Flowering Shrubs for Every Season

Written by Amanda Brookhouse // July 25, 2012 // Comments Off

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Flowering shrubs are a wonderful addition to any landscape. The showy blossoms and multi-colored foliage enhance not only the landscape, but can really perk up and accent the visual interest of a home. Because shrubs, like any flowering plant, have an often short-lived bloom time, strategically planting those in different seasons will add color to your yard all year round.

Best spring bloomers

Azaleas, which are hardy in zones four to 10, give a most beautiful burst of spring and early summer color. They do prefer soil that is quite acidic, well-drained, and rather rich. They require partial sun and range greatly in size and color, depending on the variety you choose.

Spiraea is a super-showy spring bloomer. The “bridal wreath” variety of this shrub grows large clusters of lacy blooms. This delicately monstrous shrub can get upwards of 6 feet. For best results, plant in well-drained soil, in full-sun, and in planting zones five to nine.

Forsythia is one of the first flowering spring shrubs. Flowers are a brilliant yellow or golden color. This shrub is not too picky about soil, but does require lots of sunlight. Growing hardily in zones four to nine, forsythia will give you color all the way into fall. As the blooms cease, the foliage turns a pretty purple, creating an attractive plant long after the flowers are wilted.

The tranquil lilac is a long-enjoyed and fragrant favorite. With sweet-smelling clustered blooms ranging from white to pink and in every shade of purple, there is one out there to compliment any landscape. Growing well in zones two to nine, the lilac is one popular plant. Depending on the zone you are in and the variety you choose, you can expect your lilac to grow anywhere from three to a whopping 30 feet tall!

Weigela is a classic in the world of shrubs. New hybrids have been cultivated, and colors of foliage and flowers have a greater range now. Blooms will generally be white, red, or pink, and typically, the weigela reaches a height of six to nine feet. The blossoms are trumpet-shaped and small, though they are clustered to create a showy display. They grow best in zones four to nine.

Soothing summer blossoms

The breathtaking hydrangea will bring joy to any yard. Because hardiness varies greatly with species, check your local nursery for the ideal one. Hydrangea’s huge clumps of tiny flowers are impossible to look past and range in shades of blue, pink, and white. The blues and pinks can often be manipulated by the acidity of the soil they are planted in.

Rose of Sharon, also known as a hibiscus shrub, is another long-time favorite in landscaping. Its large cup-like blooms are extremely attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. You can expect this sun-loving shrub to grow from eight to ten feet tall with blooms ranging greatly in color. The large flowers can come in white, red, pink, blue, and purple. Hardiness will be found in zones four to nine.

Smoke trees are big and bold and unfortunately are only found in zones five to eight. The wispy, warm-colored clustered blooms are a wonder. The smoke tree is aptly named because these puffs of flowers look like clouds of smoke, hanging loosely about the tree. Even the foliage of this full-sun plant is something to marvel at, giving you color long after the flowers are gone.

Fancy fall flowerers

Bluebeard, also called blue spirea, is an astonishing mass of blue color when it blooms in the fall. When every other plant in the garden is dimming, this wonderful shrub will kick up the look of your garden with a great burst of color. These shrubs stay compact to about three feet and grow in zones four to eight. Pink spirea is also available.

Summersweet blooms little puffs of pink or white in the late summer, but what comes in the fall is outstanding foliage. Leaves turn bright red, orange, and yellow, and they beautifully adorn this eight-foot tall grower. Hardiness zones for the summersweet are three to nine.

Wonderful winter shrubs

Winter hazel bears small clusters of light yellow flowers, which hang delicately from the branches. It does well in partial shade and moist soil. Zones for growing winter hazel are limited to six to eight. Expect blooms in the late winter or early spring.

Witch hazel’s brilliant orange and yellow flowers will help keep the winter blues away. This shrub, with its sweet-smelling blooms, will keep you and your yard in a better mood until spring rolls back around. It produces golden foliage in the fall and grows to twelve feet. It is best to grow witch hazel in zones three to nine.

If you plant a shrub from each of these categories, you will have some color in your yard all year long. Remember to bear in mind the height and spread of each shrub as you’re planting so as not to crowd its growth.

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