How To Choose Shrubs For Your Garden

shrubs used in landscaping

Woody plants with a mature height of less than 20 feet are usually classified as shrubs. Shrubs have branches coming from the base and their special merit is demonstrated in the nature and colour of foliage, flower, their shape and display of colorful fruit.

Plants are used to:

Provide major landscape features
Provide a space or screen a view
Accentuate or soften the shape of a building
Create a contrast or establish unity; with color, shape or texture
Create interest by using exotic materials

types of shrubs

Consider the following characteristics when selecting plants:

Suitability (hardiness)
Mature size
Flowering habits
Seasonal change
Susceptibility to insect and disease damage
Environmental requirements of the plants
Maintenance requirements such as pruning

Shrubs with Attractive Fruits:

In most cases shrubs are grown for the beauty of their flowers, but many have fruits that are ornamental. Fruits also provide food for birds. It should be noted that some shrubs have sexes on separate plants so both male and female are required for fruiting to occur.

Choosing the right shrub for your landscape:

There are hundreds if not thousands of species and variations of species of shrubs and it would be impossible to list everyone. Table 1 represents the most common shrubs, there attributes, colors, advantages and disadvantages.

Table 1 - The Most Common Shrubs With Their Attributes

Siberian Crabapple:

small tree or tall shrub to 20 ft.
susceptible to fire-blight
fruit remains on tree throughout the winter

Highbush Cranberry:

deep red edible berries
shade tolerant shrub growing to 6 ft.

Red-osier Dogwood:

medium sized shrub to 6 ft.
white inedible berries
dogwood is shade tolerant and grows on a wide range of soils.

Sea-buckthorn:

bright yellow edible berries
fruit remains on shrub throughout winter
silvery foliage is desirable
suckers profusely
very drought resistant and recommended for use on alkaline soils

Other shrubs with colorful fruit:

Red:

Ginnala Maple
Cotoneaster
Nanking Cherry
Rose

Blue:

Juniper

Black:

Nannyberry

Purple:

Cistena Cherry

Shrubs with colorful foliage:

Colorful foliage provides a main or added attraction in shrubs and usually lasts longer than flowers.

Buffaloberry:

shrub growing to 15 ft.
inconspicuous flowers
main merit for landscaping is the silver white foliage and irregular erratic branching habit.
useful in creating a contrast with green foliage plants.

Coyote Willow:

shrub growing to 15 ft.
hairy silvery foliage contrasts beautifully with conifers and other green foliage
tendency to sucker.

Silver-Leaved Dogwood:

small shade tolerant shrub
creamy edges around leaves
may suffer some dieback.

Shubert Choke Cherry:

small tree or tall shrub to 15 ft.
new growth is green, but turns deep purple in June and remains until fall.

Red Leaf Rose:

upright shrub to 6 ft.
flowers are inconspicuous
best feature is red tinted bluish-green foliage
susceptible to crown gall.

Golden Elder:

produces golden yellow foliage
grows to 10 ft.
susceptible to winterkill, but re-growth is rapid.

Other shrubs with colorful foliage:

Sea-Buckthorn - silver grey

Russian Olive - silver grey

Royalty Crabapple - purple

Cistena Cherry - purple

Golden Ninebark - yellow

Golden Leaf Mock Orange - yellow

Golden Leaf Dogwood - yellow/green