Flowering shrubs aren’t just garden essentials – they’re the dynamic backbone that bring life and vibrancy to any outdoor oasis! They offer up bursts of color, dreamy fragrances, and ever-changing blooms. What’s more, they’re versatile, practical, and packed with perks for homeowners looking to transform their outdoor spaces.
Uses for Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs provide more than just good looks! There are many reasons to consider adding them to your landscape, including:
1. Seasonal interest
Many flowering shrubs bloom at different times of the year, providing continuous color and interest throughout the seasons.
2. Relatively low maintenance
Most flowering shrubs require minimal pruning and care once established.
3. Privacy
Taller shrubs can be used to create natural privacy screens or hedges to maintain privacy and help block unwanted views.
4. Pollinators-friendly
Many flowering shrubs attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators with their nectar-rich flowers.
5. Soil erosion control
The root systems of flowering shrubs can help stabilize soil, reducing erosion and runoff.
6. Increase property value
A well-maintained garden with flowering shrubs can make a home more attractive to potential buyers, potentially increasing its property value.
15 Flowering Shrub Options to Consider
Choosing the right flowering shrubs can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your garden and provide year-round visual interest. Below are some of our favorite flowering shrubs:
Spirea
Spireas provide abundant blooms of small, delicate flowers in shades of pink, white, or red. They are versatile shrubs that add color and texture to gardens, borders, and foundation plantings. They have a long blooming season, with flowers appearing in spring and continuing through summer, providing continuous color and interest in the garden.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care Tips: Plant in well-draining soil with full sun to partial shade. While they are relatively drought-tolerant once established, they can benefit from regular watering during dry spells.
Roses
Considered the “queen of flowers,” roses are versatile and can be grown in beds, containers, or trained as climbers. Many love them for their beauty, smell, and range of colors. And of course, they’re the classic symbol of love and romance!
- Level of difficulty: Moderate to high, as they can be susceptible to pests and diseases.
- Care tips: Plant roses in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. You’ll want to provide adequate water and prune regularly to remove dead or diseased branches. This shrub can be susceptible to pests and diseases.
Hydrangeas
Known for their large, showy blooms, hydrangeas can add a key pop of color to any garden or landscape. In addition to their beautiful blooms, hydrangeas offer seasonal interest with attractive foliage and woody stems, adding texture and structure to garden designs even after the flowers have faded.
- Level of difficulty: Moderate
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with partial shade to protect from hot afternoon sun. It’s very important to keep the soil consistently moist.
- Fun fact: Some varieties will change color based on soil pH levels, with acidic soils producing blue flowers and alkaline soils producing pink blooms.
Lilac (Syringa)
A lilac shrub’s blooms give off a sweet, delicate fragrance that is often associated with springtime. They are relatively easy to grow and maintain, and can thrive in a wide range of climates and soil conditions.
- Level of difficulty: Moderate
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. You’ll also want to prune after it flowers to rejuvenate the plant – but take care not to over-prune, as it can reduce flowering.
Forsythia
This plant often announces the arrival of spring due to its early spring blooms in vibrant yellow colors. It’s also known for its rapid growth rate, quickly establishing itself in a landscape. Its size means it can easily fill in empty spaces in a garden, and also create privacy or screening when planted as a hedge.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. Be sure to prune shortly after flowering to control the plant’s size and shape.
Azalea (Rhododendron)
This plant gives large, showy blooms, adding beauty and vibrant color to any garden. Its evergreen foliage makes this a great year-round shrub. They are long-lived plants that can provide years of enjoyment in a garden with proper care. It also commonly attracts pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Level of difficulty: Moderate
- Care tips: Plant in acidic, well-drained soil with partial shade. Use mulch to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Water regularly, especially during dry spells.
Weigela
Weigela brings abundant blooms and foliage to your garden, in addition to pollinators like bees and birds. Blooms come in a variety of vibrant colors including pink, red and white, and often display fun patterns including spots, stripes, and streaks.
- Level of difficulty: Low to moderate
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. Pruning after flowering will help to promote new growth. Be sure to remove any faded flowers to encourage new blooms.
Mock Orange (Philadelphus)
This shrub gets its name from its fragrant white flowers that resemble the orange blossoms on an orange tree. It’s incredibly versatile in landscaping and suitable for many garden styles. It can also be used for hedging or as a screen due to its dense growth habit.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. Water regularly, especially during hot, dry periods. Mulch will also help this plant to retain its moisture.
Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea Prunifolia)
Most people choose this plant for its cascading branches and beautiful white blooms. Once established, it is very low maintenance, and produces attractive foliage in several seasons – from summer’s beautiful shades of green to colorful fall foliage.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. Provide regular water, especially during the growing season (March – April). Mulch will also help to conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Viburnum
In addition to its fragrant blooms, this plant produces berries in the fall, red to blue-black, which add visual interest and attract birds to a garden. It comes in a variety of sizes and growth habits, making it versatile for many different landscaping needs, including specimen plants, hedges, screens, or mass plantings.
- Level of difficulty: Low to moderate
- Care tips: Plant in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. Water regularly, especially during dry spells.
Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia)
The fragrant, nectar-rich flowers of this shrub attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to the garden. It produces large, fragrant flower spikes in various colors, including shades of purple, pink, white, and blue.
- Level of difficulty: Low to moderate.
- Care tips: Plant in well-draining soil with full sun exposure. Prune in late winter or early spring to remove dead wood and promote new growth.
Dwarf Crape Myrtles
The long-lasting summer blooms of crape myrtles show up in shades of pink, purple, red, and white. This plant also features attractive bark with smooth, peeling textures, adding visual interest to any landscape, especially during the winter months when the plant is bare. It is relatively pest and disease-resistant and tolerates heat and drought well, once established.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care tips: Plant in well-draining soil with full sun exposure. Prune in late winter or early spring to remove dead wood and shape the shrub.
Camellias
This shrub provides elegant, waxy flowers in shades of white, pink, red, or patterns. You would typically see them in more formal gardens, partially due to their beauty, but also their high level of maintenance. They have a long blooming season, with flowers appearing in fall, winter, or early spring, providing continuous color and interest in the garden when many other plants are dormant.
- Level of difficulty: Moderate to high.
- Care tips: Plant in acidic, well-draining soil with partial shade. You’ll want to maintain a delicate balance of consistent moisture in the soil, without getting waterlogged. Be sure to protect them from strong winds and frost, as they are sensitive to cold temperatures.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)
This early bloomer makes its appearance in late winter to early spring, providing early color when few other plants are flowering. It boasts distinctive clusters of unique, spidery flowers that add both color and interest to a landscape.
- Level of difficulty: Low
- Care tips: Plant in well-draining soil with partial shade. Regular watering, especially in dry spells. Prune after flowering to maintain shape.
Potentilla
Potentillas boast colorful blooms from spring to fall, along with attractive foliage. They add beauty and interest to garden borders and landscapes. Many Potentilla species are drought-tolerant once established, making them suitable for drier climates.
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Care tips: They prefer well-drained soil and full sun. Minimal pruning is required for this plant.
Get Guidance For Your Outdoor Space
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