26 Nicest Flowering Shrubs for Your Landscape
Pro tip: Plant shrubs that bloom in different seasons, so you always have flowers in your garden.
Whether you're growing shrubs for privacy, to add height to a garden space, to cover or hide an unsightly structure, or simply for the heck of it, a flowering shrub can be an easy way to get the best of both worlds: the size of the larger plant with the additional joy of perennial flowers.
Flowering shrubs come in all shapes and sizes, from just a few feet tall, to towering, nearly tree-like. There are shrubs that grow quickly (but will need regular pruning). And there are shrubs that are very low maintenance. Here are our favorites for practically every need.
What's the easiest flowering shrub to grow?
Most shrubs are relatively easy to maintain once they're established in the ground, though some, such as certain hydrangeas, require regular pruning, and most will benefit from fertilizer during growth periods.
But just because you can doesn't mean you have to! Both shrub roses and weigela are low-maintenance shrubs that don't need a ton of pruning and often do quite fine in a range of soils without a lot of fertilizer.
What shrub flowers the longest?
All of these shrubs will produce blooms, but which will produce the most blooms, or keep blooming and blooming? Unfortunately the answer is: it depends.
There are varieties of shrubs that have been developed specifically to rebloom—such as bigleaf hydrangeas or encore azaleas—while other varieties of the same plant only bloom once. And again, how you care for the plant can have an effect. By deadheading roses (among other plants), you can get them to keep blooming for an extended period. (Here's our deadheading guide.)
Basic shrub planting and care tips
- Before you buy a shrub, especially online make sure it will survive in your area's USDA Hardiness Zone. (Find your zone here.) Be aware the map has been recently updated. Read why, here.
- Once you've figured out if your preferred flowering shrubs can grow well where you live, you want to consider spacing and lighting needs and where it would do best on your property.
- To plant a shrub, dig a hole about two to three times as wide as the root ball, and only just about as deep—or a little less. Place the ball in the hole and back fill with the native dirt. Tamp down, gently, and water well. Water daily for the first few weeks, then weekly until the plant is fully established.
More gardening ideas from Country Living:
Best Old-Fashioned Flowering Shrub: Honeysuckle
Pollinators love honeysuckle—and it's easy to smell why! The dreamy scent of the flowers—like honey and vanilla—takes us right back to grandma's garden in the summer.
Look for natives like Northern or Coralbush. Some varieties are invasive.
Basic Care Info:
Sun:full sun
Soil:well-drained / neutral
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to late summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Best Low-Maintenance Flowering Shrub: Shrub Rose
If you're a new gardener or are simply looking for a low-maintenance shrub, shrub roses (such as knock outs) are easy to grow and disease-resistant. Grow them as a hedge, as a privacy screen or en masse.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Late spring until early fall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Learn more: How to Grow and Care for Knock Out Roses
Best for Tubular-Shaped Flowers: Abelia
Producing beautiful tubular, bell-shaped flowers that range in color from pink to purple or light orange, Abelia also emits a sweet fragrance. Grow this flowering shrub as a border, to create a privacy screen or in any area of your garden where you can stop and smell the flowers. Plus, it's deer resistant!
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial shade
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Late spring to fall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Best Flowering Shrub for adding plenty of Pink: Azalea
Azalea produces bright, glossy green leaves with flowers in hues that include pink, coral, purple and white. Some are evergreen shrubs, while others are deciduous, which lose their leaves in the winter. Azaleas are a type of Rhododendron.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial shade
Soil: Well-drained acidic soil
Bloom Time: Mid-spring through the fall, depending on the variety
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Read more: How to Plant and Grow Azaleas
Best Flowering Shrub for a Whimsical Look: Buttonbush
A deciduous shrub, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), is a native plant that attracts pollinators, such as butterflies, bees and birds. One stem produces multiple spheres of tiny, white flowers that create a whimsical look. Many native varieties can reach up to 20 feet tall so consider how much space you have before growing. If your goal is to attract pollinators, opt for a native variety.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full
Soil: Well-drained, moist
Bloom Time: Early summer through fall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
Best for Winter Blooms: Camelia
Producing rose-style flowers in various hues, including pink, red, white, and golden yellow, Camelia is an evergreen shrub that blooms in the winter and sometimes in the fall.
When there isn't much happening in the garden, you'll have delightful flowers to add plenty of cheer.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full sun, depending on the variety
Soil: Well drained. Sandy, clay or loamy
Bloom Time: Winter through spring and early summer, depending on the variety
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 9
Learn more: 11 Beautiful White Flowering Trees to Plant in Your Lawn or Garden
Best for Three-Season Blooms: Hydrangea
Hydrangeas offer a burst of color to any landscape for their big spheres made up of small flowers. You can find hydrangeas in an array of hues and sizes that will fit your gardening needs.
Blooms stay on the shrub through the fall and winter so you have pops of color for three seasons.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to Full sun, depending on the variety. Some do better with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Early to midsummer.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
Learn more: How to Care for Hydrangea
Best for Growing as a Border: Pearl Bush
If you're looking for a flowering shrub to use as a hedge or a border, look no further than the pearl bush. The buds look like small pearls, hence the name. In the spring, you'll enjoy an abundance of white saucer-shaped flowers.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full to partial
Soil: well-drained, Can grow in most soil but prefers acid soil.
Bloom Time: Spring
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Best for Adding Blue to Your Garden: Caryopteris
With bright-hued bluish-purple flowers that look like they have fringe on the petals, Caryopteris creates a spectacular statement in the garden. Grow it as a border and watch the show when bees and butterflies buzz around pollinating. Bonus: it's drought tolerant!
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained clay loamy
Bloom Time: Late summer through fall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Best Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrub: Deutzia
Deutzia is a low-maintenance flowering shrub that produces bright pink or white clusters of flowers. Deer don't typically bother with this shrub so if you live in an area where deer visit often, this is a good option.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Spring
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
Read more: Low-Maintenance Bushes and Shrubs to Plant in Your Garden
Best for a Privacy Screen Flowering Shrub: Forsythia
A low-maintenance flowering shrub, Forsythia is one of the first to bloom in the spring. The bright yellow flowers offer a nice contrast to the landscape with a pop of color. This can be grown as a border, a privacy screen or as a statement piece. Plus, these are easy to grow.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full sun to Partial shade
Soil: Loamy, clay, sandy, well-drained
Bloom Time: Early spring
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Read more: 20 Fast-Growing Shrubs and Bushes for Privacy
Best for Bright Purple Berries: Beautyberry
Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) is a unique flowering shrub for its bright purple berries. White flowers debut in the summer and when they begin to fade, you get a second show in the garden with its bright purple clusters of berries. As a native plant, Beautyberry attracts key pollinators, including birds and butterflies.
Basic Care Info
Sun: Partial to full shade
Soil: Well-drained, Moist soil
Bloom Time: Late spring through mid-summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10
Best Flowering Shrub for Shade: Rhododendron
Have a lot of shade in your garden and want to grow a flowering shrub? Rhododendrons do well in dappled shade and come in yellow, pink, purple and white.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full sun
Soil: Acidic, well-draining
Bloom Time: Late spring
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Best for Unique Colored Foliage: Ninebark
Looking to grow more native shrubs to create a biodiverse space in your yard? Ninebark (Physocarpus spp) is a great choice. Its curious foliage comes in colors ranging from burgundy, to lime green, to bronze, depending on the variety.
This has long-lasting blooms of multiple, small white or pink flowers that create the shape of a ball.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, clay, loamy, rocky
Bloom Time: Mid to late spring
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Flowering Shrub for Attracting Hummingbirds: Summersweet
Summersweet (Clethra spp) is a native shrub that produces upright stems with multiple, small, pink or white flowers. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to the blooms and the fragrant scent.
This shrub is wonderful to use as a border or natural fence or plant within your flower garden.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: partial to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Mid to late summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Best for Native Gardens: Eastern Sweetshrub
If you're looking to plant more native flowering shrubs to invite more pollinators to your landscape, Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), also known as Carolina allspice or Strawberry bush, is a wonderful option. This beauty has glossy, bright green leaves and red, sweet-scented flowers.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Early summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Read more: Fragrant Plants That Will Make Your Garden Smell Amazing
Best for Curious-Looking Flowers: Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub with curly, yellow thin petals that seem to spring out in disarray from a brownish cluster. These fun flowers bloom in late fall. When the rest of the garden is beginning to slow down, this plant brings a nice pop of color.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Late fall and some varieties bloom through the winter
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Best Deciduous Shrub: Weigela
A deciduous shrub loses its leaves in the winter. Weigela is great to accent other plants, and mix with other flowering shrubs to grow as a border or as an accent.
Choose white, purple, red or pink flowers. Hummingbirds love these tubular-shaped flowers that make it easy for them to access the nectar.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full Sun
Soil: Well-drained, moist soil
Bloom Time: Late spring to summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Best to Add a Tropical Flare: Rose of Sharon
Want to add a tropical touch to your garden? Grow the flowering shrub Rose of Sharon, a type of hibiscus. Choose from hues in white, dark purple to light pink for a stunning display that attracts pollinators.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Partial to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: Summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Best flowering shrub for different hued foliage: Spirea
Spirea produces small clusters of flowers that come in hues of white and pink that pollinators love. The foliage is often chartreuses but you can find varieties with dark green and golden hues, too.
Basic Care Info:
Sun: Full
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Bloom Time: Summer
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
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