Flowering shrubs are both the backdrop and main event of the spring. They’re largely responsible for the burst of color and scent we enjoy every April and May, but many shrubs bloom in summer too, and some even in the fall or winter. No matter when they blossom, early spring is the best time to plant flowering shrubs. Here are gorgeous varieties to consider!
This flowering shrub hardly needs an introduction. Having been cultivated for hundreds of years, you can now find roses in shades ranging from red to pink, white, purple, and peach. They have a reputation for being a challenging plant to grow, but rose maintenance is actually easier than you might think. With regular deadheading, roses often keep blooming from spring into the fall. Once the time for dormancy is approaching, you can let the rose hips mature for winter interest.
Although not quite as high-profile as a rose, the potentilla is another popular flowering shrub. The dense silver-green foliage can be rounded or sculpted into a hedge or left to assume a natural look. They’re capable of growing on a variety of sites and are resilient in harsh weather, like droughts. The bright yellow buttercup-shaped flowers bloom from early to late summer, and this shrub naturally grows to a small size of about 3 by 3 feet.
This old-fashioned flowering shrub blooms in a riot of pink color in the spring, and some weigelas continue to flower periodically during the summer. The tubular blossoms are the ideal shape for hummingbirds and are sure to attract other pollinators. Weigela displays a rich backdrop of green leaves outside of bloom time while other flowers take the spotlight.
One of the first bloomers of early spring, forsythia displays a profusion of bright yellow flowers before the leaves come out. The vibrant glow of these blossoms makes this flowering shrub the centerpiece of your early spring garden. After the flowers fade, the dense foliage becomes a good privacy screen, a nesting site for small birds, or just a lush green shrub to enjoy in the garden.
If there were an award for the biggest flowers, it would undoubtedly go to the hydrangea. This variety, in particular, is known for its creamy, white flower heads that look like pom poms above green leaves. It flowers for two months during the summer, making it one of the garden celebrities of the mid-growing season. Hydrangeas make a wonderful flowering hedge, a lush backdrop to your perennial garden, or stand-alone beautifully in your landscape design.
This flowering shrub got its name from its valuable medicinal properties. Still, the title could equally apply to the mysterious flowers that bloom in the fall or winter, depending on the variety. They emerge with frizzy yellow or orange petals when other shrubs are going into dormancy or already asleep. They display lush green leaves on elegant branches that grow upwards of 10-20 feet during the growing season, but witch hazel can be kept smaller with seasonal pruning.
Another flowering shrub that hardly needs any introduction, the lilac, is one of the most cherished bloomers of the year. Both the intoxicating scent and the dazzling violet flowers make them a favorite of many gardeners. It’s not just the color but also the thick texture of the flowers that give them such alluring beauty. Without pruning, a lilac can grow into a small tree with multiple trunks, but with regular pruning every year or two, you can maintain these large shrubs at the size that you like. They bloom in late spring.
You’ll find these large, spring-flowering shrubs in many varieties, but most have a common theme of white clusters of flowers and a memorable fragrance. Some varieties produce red or blue berries that give color to the summer landscape, while others are known for their brilliant red or orange fall leaves. Their versatile offerings throughout the season make them a prized shrub for many gardeners.
Early spring is one of the best times of the year for planting flowering shrubs. Put them in the ground when they’re still dormant, and they’ll have the chance to bloom without interruption in their first season in your yard. If you miss the window of early spring, don’t worry. You can plant flowering shrubs anytime as long as the ground is not frozen and the weather is not too hot!
To see the beauties we have in store, visit our garden centers in Lothian, Alexandria, and Belle Haven!
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