Add a burst of color to brighten up your landscape.
For shrubs to earn our ‘fabulous’ label, we insist on ease of care. The last thing you want is a fussy shrub that spreads like wildfire and becomes a maintenance nightmare. Keep in mind what your particular needs are before buying a plant. Are you looking for an attractive foundation plant to complement your home? Do you want it as a focal point to enjoy from your patio or deck? Or perhaps you’d like to use it to gain privacy?
As you begin your search for the perfect shrub for your property, keep in mind the foliage, bloom times, heights, color and its needs (sun and soil requirements). Whitehouse Landscaping’s design and landscaping experience can create a beautiful, distinctive and sustainable installation.
A few of our favorites and ALL native!
Potentilla. If you’re looking for a short, hardy shrub that blooms from late spring until late autumn, Potentilla is for you. They resemble wild roses and depending upon the variety, range from white, to light and dark yellow, orange to red. They like full sun but can tolerate part sun and shade. They require limited pruning, are virtually disease and pest free, and even resistant to deer and drought. There are varieties that are low growing and taller growing varieties. (Native)
Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). Blooms early summer and forms a loose, airy clump of woody stems that gives rise to long, wispy “candles” of white blooms. Pollinators love this shrub. Height is 6 – 12 feet and width is 15 – 20 feet. The leaves turn gold in the fall. This shrub is disease free, and actually loves the shade. (Native)
Butterfly Bush (Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip Jr.) Photo Credit: Proven Winners
Butterfly Bush (Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip Jr.). Beware, some Butterfly bushes are problematic because of their tendency to seed around. But Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’ is desirable since fewer than 2% of its seed is viable. Blooms almost all summer and fall long, has no bug/disease issues, and survives cold winters better than most butterfly bushes. Full Sun (Native).
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica). Choose from many cultivars of this plant. The blazing fall foliage on this native is just one of its many virtues. Topping off at just 5 ft., this adaptable shrub tolerates boggy soil, clay and dense shade. In summer, it puts on a brilliant show of fragrant white flowers and attracts bees and hummingbirds. Added bonus, it’s bare red stems continue to attract attention in winter. Idea ‘Little Henry’ is a low growing cultivar. (Native)
Elderberry Black Lace (Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’). This tall shrub is an eye-grabber both for its nearly black foliage but also for its lacy, cut leaves that give it the look of a cut-leaf Japanese maple. It can grow 6 to 8 feet wide but you need to prune. To keep it more elegant, do a hard cutback to knee high at the end of winter and then do some snipping as the plant grows throughout summer. (Native)
Clethra Vanilla Spice. Photo image: Proven Winners
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia). Most varieties flower white. This is a summer bloomer and has a spicy-scent fragrance. Turns gold in fall, and grows 5 – 8 feet tall and 4 – 6 feet wide. Clethra ‘Hummingbird’ is considered a dwarf shrub and does not grow tall. Likes sun but can tolerate shade. and prefers average to moist soil. This native lures birds, bees, and butterflies. (Native)
Weigela. Photo Credit: Proven Winners
Weigela (Spilled Wine). This is the newest purple leafed Weigela species. It’s wider than it is tall and it fits easily into most landscapes. It’s a great choice for mass plantings, and adds rich color to gardens all season long. Likes full sun and has dark red, wavy leaves. (Native)
Deutzia Chardonnay Pearls (Deutzia gracilis). This shrub is as its best from late April to mid-May when its arching stems produces little white pearly buds that open into star-shaped white flowers. Set against the chartreuse foliage, the contrast is striking. 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide and best in part shade. (Native)
Smokebush. A stunning addition to the landscape. The flowers are inconspicuous in late spring, but after the petals drop, the flower panicles develop into attractive, long-lasting feathery plumes that appear in mid-summer. Easy care and tolerant of drought and poor soil. Can be grown as a small tree or kept down to a 10-15 foot shrub with light pruning. The foliage is spectacular! (Native)
There are also a wide number of choices for another favorite of ours…Hydrangeas. But we’ll reserve that popular shrub for a blog by itself.
Whitehouse Landscaping‘s design experience can create an outdoor space that is beautiful, distinctive, livable and truly sustainable. Sam Whitehouse holds the designation of CLT (Certified Landscape Technician) and Certified Arborist. His comprehensive knowledge of plants, lawn and maintenance strategies will add value and beauty to your property. Our landscaping installation crews are highly trained and committed to high quality workmanship and customer service.
Need help with your landscaping? Contact Whitehouse Landscaping or call 484-300-4290 for expert design and installation of trees, shrubs, gardens, perennials and annuals.