Flowering Trees and Shrubs Trees and shrubs are the backbone of your landscape. They are used as screens, backgrounds and accents. Trees are used for shade and for fruit. Flowering shrubs provide long lasting, beautiful blooms which brighten even the gloomiest of days. Because the cultural needs, size, and structure can vary so greatly, even within different varieties of the same species of trees and shrubbery, I recommend visiting a local botanical garden or arboretum before deciding on your choices. Even a leisurely stroll through your own neighborhood will provide you with a great deal of insight into what you like, and what grows well in your area. Trees and shrubs live and grow for many years, so the effort it takes to make an informed choice is well worth the time that it takes. (Besides, it's a great way to spend the day!)

This plant grows best with full sun for most of the day This plant requires shade during the heat of the day This plant may not tolerate any direct sunlight Some or all parts of this plant may be toxic or poisonous Once established this plant requires little or no supplemental watering This plant tolerates drought, but benefits from periodic watering This plant requires a thorough, deep weekly watering This plant grows best in boggy or wet conditions Hummingbirds use this plant for food or shelter Butterflies use this plant for food or shelter Birds use this plant for food or shelter This plant is less likely to attract or be eaten by deer

Common Name   Botanical Name   Height  Plant Characteristics and Notes  USDA  Zones  Environmental Requirements  Benefits for Nature Azalea Rhododendron 1-8 ft. Azaleas must be grown in an acid soil, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. The buds for next years blooms will be formed this year, so it important that the faded blooms are removed 6-8 Beauty Berry Callicarpa bodinieri 6-8 ft. Beautyberry grows to a height of 6-8 feet. The foliage is a beautiful bronze color as it emerges in spring. Small lavender flowers in mid-summer produce clusters of intensely purple berries in the Fall 6-8 Butterfly bush Buddleia davidii 6-15 ft. The Butterfly Bush is a fast growing, profuse blooming, deciduous shrub that will grow in almost any type of soil. Prune hard in early spring and remove spent flowers promptly. 5-10 Witch Hazel Hamamelis mollis 10-15 ft. Witch Hazel is a low maintenance deciduous shrub which is one of the earliest blooming shrubs, providing you with lots of showy, fragrant flowers beginning in early February 5-9 Cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa 2-3 ft. Potentillas prefer well-drained, reasonably rich soil, but will tolerate clay, rocky, or even slightly alkaline soils as well. Loads of pink or yellow 'buttercup' flowers in June. 2-7 Cotoneaster Cotoneaster 1-8 ft. Cotoneaster is an extremely diverse genus of plants which includes ground covers, species that creep, dwarf sized bushes and large sprawling shrubs. The flowers are generally small and appear in spring and early summer followed by bright red or orange berries 4-8 Coyote Brush Baccharis pilularis 2-3 ft. Coyote Brush is a fast growing evergreen shrub with small, bright green leaves. It blooms from July through October with clusters of tiny flowers. The male flowers are yellow, female flowers are white 7-10   Elderberry Sambucus 6-9 ft. Elderberries are fast growing, low maintenance, multi-stemmed deciduous shrubs with deeply veined, serrated green leaves. They produce large flat clusters of flowers in spring followed by small berries which may or may not be poisonous, by species 6-10   Flowering Plum Prunus blireiana 15-20 ft. Flowering Plums seldom produce fruit due to a lack of pollinators when they bloom, but the dark purple plums are edible. The fragrant, one inch, pink flowers appear in early spring followed by purple foliage which turns green by mid-summer 5-9 Flowering Quince Chaenomeles speciosa 3-10 ft. Flowering Quince is a twiggy, rounded upright deciduous shrub. The 1" foliage opens to a beautiful reddish bronze color before turning dark green by mid summer. Showy cup shaped flowers cover each stem in the spring before turning to an edible fruit by summers end 4-8 Red Flowering Currant Ribes sanguineum 6-10 ft. This 6-10 foot tall deciduous shrub is hardy in USDA Planting Zones 5-8 In early spring it produces pendulous clusters of red or pink flowers that attract and feed hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The small bluish-black berries are eaten by a wide variety of wild birds. 5-8 Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides 6 ft. Gardenias should be planted in well conditioned soil containing peat moss and compost. Keep the soil moist, cool and weed free. Proper temperatures are necessary for a gardenia to bloom. May be grown as a house plant 9-10 Golden Bells Forsythia 1-10 ft. One of the earliest signs that spring has arrived, is when the Forsythia bursts into a profusion of yellow blossoms spreading from the ground to the tip of each graceful, cascading branch. Forsythias will grow in almost any soil or growing condition 4-9 Golden Chain Tree Laburnum watereri 12-15 ft. Golden Chain Trees are fairly ordinary looking plants when they are not in bloom... but... when the 12"-24" pendulous clusters of bright yellow, pea-like flowers open, the Golden Chain Tree transforms into a real traffic stopper. 5-7 Heavenly Bamboo Nandina domestica 3-5 ft. Nandina can be grown in partial shade, but the foliage colors will be much more intense if it is grown in full sun. Produces berries for birds. 6-9 Holly Ilex aquifolium 50 ft. Holly trees require well-drained, slightly acidic, fertile soil. They can tolerate either sun and shade. The male and female flowers of the holly tree are produced on separate plants. Therefore to ensure berry production, both male and female plants need to be planted. 6-8 Hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla 4-10 Hydrangeas need an abundance of water (hydrangea means water tub in Greek), partial to full sun,and very rich soil. Spent Hydrangea flowers should be removed as soon as possible to allow the plant to direct it's strength to growing and producing new buds. 8-11 Japanese Maple Acer palmatum 3-20 ft. Japanese Maple trees grow best in a moist, well draining, fertile soil. There are over 300 beautiful and diverse hybrids with a wide range of growing habits and foliage colors and shapes. 4-8 Japanese Pieris Pieris japonica 6-12 ft. The Japanese Pieris, or Lily of the Valley shrub is a nice plant to add to the garden for early spring color. It is a compact, symetrical, evergreen shrub that has leathery 3-4 inch foliage that emerges coppery-pink, before turning to a deep green. Cascading clusters of small, urn shaped flowers open in February or early March. 4-8 Lilacs Syringa vulgaris 5-8 ft. Lilacs require full sun for maximum bloom. They prefer a slightly alkaline soil (pH 7.5). Most Lilacs require a pronounced winter chilling period or they may fail to bloom the following year 3-7 Mimosa Tree Albizia julibrissin 20-30 ft. The Mimosa Tree is a short lived, fast growing, multi stemmed deciduous tree with fine, compound, fern like foliage. It produces clusters of fragrant, feather-ball flowers in the summer, followed by brownish seed pods 6-9   Mock Orange Philadelphus virginalis 10-12 Mock Orange thrives in full sun or light shade, in almost any soil, but they grow and bloom best in moist, well-drained soil. It needs to be pruned immediately after flowering by cutting back the outer stems that have bloomed 4-8 Natal Plum Carissa macrocarpa 4-8 ft. Natal Plum is a quick growing tender shrub with thick, shiny, oval 1-2" leaves. The fruit is edible, but the leaves contain toxic sap. Thorns along the stems. 9-11   Nootka Rose Rosa nutkana 4-10 ft. Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used this fragrant Wild Rose to create a tea which was used to enhance eyesight. Mashed (or chewed up) leaves can be used as a remedy for bee stings 4-8 Norfolk Island Pines Araucaria heterophylla 6+ ft. The beauty and symmetry of the plant, as well as the soft flowing texture of the foliage will make you want to decorate it, and use it for your living Christmas tree 10-11 Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium 3-7 ft. Oregon Grape is a low maintenance, durable, evergreen shrub with glossy green, holly like foliage. It produces spikey clusters of bright yellow flowers in the spring, followed by bluish blabk berries for the birds 5-9 Poplar trees Populus canadensis 30 ft. Poplars must be planted with caution because of the invasive tendencies of the roots. They should never be planted nearer than 30 ft. from buildings, paving or drains. Useful for wind breaks 4-9   Privet Ligustrum vulgare 4-15 ft. Privet is a densely growing deciduous shrub with small light green, mottled or golden foliage. It produces clusters of fragrant white flowers all summer. Can be pruned into elaborate shapes Attracts Butterflies: Spring Azure, Painted Ladies, Red-spotted Purple 1-10   Pussy willow Salix discolor 5-20 ft. Pussy willows grow well in almost any soil but it is a good idea to supplement it with peat moss, leaf mold or compost. Male flowers are yellow, female flowers are white. 4-8 Rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus 4-5 ft. Rabbitbrush is best known for it's intensely yellow colored flowers which bloom from August through October. 4-6 Red Twig Dogwood Cornus stolonifera 15 ft. The Red Twig Dogwood is native to most of the northern United States and Canada. The white blooms appear in the Spring, white berries appear in late summer and provide a treat for the birds, then in the fall the foliage turns to a deep crimson red. 3-8 Rhododendron 'Blitz' Rhododendron 5 ft. Rhododendron 'Blitz' has deep red, trumpet shaped flowers in late May. Rhododendrons must be grown in an acid soil, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. They will not tolerate lime. 2-8 Rhododendron 'Purple Splendour' Rhododendron 5 ft. Rhododendron 'Purple Splendour' has deep purple flowers with black blotching in late May. Rhododendrons must be grown in an acid soil, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. They will not tolerate lime. 2-8 Rhododendron 'Wren' Rhododendron 'Wren' 12" Low growing, mounding miniature Rhododendron with bright yellow flowers 3 Rose Daphne Daphne cneorum 1 ft. Rose Daphne is a fragrant, low growing evergreen shrub which blooms prolifically in the spring and occasionally again in the summer. It is excellent as a ground cover or foreground planting 4-8   Salal Gaultheria shallon 2-8 ft. Salal is a deer resistant, low growing shrub that prefers partial shade and well draining, acidic soil. It has thick, leathery, dark green foliage and spikes of small bell flowers in the spring and edible purple berries in the fall 5-9 Silverberry Eleagnus commutata 8-15 ft. Silverberry is a trouble free, very spiny evergreen shrub with waxy, olive green foliage. It produces small clusters of vase shaped flowers in fall, which develop into berry-like fruits 7-9   Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia 6-10 ft. Sweet Pepperbush is an upright growing, deciduous shrub with light to dark green, deeply veined foliage. It produces spires of tiny, fragrant flowers from mid to late summer Attracts Butterflies: Spicebush Swallowtail, Question Mark, American Painted Lady, Red Admiral 5-9   Trapper's Tea Ledum glandulosum 2-4 ft. Trapper's Tea is an extremely hardy relative of the Rhododendron, usually found in boggy areas or at the edge of small streams. Aromatic white flowers in late Spring 2-8 Pink Snowball Bush Viburnum bodnantense 8-10 ft. Viburnum are deciduous shrubs that produce clusters of very fragrant pink flowers in mid-winter to early spring. Deeply textured foliage. Can be propagated by softwood cuttings 5-9 Vine Maples Acer circinatum 15-20 ft. Vine Maple grow well in a wide variety of soil types, varying levels of sunlight and tolerate almost any level of watering once established 5-9