Ten Shrubs That Are Outstanding

Every new homeowner is confronted with the problem of planting shrubs around their house. When ready to make the selection and follow with the planting, there are four major questions to con-sider in order to make appropriate choices.

First, is the shrub easy to grow? Time spent in the landscape should be a relaxing pleasure, so that shrubs that require regular pruning, or other attention, should be overlooked. Available are many outstanding shrubs that do not demand any particular care.

Second, is the shrub interesting during more than one season of the year? The smaller the garden, the more important it is to select a shrub that has flowers in the spring, as well as fruits or brilliant autumn foliage.

Third, will it bloom at the right time and grow to the desired height? For this, it is important to secure accurate information in order to prevent mistakes.

Fourth, can it be used in flower arrangements? If so, the shrubs in your garden will then serve a double purpose.

In addition to answering these needs, the 10 shrubs selected are meritorious because they are not susceptible to serious disease or insect troubles. Not requiring pruning or spraying, they are obtainable from many larger nurseries. Even more important, each candidate in this grouping bears flowers or fruits or has rich autumn coloring or another feature that makes it interesting at least two seasons of the year.

The vernal witch-hazel (Hamamelis vernalis), native to lower Mississippi Valley, though perfectly hardy in Massachusetts, is valued for its rapid growth, early spring flowers and bright autumn color. Although a tall growing shrub, which may reach 10 feet, it can be easily kept within bounds. It grows vigorously, with many branches sprouting from the base, thus forming a dense screen.

The flowers of the vernal witch-hazel, yellow to reddish and very small, about 1/2″ in diameter, appear in February or early March, depending on the temperature. They are fragrant and have the peculiar characteristic of opening during warm weather and closing or rolling up their ribbon-like petals when it is very cold. In this way they last a long time, making them excellent for cut-ting, as well as forcing indoors. The foliage remains dark green during the summer, turning a bright yellow in the fall.

Another early spring blooming shrub is the Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica), which deserves widespread use. This broad-leaved evergreen has rich, glossy, dark green leaves, smaller than those of the mountain laurel. The flower buds are borne on terminal, semi-pendulous clusters and are evident on the plants all winter long, coming into bloom about mid-April.

Pieris prefers a small amount of shade and a location protected from strong winds and too long direct sun during the winter. An ideal subject for foundation plantings, flower ar-rangers also appreciate its small branches of dense leaves and nodding flower clusters that add beauty and texture to a bouquet.

Blooming in mid-May is the Warminster broom (Cytisus praecox), a close relative of the Scotch broom, which has become naturalized in the northwest, on Cape Cod and in other parts of the country. Also hardier, it has pale lemon yellow flowers and small, almost inconspicuous leaves. The stems, green and prominent in the winter, can be twisted and bent into any shape for arrangements. This broom prefers dry, sandy soils in sunny situations. It is better to buy small pot-grown plants, since older plants are very difficult to move.

Drooping leucothoe (Leucothce catesbaei), a native flowering evergreen from the mountains of the south-eastern United States, is at home in mild to moderately cold gardens. The long arching branches of the shiny, leathery, evergreen leaves are very conspicuous when caught by the sunlight. In the fall, they turn a brilliant bronze color, retaining this color practically all winter. Small racemes of waxy white flowers, similar to those of the blueberry, appear on the undersides of the arching branches in early June. Plants increase by underground stems and eventually grow 4-6 feet tall, but the industrious flower arranger can keep it at three feet.

Fothergilla Is Tops

My favorite shrub is the fothergilla, a native of the southeastern United States. Fothergillas are close relatives of the witch-hazels and are not too easily propagated, one reason they are not common. The small white flowers, on two-inch long heads, appear in mid-May, when many azaleas are in bloom.

Either Fothergilla major, nine feet tall, or Fothergilla monticola, six feet tall, are excellent. The autumn color is a brilliant orange to red if the plant is growing in the full sun. Plants can be kept low with a minimum of pruning. They show up to advantage in front of an evergreen background and make suitable foundation plants.

Try Shrubby Cinquefoil

A small shrub that should be widely grown across the continent is the shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa). It begins to bloom in mid-May and continues intermittently throughout the hot, dry months of summer. There are several varieties, with flowers either white, pale yellow or deep yellow, but none grow over four feet tall, making them excellent for small gardens and for facing larger shrubs. Potentillas require no pruning or spraying.

Two viburnums are especially worthwhile. One is the linden-leaved viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum), which grows about nine feet, usually less, and is covered each spring with flat, creamy white clusters of small flowers. In the fall, these are followed by bright red fruits, also in flat clusters, together with brilliant red foliage. It may be used in foundation plantings or in clumps, and best results are obtained from plants in the full sun.

The tall growing siebold viburnum (Viburnum. sieboldi), may attain 20 feet, though it usually grows 10 feet high, has 6-inch long leaves, and a branching habit that brings out the highlights and shadows. Berries begin to turn red early in the summer, and though they turn black at maturity, birds frequently eat them before this.

The convex-leaved Japanese holly (Ilex crenata convexa) is without question the best substitute in cold regions for boxwood. It is evergreen, with convexly curved leaves, about the same size as those of the boxwood, but a darker green. Growth is dense and twiggy, with many branches from the base. Spreading, flat-topped specimens can be twice as broad as tall. This broad-leaved evergreen grows slowly, is amenable to clipping and shearing and makes an excellent hedge.

The dwarf Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata nana) is another superior evergreen. Many gardeners fail to realize that there are several varieties of Japanese yew – some that are trees, some that are wide spreading, loosely branched shrubs and others that are very compact and low growing.

by Don Wyman

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Cotoneasters – Rockspray, Dammeri, Horizontalis – They Come In Variety
• A Guide to Evergreen Trees for Your Garden
• How To: Lighting Trees, Palms and Large Shrubs
• A Guide to Different Types of Garden Shrubs

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