Flowering shrubs for borders
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
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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.
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2
Best Flowering Shrub for Shade: Lily of the Valley Bush
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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.
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3
Best Flowering Shrub for Fragrance: Korean Spice Viburnum
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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!
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4
Best Flowering Shrub for Long-Lasting Blooms: Ninebark
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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!
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5
Best Flowering Shrub for Adding Interest: Sweetshrub
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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.
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6
Best Flowering Shrub for Early Blooms: Mahonia
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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.
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7
Flowering Shrub with Most Unique Blooms: Witch Hazel
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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.
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8
Best Classic Flowering Shrub: Azalea
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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.
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9
Best Low-Growing Flowering Shrub: Deutzia
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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.
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10
Best Fast-Growing Flowering Shrub: Forsythia
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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!
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11
Best Flowering Shrub for Old-Fashioned Scent: Lilac
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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.
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12
Best Low-Maintenance Flowering Shrub: Flowering Quince
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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.
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13
Best Evergreen Flowering Shrub: Rhododendron
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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.
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14
Best Flowering Shrub for Hummingbirds: Weigela
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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.
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15
Best Flowering Shrub with Berries: Beautyberry
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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.
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16
Best Flowering Shrub for Butterflies: Butterfly Bush
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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!
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17
Toughest Flowering Shrub: Potentilla
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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.
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18
Longest-Blooming Flowering Shrub: Hydrangea
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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.
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19
Best Late-Blooming Flowering Shrub: Rose of Sharon
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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.
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20
Easiest Flowering Shrub: Shrub Rose
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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.
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21
Lowest-Maintenance Flowering Shrub: Spirea
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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.
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22
Best Native Flowering Shrub: Summersweet
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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.
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23
Best Flowering Shrub for Scent: Abelia
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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.
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24
Best Blue Flowering Shrub: Caryopteris
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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!
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25
Flowering Shrub with Most Beautiful Blooms: Camellia
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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.
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Arricca Elin Sansone Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more.
13 blooming shrubs to add to a garden |
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Among the best flowering shrubs are options that bloom at different times of the year, that catch the eye with their statement flowers, or stop you in your tracks with their beautiful fragrance.
As well as offering color and interest, they may also bring interesting leaf shape and changing colors and unusual forms that will only add to the character of your backyard ideas.
From big blousy blooms, to smaller, more dainty additions add another dimension to your garden design with the best flowering shrubs.
It is, however, important to consider the size the plant may grow to when adding a flowering shrub to your garden. Ensure that there is space for it, and that it will not swamp surrounding plants.
Luckily, there is a range of evergreen shrubs and deciduous varieties that can become long lasting features of gardens large and small.
The best flowering shrubs
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Whether you are looking for fast growing shrubs to quickly create a verdant, private outdoor space, or simply have a gap to fill in your flower bed ideas, there's no doubt that shrubs that have pretty, scented blooms will bring you the most joy – and please wildlife, too.
'All around the country, you will find gardens that fit many different spaces and fulfil many different tasks, so choosing the best flowering shrubs for your space is important. Always plan with the future in mind, – this usually means planning for the size of the shrub in 10 years,' says David Angelov, founder of PlantParenthood .
These are the best flowering shrubs to plant in your backyard.
1. Best flowering shrubs for large blooms
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The Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, is a wonderful flowering shrub with large, evergreen leaves that creates a beautiful 10 feet crown.
It produces large white and pink flowers in June and July, depending on the hardiness zone where you live. The plant is often thought of as a shrub for shade, but it tends to be happier and grow better in part to full sun,' says Kathleen Connolly, ecological landscape designer and founder of Speaking of Landscapes(opens .
Mountain laurel is native to the eastern third of the US and southern Canada.
'Young shrubs are somewhat susceptible to deer browse, although mountain laurel has good deer resistance as it matures. Once established, it can tolerate drier sites,' Kathleen adds.
2. Best flowering shrubs for height
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Rosebay rhododendron, Rhododendron maximum, is a tall flowering shrub that displays large white flowers in July.
'In most locations, the American Rosebay can grow to 15’ feet, and in some locations can even reach 30 feet,’ says Kathleen.
Rosebay rhododendron prefers part to full shade, and moist, acidic soil. Like mountain laurel, young plants are somewhat susceptible to deer browse, but deer resistance increases as the plant matures. There are other flowering shrubs that are deer resistant plants if this is a concern in your backyard.
3. Best flowering shrubs for sweet fragrance
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An easy to grow shrub with pretty, small, sweetly smelling flowers is the osmanthus.
This evergreen flowering shrub can grow well in many different soil types and in sun to shade.
Commonly known as sweet olive, osmanthus has thick holly like leaves, and is an excellent woodland plant.
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It is undeniable that hydrangeas make for a stunning addition to the garden and no list of the best flowering shrubs would be complete without them.
We think they are wonderful, low maintenance shrubs for the front of the house, too. Characterized by their beautiful mop-head blooms, hydrangeas can provide your yard with a showstopping display of color throughout the summer months.
'These shrubs are absolutely stunning, and they are one of a few plants that can be grown in most climates,' says Shannon Bernadin, CEO of The African Garden . 'They mostly prefer to soak up the sun for a few hours of the day, but some are able to tolerate partly sunny conditions.'
When it comes to choosing a variety of hydrangea, you are spoilt for choice. 'The top choices in hydrangeas are the Nikko Blue, which has dinner plate size deep blue snowball blooms all throughout the summer months,' recommends Tammy Sons, founder of TN Nursery . 'The Pee Gee hydrangea is also a favorite shrub. It is hardy in the moderately warmer zones of 6 to 9 and has large vibrant white blooms in mid-summer. Plus it is a relatively low maintenance shrub, making it great for a wide variety of gardens.
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5. Best flowering shrubs for cottage gardens
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A timeless addition to the garden, roses are undoubtedly one of the best flowering shrubs. Their beautiful blooms, whether single or double, add color, character and perfume to your plot – plus they will keep flowering from mid-summer through to the first frosts.
Unlike traditional roses that grow vertically on straight stems, shrub roses have a more spreading shape which can be trained into a standard bush or interwoven to create a hedge. They are also more compact and as such can be grown successfully in pots, as such they are a great addition to container gardening ideas.
Of course, no cottage garden would be complete without a shrub rose. However, the single petal varieties are also a great addition to your wildlife garden ideas as they are some of the best flowers that attract bees.
6. Best flowering shrub for privacy
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If you're looking for the best flowering shrubs for providing privacy, then cherry laurels are a great choice.
An evergreen shrub, it will provide privacy year-round, while in spring, it hosts an array of beautiful white blooms which are also a great choice for attracting pollinators to your garden.
'Cherry laurel hedges are the perfect choice for gardeners interested in adding privacy and beauty without sacrificing either. They can grow quickly or slowly, depending on how much sun you want them to receive,' says Emilly Barbosa Fernandes, expert small space gardener and consultant at HouseGrail . 'These evergreen shrubs bloom with white flower spikes between April and May which will then be followed by black fruit that is great for feeding birds in winter.'
7. Best flowering shrub for the front of the house
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Forsythia shrubs are characterized by the profusion of yellow (or white) blooms that erupt in early spring. It is these beautiful blooms that make forsythia one of the best flowering shrubs.
'Easy to grow and maintain, forsythia is a bush form shrub that reaches heights up to 8 feet at maturity,' says Tammy Sons.
'Hardy in zones 5 to 9, this is a family favorite because of its ability to live for many decades and is one of spring's first blooming shrubs.' This also makes it an excellent addition to low maintenance garden border ideas.
8. Best flowering shrub for small gardens
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This dainty shrub makes for a stunning addition to any garden. One of the best flowering shrubs, potentilla's blooms range from vivid reds and burgundies through to peaches, yellows and white depending on the variety you select.
The perfect cottage garden plants, it is a pretty shrub that adds cover and character in equal measure. With low nutrition and water requirements, it is also great for dry gardens and rock garden ideas.
As a relatively small shrub, reaching a mature height of 60cm and spread of 40cm, potentilla are ideal for adding to herbaceous borders. If you are looking to add potentillas to your garden, make sure you find out how to plant a cottage garden border for greatest effect.
Potentillas also make for excellent cut flowers, adding a naturalistic look to your vase. When planning a cut flower garden, adding some of the best flowering shrubs will add hardy interest to your garden.
9. Best flowering shrub for long blooming
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One of the best fast-growing hedges, lilac is also one of the best flowering shrubs for privacy as it will quickly fill in gaps in your garden. 'These fragrant shrubs can grow up to 15 feet which you can groom at any height you want,' says Alice Hayward, CEO at Our Daily Homestead .
'These best flowering shrubs need a sunny spot with fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil,' says Period Living garden expert Leigh Clapp. Fairly hardy, lilacs can grow in zones 3 through to 7 and when planted in the right conditions will grow approximately two feet per year.
If you're looking for a long-flowering lilac, then the Bloomerang lilac shrub is a great choice. While the majority of lilac shrubs only flower once per season, the Bloomerang variety has two flowering periods, one in the spring and one in the late summer.
10. Best flowering shrub for fall flowers
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While it is easy to pick the best flowering shrubs for spring and summer, finding a flowering shrub to bring interest to the fall garden requires a little more thought. One of the best flowering shrubs for fall blooms is Ceratostigma. Characterized by its eye-catching blue blooms and red and purple leaves, it will certainly stand out in your plot.
A herbaceous perennial, Ceratostigma can be grown in a wide variety of soil types, from chalk and sand through to clay and loam, though it prefers moist, well-drained soil. Opt for an evergreen variety so that you can enjoy its red and purple leaves throughout the fall and winter months.
11. Best flowering shrub for winter interest
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If you are in search of the best flowering shrubs to add winter interest to your garden, then mahonia is the perfect choice. While the rest of the garden appears to be asleep, mahonia is springing to life, bringing with it a profusion of bright yellow blooms – it is no surprise that it is one of the best winter flowers.
'This shrub blossoms bright yellow flowers in the winter, which is a great way to add a happy spot of color when the weather is dull and gray. After they flower, dark berries emerge,' advises Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love . 'These shrubs do best in areas with shade.'
12. Best flowering shrub for bees
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Lavender is a staple of any plot and though small in size, it packs a punch, bringing with it beautiful purple flowers and an iconic scent.
These aromatic herbs are particularly loved as a part of cottage garden ideas. 'Lavender can grow about one foot in height, but the blossoms are two inches wide and are a great choice if you're looking for flowers that attract bees. When established, they are drought tolerant, but do best when not in full sun,' says Lindsey Hyland gardening expert and the founder of Urban Organic Yield .
If you want to add these pretty cottage garden plants to your plot, then you need to make sure that you know how to grow lavender and how to prune lavender to keep it looking its best.
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Characterized by their beautiful blooms, azaleas are a statement shrub in any garden. One of the best flowering shrubs for Victorian garden design, azaleas bring with them a grandeur that will elevate any flower bed.
'Another great flowering shrub, azaleas feature glossy green leaves and flowers in gorgeous colors including pink, purple, white, and peach. Some azalea shrubs will even re-bloom,' says Shannon Bernadin.
There are also lots of azalea varieties that are native to the US so they are a great option if you prefer to keep your plot filled with native species.
What is the best flowering shrub?
What is the best flowering shrub for your own garden depends on several factors.
It is important that your shrub is the right fit for your space. You need to select a shrub that will grow into the area in which you plant it, rather than instantly filling its plot. If you are growing a shrub as part of container gardening ideas, make sure you repot your shrub as soon as you have purchased it to prevent it becoming pot-bound, which will severely impact the shrub's ability to produce flowers.
The second is your priorities – knowing these will help you choose the best flowering shrubs for your plot. Ask yourself: do you want winter interest, or a shrub that will be the star of a summer cottage garden border? Alternatively, are you looking for the best flowering shrubs for providing food or shelter for wildlife? The answers to these questions will quickly determine the best flowering shrubs for your garden and will ensure that the shrub you purchase is something that you will love.
'Another factor in selection is whether you want to stick to something native to your region or bring in foreign regional plants. I tend to stick with native plants because they are less work to upkeep in the long run with watering and pruning,' continues David Angelov, and native options are better for a sustainable garden.
However, foreign shrubs, so long as they are not invasive in your area, can add diversity and interest, and are particularly valuable if you're looking to achieve tropical garden ideas.
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Which flowering shrubs bloom the longest?
Some varieties of azaleas and lilacs, such as Encore azaleas and the Bloomerang lilac, are flowering shrubs that bloom the longest. Both of these flowering shrubs have two flowering periods, the first is in the spring, when the blooms are produced on last year's growth. Then after a brief period of growth throughout May and June, these flowering shrubs then re-flower from July to September.
What is the easiest flowering bush to grow?
Potentilla is one of the easiest flowering bushes to grow. Originating from subarctic regions, it is a very hardy shrub and has very low nutrient and water requirements.
'With little to no maintenance needed these drought tolerant shrubs produce pretty cup-shaped blooms flower from April right through until September. They are also great for suppressing weeds, making them ideal groundcover plants,' say the horticultural experts from Thompson & Morgan .
Having graduated with a first class degree in English Literature four years ago, Holly started her career as a features writer and sub-editor at Period Living magazine, Homes & Gardens' sister title. Working on Period Living brought with it insight into the complexities of owning and caring for period homes, from interior decorating through to choosing the right windows and the challenges of extending. This has led to a passion for traditional interiors, particularly the country-look. Writing for the Homes & Gardens website as a content editor, alongside regular features for Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors magazines, has enabled her to broaden her writing to incorporate her interests in gardening, wildlife and nature.
Low growing hedge and border plants
Both plants that can be shaped to your liking and crops that do not require pruning are suitable for creating a low hedge.
Low-growing hedges, unlike high "green fences", serve not to protect the site from prying eyes, but, on the contrary, to decorate it and conditionally mark the boundaries.
Low-growing borders also enhance the beauty of the garden by neatly framing plantings or paths. What plants can be planted to grow a great low growing hedge?
Low-growing hedges to be cut
Boxwood
The most popular shrub that is great for making living borders is boxwood. It makes low and very beautiful frames for flower beds, with its help it is good to zone the space of the site. In addition, from boxwood alone, you can form unusual compositions that will look no worse than the flower garden itself. Boxwood lends itself well to pruning and is easily restored.
Golden currant
We are used to the fact that currant is a berry shrub. But it's time to look at it with different eyes, because this plant can become a real decoration of the garden, if you pick up an ornamental variety and form a hedge. By itself, the currant shrub is quite tall, but if pruned in a timely manner, you can get a hedge of the height you need.
Cotoneaster brilliant
Another great hedge or border plant is cotoneaster. It is good because it grows slowly and has a fairly dense crown. At different times, it is decorated first with small white or pink flowers, and then with conditionally edible black berries. Cotoneaster is unpretentious, relatively frost-resistant and tolerates drought well, so growing it is a pleasure.
Western thuja
This plant cannot be called a dwarf in any way, but if it is properly formed, then an excellent low hedge will turn out from western thuja. Thanks to dense and dense greenery, the culture is ideal for planting along the contour of the site. In the garden, you can make low frames from it for individual trees or flower beds. And some summer residents manage to form various figures from the western thuja. The tree tolerates molding haircut well.
No pruning hedges
Lawson's cypress
Lawson's cypress is another conifer suitable for hedges.
But unlike thuja, it does not require pruning. This tree up to 40-60 cm high is distinguished by a curved top and flat falling shoots. A special charm of a hedge from this plant is given by cones that grow at the ends of the shoots. If you want to form a cypress at your discretion, then this is quite possible to do: the plant tolerates a haircut well.
Snowberry
Snowberry is one of the most popular hedge plants. You can plant it anywhere on the site, because it is so unpretentious that it grows even on calcareous and stony soils. Also, the culture does not need frequent watering and feels great in the shade. At the same time, the snowberry has enough strength to form fruits - large white berries collected in bunches. Such a hedge will definitely add luxury to the backyard area. If desired, a shrub can be formed. In this case, pruning is best done in the spring before bud break.
Rose wrinkled
A chic flowering hedge or border can be obtained from a wrinkled rose.
Pruning is not required for this culture, it is enough just to remove weak and old branches, as well as broken shoots. The rose blooms with huge buds, which will allow you to get a low "living wall" of extraordinary beauty.
Heather
Heather can be planted as a border or along garden paths. This low plant will radically change the look of a flower bed or path. And although the culture does not require pruning, the rules for caring for it are still worth learning. Heather cannot be called such an unpretentious plant.
To get the perfect hedge and avoid mistakes when creating it, choose plants that are adapted to life in your area.
Decorative deciduous shrubs for borders and low hedges - FloweryVale.ru
Fences on the site are created for various purposes. Curbs or low hedges are very interesting both in the front part of the site and along the central path or lawn. Such low borders themselves can become an independent element in the garden.
The main thing is that they are always dense, neatly trimmed.
Among the unpretentious and at the same time very beautiful ornamental deciduous shrubs, suitable for creating borders or low, up to half a meter, hedges, are undersized species of barberry, rhododendrons, boxwood, cotoneaster, honeysuckle, caragana, Fortune's euonymus, dyeing gorse, cinquefoil, mahonia, low almonds, well-known currants and gooseberries, snowberry, spirea, chaenomeles.
Undersized species of barberry include boxwood barberry (Berberis buxifolia Nana).
Evergreen boxwood barberry (Berberis buxifolia Nana) is very decorative at any time of the year, unpretentious in care, grows well even on dry sandy soils, develops well both in the sun and in partial shade, tolerates pruning. By the way, barberry can also be used for landscaping a balcony or terrace.
Low and dense grade 9 can be used for low curbs0009 Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens Suffruticosa) is a slow growing evergreen shrub with very beautiful glossy dark green leaves.
Boxwood is perfect not only for decorating an oriental-style balcony, but also for trimmed front borders. Several varieties of boxwood have been bred, which differ not only in the shape of the leaf, but also in the variegated color of the leaves.
Boxwood is shade-tolerant and drought-resistant, prefers fertile loose soils without stagnant water. For the winter, it is advisable to cover boxwood with agrospan to protect the leaves from winter and early spring sunburn.
For border plantings, it is quite possible to use some varieties of Fortune's spindle tree (Euonymus fortunei) - a slow-growing, very low, creeping shrub up to half a meter high with long, up to 3 meters, shoots easily rooted in internodes. These shoots are quite capable of clinging to a support, if any. Fortune's euonymus has green small leathery leaves 2–5 centimeters long.
This species, as well as its hybrid forms, eg Fortune's variegated spindle tree (Euonymus fortunei Variegatus) with white-green leaves and pink veins, which can also be used as a groundcover.
And ripening fruits will not only add decorativeness to the bushes, but also serve as food for birds.
Fortune's euonymus prefers a semi-tel, rather drought-resistant, tolerates pruning well.
Caragana (Caragana) has long been used as an ornamental plant. Perhaps most of us know it as an acacia growing in forest belts and parks, but in fact it is a caragana. For example, species such as prickly caragana (Caragana pygmaea) and orange caragana (Caragana aurantiaca) are able to create even impenetrable thickets if they are not cut.
Orange Karagana is a loose shrub up to 1 meter tall with numerous protruding shoots.
It grows well in urban environments, tolerates drought well, is not at all demanding on soil fertility. It needs to be trimmed constantly to get a solid green border. Karagana prickly differs from orange only in yellow flowers.
Very beautiful in hedges snowberry (Symphoricarpos).
Snowberry is a deciduous shrub up to 1–1.5 meters tall, especially beautiful in autumn, during long-term fruiting, when the branches bend under the weight of numerous white berries, indeed resembling small snowdrifts. And, perhaps, it is called so because the berries on the bush hold for a long time, right up to the snow.
Snowberry grows very quickly, is completely unpretentious in care, prefers open sunny places, calcareous soils. It grows well in urban conditions with insufficient watering. It tolerates shearing and bush formation. Sometimes in severe snowless winters it can freeze slightly, but it recovers very quickly.
Semi-evergreen can be used for low hedges glossy honeysuckle or glossy (Lonicera nitida) with many decumbent shoots abundantly dotted with glossy green oblong leaves.
Brilliant honeysuckle grows well on both sandy and clay soils, if measures are taken to improve fertility, make the earth water and breathable.
It grows well in open, sunny places, and in partial shade. The brilliant honeysuckle is thermophilic, therefore in our climate it loses leaves for the winter and can freeze slightly, therefore it requires shelter for the winter.
and capped honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata), which differs from the first in fragrant pale yellow flowers. It bears fruit, the fruits are medium-sized, with a cherry, purple. Honeysuckle cap-shaped can grow both in the sun and in partial shade; besides, it is more hardy than glossy honeysuckle, but in cold winters it still loses leaves.
As a hedge, some types of hydrangeas, such as tree hydrangeas, as well as Spiraea (Spiraea). All spireas are unpretentious, outwardly highly decorative and very flexible flowering shrubs in use. Among the variety of varieties of spirea, you can always choose a plant according to your preference, focusing on the height of the plant, the flowering period or the color of the flowers.
Spiraea grows and blooms beautifully with sufficient light and soil fertility, no stagnant water in the ground. Young spireas need shelter for the winter. All spireas tolerate pruning well.
Rhododendrons (Rhododendron) - one of the unsurpassed ornamental shrubs, flowering which is distinguished by an incredible variety of shapes and colors. For low borders, undersized, compact hybrids created on the basis of Yakushimanum rhododendron, dwarf hybrids of the Repens group, Kamchatka rhododendron are ideal - a low sprawling shrub with lilac-pink flowers.
However, rhododendrons are very demanding on growing conditions. They need lacy penumbra or sun, they need protection from cold northern winds. Almost all types of rhododendrons need an acidic soil reaction, they prefer very fertile, permeable soils. In addition, evergreen species of rhododendrons must be protected with agrospan from the winter and early spring sun so that the leaves do not get burned.
Among the best evergreen deciduous plants used in hedges is Holly mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium). Some sources refer it to the genus Barberry under the name Berberis aquifolium.
Low, up to 1 meter tall, hedges of holly mahonia are good both in a free-growing form and in a haircut. Magonia holly throughout the year looks very fresh, of course, thanks to its juicy dark green shiny leaves. The edges of the leaves are sharp-toothed. And since the leaves remain on the shrub in winter, the mahonia hedge always attracts attention.
In spring its yellow flowers are charming. By winter, the leaves of the holly mahonia become dark red, purple. Ripe fruits of bluish-black color hanging from the bush in whole clusters also increase the decorativeness of the bush. In such a luxurious outfit, mahonia leaves before winter.
Mahonia grows well in moist, even clayey and silty soils with a high lime content.
Prefers partial shade, but can grow both in open areas and in the shade. If you want to have a low curb of the correct form, then do not forget about the haircut, which is recommended to be done immediately after flowering or in the fall, before the onset of winter. In the conditions of the middle band of the holly mahonia, shelter for the winter will be required.
Low almond , or steppe almond (Amygdalis nana = Amygdalis tenella = Prunus tenella) - low, up to 1–1.5 meters tall, branchy deciduous shrub, especially beautiful in early spring, when it blooms very bright, attracting attention, pink flowers blooming along with the leaves. Almond is unpretentious, so it can be successfully used to create permanent garden compositions, flower beds.
Low almond prefers sunny places, tolerates drought well, can grow on poor sandy soils. On clay soils, almonds will have to be drained, as they do not tolerate stagnant water in the soil at all.
For low borders, cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri), cotoneaster pressed (Cotoneaster adpressus), cotoneaster horizontal (Cotoneaster horizontalis) are suitable. Dummer's cotoneaster is a ground cover evergreen shrub with long, easily rooted shoots and small, up to 4 centimeters, oval leaves. In autumn, ripening red fruits add decorativeness to the cotoneaster.
Cotoneaster appressed refers to deciduous ground cover plants. It has small, up to 1.5 centimeters, rounded leaves. Red fruits also ripen in September.
Cotoneasters are undemanding to soil fertility, can grow both in open sunny places and in partial shade, do not tolerate strong waterlogging, but are very responsive to watering in dry times. For the winter, these types of cotoneaster need to be covered, as they freeze slightly.
Potentilla is very decorative.
For low hedges, Potentilla Dahurian (Potentella davutica) and Potentilla shrub (Potentella fruticosa) are quite suitable.
Dahurian Potentilla is a low deciduous shrub up to 1 meter tall, blooms all summer with white flowers. Potentilla shrub - neat shrubs of a rounded shape, but slightly higher than the Daurian Potentilla, blooms with yellow flowers, there are varietal forms with white, pink and red flowers. Potentillas are unpretentious in care, they grow well in an open sunny area with minimal watering and top dressing. They tolerate a haircut well, do not require shelter for the winter.
For dry areas with depleted soil for hedges, you can use a steppe plant such as dyeing gorse (Genista tinctoria) - a dense shrub up to 1 meter tall with thin shoots directed upwards. The shoots are covered with narrow pale green leaves. Blooms with bright yellow flowers. The shrub is very unpretentious, although it can freeze slightly in snowless winters, but it quickly recovers.
Rose (Rose) - in no way inferior to the beauty of rhododendon, rather equal among equals - a worthy representative of ornamental garden shrubs. For low borders, it is quite possible to use ground cover, miniature, patio, polyanthus and even some undersized varieties of floribunda roses. Neatly trimmed, or growing freely - roses never leave indifferent.
However, in order for roses to always be in excellent condition, you need to work hard: roses are quite whimsical. The soil they need is nutritious, moderately moist. Roses need both thinning and sanitary pruning. For the winter, all roses need to be covered.
For some reason, currant (Ribes) and gooseberry (Grossularia) we are accustomed to treating only as fruit bushes. However, it is worth looking at them from the other side. Any currant is decorative during the growing season: both in spring, during flowering, and in summer, during fruiting, and even without fruits.
All currants and gooseberries are very similar, but for a stunted hedge it is quite suitable Alpine currant (Ribes alpinum) is a compact and fairly dense deciduous shrub up to 1.5 meters tall, a dioecious plant, female specimens are suitable for fruiting. True, the berries of the alpine currant are tasteless. The alpine currant is quite unpretentious, grows well in sunny areas, is undemanding to soils, but when top dressing, the shrub is much thicker, tolerates pruning well, and does not need shelter.
Japanese chaenomeles hedge is very decorative. Japanese Chaenomeles (Chaenomeles japonica), or Japanese quince is a dense deciduous shrub up to 1 meter tall. Chaenomeles is very beautiful during flowering, when it is covered with marvelous red flowers. When tied, small rounded fruits with a pleasant lemon taste and smell are formed, from which jams and jams are cooked.
However, Japanese chaenomeles needs protection from northerly winds. It is photophilous, grows better on fertile, well-drained soils. In winter, shoots can freeze slightly, but in spring they quickly recover. With strong thickening, thinning is required.
From this list, it is quite possible to choose plants that are ideal for your site, according to the requirements for maintenance conditions, fertility, acidity and soil moisture.
It is absolutely not necessary to go against nature and plant magonia or rhododendron on poor dry soils, or on wet wetlands - almonds, gorse or boxwood. Only plants that are ideally suited to your conditions will grow quickly, become a real highlight of the garden, and most importantly, they will not require much maintenance.
See also: Medium deciduous hedge shrubs
References: Konovalova T.Yu., Shevyreva N.A. Ornamental shrubs, 2004
Image source flickr.
