, dry conditions, and a wide range of soil types.
Learn more about growing flowering quince.
SUMMER FLOWERING SHRUBS
Buy Now
Oso Easy Double Red® rose. Photo: Proven Winners.
SHRUB ROSE (
Rosa spp.)Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Full sun
Mature size: 1 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Early summer through fall
Flower colors: Shades of red, pink, white, yellow, and peach
Shrub roses are quickly becoming the go-to darlings of the rose world, taking the best traits of the hardiest rose species and combining them with attributes of repeat blooming and minimal maintenance.
Learn more about how to grow shrub roses.
Buy Now
'Limelight' panicle hydrangea. Photo: Proven Winners.
LIMELIGHT HYDRANGEA (
Hydrangea paniculata)Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Partial to full sun
Mature size: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Late summer through fall
Flower colors: Blooms green, then fades to white, then pink
Hydrangeas are one of the few flowering shrubs that produce spectacular blooms even in partial shade. One hydrangea that has become the superstar of the late-summer garden is 'Limelight'. This fast-growing, upright shrub produces large cone-shaped panicles in late July that change color as they mature, from lime-green to white and finally to a rosy pink.
Learn more about how to grow hydrangeas.
Buy Now
Happy Face® Yellow cinquefoil. Photo: Proven Winners.
CINQUEFOIL (
Potentilla fruticosa)Zones: 2-7
Exposure: Partial to full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: June through September
Flower colors: Yellow, pink, orange, or white
Cinquefoil is also one of the easiest shrubs to grow, featuring good drought tolerance, excellent winter hardiness, and little need for aggressive pruning. Besides yellow, dozens of cultivars of cinquefoil are available in other hues, including white, pink, and tangerine.
Learn more about how to grow cinquefoil shrubs.
Buy Now
Double Play® Candy Corn® spirea. Photo: Proven Winners.
SPIREA (
Spirea japonica)Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: June to August
Flower colors: Pink or purple
Summer-blooming Japanese spirea are a favorite of many gardeners because of their clusters of long-lasting summer flowers and good fall leaf color. Double Play® Candy Corn® is a popular, easy-care cultivar that produces showy dark purple bloom clusters surrounded by yellow and orange foliage.
Learn more about how to grow spirea bushes.
Buy Now
'Miss Molly' butterfly bush. Photo: Proven Winners.
SUMMER LILAC (Butterfly Bush) (
Buddleia hybrids)Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 10 feet tall and wide, depnding on variety
Bloom time: July to October
Flower colors: Shades of pink, purple, or white
Butterfly bushes have honey-scented blooms that are irresistible to butterflies and bees, and many gardeners as well. The lilac-like blossoms come in an array of pretty pastel colors, ranging from pink to deep purple, and continue from mid-summer into autumn.
Learn more about how to grow non-invasive butterfly bushes.
Buy Now
Sugar Shack® buttonbush. Photo: Proven Winners.
BUTTONBUSH (
Cephalanthus occidentalis)Zones: 4-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 6 to 12 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: June to September
Flower colors: White
Showy pincushion-like flowers attract butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects. Native to much of the U.S., this sturdy carefree shrub makes a good substitute in areas where butterfly bush is invasive.
Buy Now
Blue Chiffon® rose of Sharon. Photo: Proven Winners.
ROSE OF SHARON (
Hibiscus syriacus)Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 8 to 12 feet tall, 6 to 10 feet wide, depnding on variety
Bloom time: Mid-summer through October
Flower colors: Shades of white, pink, red, blue, or apricot
Despite its name, this old-fashioned shrub is not a rose at all but a member of the hibiscus family, producing luscious flowers from late summer through mid-autumn when few other shrubs are in bloom.
Learn more about how to grow rose of Sharon.
Buy Now
Sugartina® 'Crystalina' summersweet. Photo: Proven Winners.
SUMMERSWEET (
Clethra alnifolia)Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 8 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide, depnding on variety
Bloom time: Late July through August
Flower colors: White or pink
Summersweet is one of the rare flowering shrubs that will bloom in shady places, perfuming the air with a sweet-spicy fragrance attractive to butterflies and bees. The showy white flower spikes come in abundance for 4 to 6 weeks, set off by dark, glossy green leaves that turn attractive shades of yellow to golden brown in fall.
Learn more about how to grow summersweet.
FALL & WINTER FLOWERING SHRUBS
Buy Now
Funshine® abelia. Photo: Proven Winners.
ABELIA (
Abelia grandiflora)Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Late summer through fall
Flower colors: White, pink
Abelia is the perfect choice for gardeners who want an easy-care, somewhat shade-tolerant plant that provides late-season fragrance. From summer through fall, it produces a profusion of rose-tinged white flowers on graceful, arching branches. The trumpet-shaped blooms have a jasmine-like scent that are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds.
Learn more about how to grow abelia.
CAMELLIA (
Camellia )Zones: 5-9
Exposure: Partial to full shade
Mature size: 6 to 12 feel tall and wide
Bloom time: Depending on variety, from late fall through spring
Flower colors: Red, pink, white
Camellia is the standout of the winter garden, bearing showy rose-like blooms in shades of white, pink, or red when other shrubs are dormant. The glossy, green foliage of this broadleafed evergreen is also attractive year-round. The bloom season is long and by staggering plantings of early-, mid- and late-season varieties, you can have flowers from November through April or May.
Learn more about growing camellias.
The most popular flowering shrubs are:
- Rose
- Hydrangea
- Rhododendron
- Rose of Sharon
- Butterfly bush
- Camellia
- Forsythia
- Viburnum
- Lilac
- Weigela
- Spirea
- Abelia
- Cinquefoil
- Summersweet
Last updated: May 12, 2021
RELATED READING
22 Small Flowering Shrubs
Summer Flowering Perennials
20 Fragrant Flowering Plants
Evergreen Shrubs
15 Small Evergreen Shrubs
Flowering Trees
Ornamental bushes and shrubs in landscaping of gardens and plots
Ornamental shrubs in landscaping on homestead, suburban, dacha, garden plots perform various functions:
- play the role of hedges and border plants;
- decorate (decorate) a specific area and the site as a whole;
- creates a background in picturesque mixborders;
- play the role of a connecting element between trees; nine0005 mask unsightly corners;
- fill empty areas;
- decorate the entrance area of the house;
- help to zone the site and equip such corners that will be evergreen - both in the warm and in the cold season.
Of course, all this is possible only when the plants are well chosen, correctly planted and grown correctly.
There are perennial shrubs or, conversely, annuals, growing straight and curly, luxuriantly flowering and ornamental leaves, tall and sprawling, dwarf and ground cover - all varieties are used in landscape design. They are very different, suitable for different purposes and can differ in the complexity of caring for them. Be that as it may, the main function of ornamental shrubs is to decorate the surrounding space. This is a great material for arranging color accents. nine0003
Most ornamental landscaping shrubs will tolerate shearing well and become even more beautiful. Their color scheme distinguishes between basic (or neutral) colors and bright seasonal ones. Against the background of buildings, you can grow shrubs of neutral green colors or defiantly bright ones. The less the colors of the plants growing nearby contrast, the dimmer they look. For ornamental shrubs, color combinations such as white and red, yellow and purple, purple and green are considered contrasting and are often used. nine0003
Variety of shrubs in landscape design
Shrubs for the garden are conditionally divided into three groups.
- Beautiful flowers. Will serve as a luxurious decoration during its flowering period,
- Decorative foliage. They will delight with unusual colors of foliage until the first frost.
- Evergreen. Not too noticeable while warm, will come to the fore when seasonal plantings fall into winter sleep.
It is impossible to characterize all existing ornamental shrubs. Among their vast variety, we have selected some of the most popular ones that take root well in our climate and are able to colorfully transform the landscape of your site. nine0003
Flowering shrubs in landscaping
Beautifully flowering ornamental shrubs for the garden, distinguished by their beauty during flowering and intoxicating aroma. A parade of spectacular garden decorators delighting us with their fragrant blooms already in early May. We have chosen the most unpretentious of them, and suitable for growing in the Leningrad region.
Lilac (lat. Syringa). Probably the most common shrub in gardens, front gardens, and even urban landscaping. Frost-resistant, unpretentious, grows up to 4 meters in height. Blooms in May and June. There are modern compact varieties (India, Agnes Smith, Elinor) that are great for small plots and decorating the local area. When planting, it is better to give preference to an open sunny place, but partial shade is also possible, but not swampy. The composition of the soil lilac is not demanding. Care is minimal - just remove the shoots and cut off faded inflorescences. nine0003
Spiraea (lat. Spiraea). A popular plant with many varieties. It is quite possible to make a flower bed out of some spireas, combining high varieties with low ones. Plants of only this species can beautifully decorate a fairly large area. Unpretentious, frost-resistant, little susceptible to diseases. Grows in partial shade and sunny places. Care consists in regular shaping pruning.
Mock orange or garden jasmine (lat. Philadelphus). Grows up to 3 meters in height, thin branches covered with small carved leaves. In addition to green, there are also variegated and golden varieties of jasmine. Flowering time depends on the variety, from the beginning to the end of summer. The flowers have a wonderful strong fragrance. The main condition for abundant flowering is a sunny place to plant. Care is not complicated - sanitary pruning and simple top dressing. nine0003
Ornamental deciduous shrubs in garden design
These are plants that retain their decorative qualities throughout the warm period due to their amazing foliage. Decorative leafy shrubs for the garden delight with greenery or other shades until frost.
Barberry (lat. Berberis). Shrub with green, red, yellow and even variegated foliage. The height depends on the variety: from 40 cm (Barberry Bogatel), up to 3 m - common barberry. Not demanding on watering and soil, suitable for hedges, tolerates shearing well. Prefers sunny places, but also grows in partial shade. Frost-resistant. Thanks to a squat dense bush and an unusually decorative color of leaves from purple, violet to bright red, Thunberg barberry is always a welcome guest in border plantings, rock gardens and hedges. It cuts well and keeps a beautiful shape. Looks harmonious with lavender, ornamental grasses and conifers. Beautiful varieties of modern breeding: "Golden Ring" with dark purple foliage in a golden edging, bright purple glossy "Red Chief", pastel pink "Pink Queen" and brick red "Red Rocket". nine0003
White derain (lat. Cornus alba). Graceful plant with reddish branches with numerous yellow and green leaves with a beautiful border. It grows quickly and fills empty areas. Annual pruning of shoots helps maintain the desired shape. It can grow in partial shade, it is not demanding on the composition of the soil, it tolerates stagnant moisture and drought. Ideal for a lazy garden. It blooms with white corymbose inflorescences, in place of which berries form by autumn. Spectacular varieties of white derain "Elegantissima" and "Sibirica Variegata", reaching 3 meters, have a light cream border on a pistachio background of foliage and look unusually attractive. These shrubs are well shaped by pruning, used in hedges and borders to form garden paths and lawn borders. nine0003
Viburnum vesicle (lat. Physocarpus opulifolius). A beautiful plant, the varieties of which are divided into yellow-leaved and red-leaved. It grows rapidly, up to 30-40 cm in height and width in one season. Handles haircut well. The bright color of the foliage can darken due to lack of sun, so it is best to plant it in a sunny spot. It is not picky about the composition of the soil, but does not tolerate lime in its composition. Frost-resistant. Can be affected by powdery mildew in conditions of dense planting and lack of pruning. nine0003
Evergreen ornamental shrubs in landscape design
A plant that does not shed its leaves in cold weather, helps to fill the area and maintain decorativeness while others are sleeping. The most common in our region are junipers, arborvitae, honeysuckle.
Juniper (lat. Juniperus). Graceful coniferous shrub for landscaping, beautiful all year round. Depending on the variety, it may look like a disheveled bush or a neat candle, there are horizontal and ground cover varieties. The needles are green or bluish, sharp and short. It lends itself to shearing, and creeping forms can be planted near the trunks of tall trees. Prefers sunny places or partial shade. When planting, it is better to use an earthen mixture of peat, leafy soil, sand and loam. After that, you can not fertilize, but only cover the roots of high varieties for the winter and protect the needles from burning out in early spring. nine0003
Thuja (lat. Thuja). A plant from the cypress family. The needles consist of scales that are tightly adjacent to each other. The western thuja tolerates frost well - a real decoration of the site at any time of the year. Prefers partial shade, does not tolerate drafts and needs constant watering. For the winter, it is recommended to wear a fabric cover (cover) to preserve the shape and branches of the plant.
Lustrous honeysuckle (lat. Lonicera nitida). Plant up to 2 m high with small leathery oval leaves. It prefers light shade, is not demanding on the composition of the soil (it grows well on sandy and loamy soils). Frost-resistant, well suited for hedges. nine0003
Many ornamental shrubs grow and decorate the garden without the need for painstaking care. Combining plants and varieties, you can create a garden "for the lazy", where it is customary to come to relax, and not work.
Landscape shrubs by AG GARDEN DESIGN?
- We will help you choose the best types and varieties of ornamental shrubs for your landscaping.
- We will select the best options for their placement, thanks to which the whole territory will turn into a harmonious whole. nine0006
- We will quickly and efficiently perform all the work on the arrangement and design of your site with ornamental shrubs - flowering, decorative deciduous, evergreen.
- Regardless of the scale of the upcoming work, we will offer you the lowest price for planting shrubs.
Turning to AG GARDEN DESIGN, you will receive an attentive approach, interesting ideas, accurate estimates without overpayments and high-quality work performed exactly according to the schedule agreed with you. We always work quickly, and most importantly, with high quality! nine0003
15 species with photos and descriptions
We are glad to welcome you, dear readers, on the pages of our dacha blog!
Today we will talk about varieties of garden shrubs, which play an important role in the design of a personal plot.
Lushly flowering and ornamental foliage, tall and spreading, dwarf and ground cover ornamental shrubs for landscape design - a great material for those who like to experiment with textures and color accents. nine0003
They are ideal for zoning a site in the form of hedges, creating a background in picturesque mixborders, decorating the entrance area of \u200b\u200ba house, and as border plants.
Most garden shrubs tolerate shearing well and become even more decorative. Among their vast variety, we have selected several popular species plants that will easily and naturally transform your garden landscape.
Contents
- Blooming shrubs in your garden: photo, varieties, use
- Forsytia
- Weigel
- Lilac
- Act
- Hydension
- 9000 9000 6,0006
- 9000 9000 9000 6,000 9000 SHIPERICAL SHIPERICAL COSTERIVE COSTERIVE SHIZHNIS Thunberga
- Tannery Mackerel
- Derain
- Boxwood
- Shiny Privet
- Euonymus
Flowering shrubs in your garden: photo, varieties, application
The parade of spectacular garden decorators, delighting us with their fragrant flowering already at the end of April-May, we will start with a bright and inimitable beauty.
Forsythia
Popular garden varieties include European forsythia and f. Giralda, reaching a height of up to 2 meters. Both species form an upright shrub, covered with yellow bell-shaped inflorescences even before the foliage appears. Graceful branched shrubs look great both in single and in group plantings. nine0003
Hanging Forsythia with long drooping branches and a spreading crown in garden design is often used to decorate walls that can be easily climbed to a height of 3 meters with the help of trellises. It looks picturesque on the slopes and in rocky gardens. It has a variety of ornamental varieties with variegated leaf color, such as f. variegata with variegated yellow leaves and f. Artocaulis with shoots and young dark purple foliage.
Weigela
Weigela from the honeysuckle family also belongs to spectacular spring and re-blooming in autumn shrubs. It has about 15 species that are successfully used in landscaping, among which it is worth mentioning:
- blooming weigela, growing up to 1 m, with dark pink bell-shaped inflorescences;
- pleasant weigela - up to 1.
3 m tall with beautiful funnel-shaped pink-violet flowers;
- Middendorf's weigel is a compact low shrub up to 90 cm high, with long flowering beginning in mid-May. The flowers are large yellow, with an orange speck inside.
In landscape design they are used in the form of picturesque curtains against the backdrop of a lawn, as well as for decorating the entrance area of a house as a specimen. nine0003
Lilac
An unpretentious and fast-growing shrub from the olive family, delighting with lush and long May flowering - a favorite guest in every garden. Among the most popular varieties in our traditional gardening are Persian, Hungarian, and fluffy lilacs.
The soloist of the landscape style, she looks great in group plantings along fences, against the backdrop of garden paths and in border compositions as a background.
Action
Luxurious low, but sprawling shrub from the Hydrangea family, not more than 1 meter high, will please you with abundant and long flowering already in the third decade of June.
The most popular varieties in cultivation are D. Lemoine, D. rough and D. graceful with snow-white inflorescences. Luxurious deutsia bushes are often used in group plantings and as a spectacular accent when decorating green lawns.
Mock orange
It is also garden jasmine from the hydrangea family. It has a huge mass of varieties and hybrids, among which are found as dwarf varieties no higher than 40 cm, for example, "Gnome", undersized up to 1 m terry varieties "Manteau d'Hermine" (Ermine mantle) and "Avalanche" (Avalanche) up to 1, 5 in height, so are real giants. nine0003
Greyish mock orange grows from 3 to 5 m and is very decorative during flowering. Abundant flowering and a unique strong aroma make mock orange an absolute leader in gardening. It is successfully used for decorating paths, in group and single plantings in borders and mixborders.
Hydrangea
The magnificence of flowering hydrangea bushes cannot be confused with anything. In garden breeding, the most popular species are large-leaved, tree-like and panicled hydrangea. nine0003
In the garden, it is used to create bright flower arrangements as border plantings, to decorate stone walls and decorate the entrance area of the house.
Rhododendron
Beautiful and stately shrub from the heather family has more than 600 species, among which there are both deciduous and evergreen representatives. When shopping for plants, look out for the showy orange-flowered 'Golden Eagle', deep pink 'Salmon Sander', mauve 'Boursault', double lilac 'Otava' and snowy white with pastel specks 'Cunningham White'. nine0003
Group plantings of rhododendrons look spectacular along the paths, along the perimeter of the lawn and near the garden pond.
Common heather
In gardens, evergreen heathers are used as ground cover plants to decorate slopes, accompany and decorate rocky paths. Due to the wide variety of varieties, with the help of heathers, beautiful multi-colored carpet plantings are created, alternating them with unpretentious stonecrops and decorative cereals.
Lilac 'Tib' and snow-white 'Alba Praecox' bloom in early July, followed by purple 'Silver Knight' by the end of the month. In August, pink and scarlet 'Hamilton', red 'Red Favorite' and purple 'Dark Beauty' enter the palette of blooming heather. In mid-September, burgundy-purple and lilac notes of "Carmen" and "Boskop" appear.
Rosehip
Fragrant rosehip is a permanent regular and favorite of all country gardens. This ornamental shrub will find a place for itself at the gazebo, easily wrap around the garden trellis and bloom in lush color at the entrance to the terrace. nine0003
Popular varieties of wrinkled rose: pure white Alba, pastel pink Frau Dagmar Hastrup, carmine Robusta. Terry varieties of wild rose cream "Ritausma", golden "Agnes", and "Souvenir de Philemon Cochet" with snow-white flowers.
Popular ornamental deciduous shrubs
Beautiful deciduous and evergreen shrubs, due to their texture and unusual leaf color, look no less decorative than flowering counterparts. nine0003
Thunberg barberry
Due to its squat dense bush and unusually decorative color of leaves from purple, violet to bright red, Thunberg barberry is always a welcome guest in border plantings, rock gardens and hedges. It cuts beautifully and keeps a beautiful shape. Looks harmonious with partners such as lavender, ornamental grasses and conifers.
Look out for the showy 'Golden Ring' with dark purple foliage edged in gold, bright purplish glossy 'Red Chief', pastel pink 'Pink Queen' and brick red 'Red Rocket'. nine0003
Mackerel tannery
"Smoky" or "wig" tree attracts gardeners with unusual hairy carmine-pink inflorescences from late June to early October. A tall and branched shrub up to 3 m high will become an attractive accent in a group border planting with concise conifers and glossy holly trimmed bushes.
Royal Purple mackerel looks original with red-brown foliage that turns bluish in autumn. nine0003
Derain
Spectacular white derain 'Elegantissima' and 'Sibirica Variegata', reaching up to 3 meters, have a light cream border against a pistachio background of foliage and look extraordinarily attractive.
These shrubs form well by pruning and are used in hedges and borders to form garden paths and lawn borders.
Boxwood
The undisputed leader in border gardening is a textured and absolutely pliable boxwood. In gardens, evergreen boxwood, Colchis and small-leaved boxwood are most often used. nine0003
There is no particular need to list its advantages and scope of this shrub in landscape design. It is ideal for regular gardens, suitable for creating even trimmed borders and creating perfect geometric shapes.
Privet brilliant
Evergreen shrub with several ornamental varieties 'aureo-marginata' with golden-edged foliage, 'aureo-variegata' with variegated yellow leaves; and 'tricolor' with pinkish leaves turning variegated towards the end of the season. nine0003
Privet is good in group alley plantings, dense hedges, and lends itself well to curly haircuts.
Euonymus
Creeping species of Euonymus are often used in garden planting: dwarf and Koopman.
