Shrubs

Everything you need to grow and care for shrubs: light, water, troubleshooting, and pet & child safety, all in one place.

Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumA resilient native shrub delivering spring flowers, blue-black fruit, and strong fall color with minimal input.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAsiatic JasmineTrachelospermum asiaticumTough, glossy, and happy in sun or deep shade, Asiatic jasmine carpets the ground and demands next to nothing.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAzaleaRhododendronProvide acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, and the azalea answers with a spring display that holds the eye.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateBeautybushKolkwitzia amabilisA dependable, arching shrub whose old-wood branches carry pink, bell-shaped flowers each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack ChokeberryAronia melanocarpaCold-hardy, soil-tolerant, and edible from spring bloom through winter fruit, chokeberry makes minimal cultural demands.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyBlackberryRubus fruticosusProvide full sun and ample room, and a blackberry returns heavy crops for many seasons.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyBluebeardCaryopteris × clandonensisRenew bluebeard with a hard spring cut and it repays the work with a haze of blue flowers as the season turns.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlueberryVaccinium corymbosumHold the soil acidic and a compatible cultivar nearby, and the blueberry returns fruit each summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateBorder ForsythiaForsythia × intermediaPlant it for the first burst of yellow that opens long before anything else wakes up in spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBoston IvyParthenocissus tricuspidataGrown for its sheet of crimson fall color, it needs masonry to climb rather than your siding.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyBougainvilleaBougainvillea spectabilisRun it hot, lean, and a touch dry, and bougainvillea repays you with sheets of color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateBoysenberryRubus ursinus × idaeusGive it full sun, a sturdy trellis, and a yearly prune, and the boysenberry crops with big, wine-dark fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateBurning BushEuonymus alatusSite it in full sun and the autumn foliage ignites to a deep scarlet visible clear across the yard.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyButterfly BushBuddleja davidiiSite it in full sun and prune it hard each spring, and the butterfly bush fills with flowers and pollinators all summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCalifornia LilacCeanothus thyrsiflorusSite it in full sun, sharp drainage, and almost no water, and California lilac answers with a wall of blue every spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 15–30 daysPet & child safeModerateCamelliaCamellia japonicaProvide acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady water, and the camellia flowers when little else in the garden will.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirensSite it in full sun on a sturdy support, and this evergreen vine sets fragrant yellow trumpets in late winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyChinese Fringe FlowerLoropetalum chinenseSite loropetalum in acidic, well-drained soil and it delivers colored foliage and fringed bloom with minimal intervention.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyChocolate VineAkebia quinataFragrant chocolate-purple flowers and edible fruit on a climber whose vigor is both its asset and its liability.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyClematisClematisSet its head in sun and its feet in shade, and clematis builds a climbing wall of bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala subsp. petiolarisA slow rooter that earns its keep with fragrant white lacecaps for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing RoseRosaTie it up, train the canes sideways, and a climbing rose will drape a wall in bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateCoffeeCoffea arabicaSupply warmth, bright indirect light, and humid air, and the coffee plant develops into a glossy evergreen capable of setting its own cherries in time.☀️ Bright indirect · 💧 5–7 daysToxicModerateCommon BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensA slow, evergreen year-round broadleaf shrub that forms the structural backbone of a clipped, formal garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateCommon JasmineJasminum officinaleGive it sun, warmth, and a sturdy support, and common jasmine fills the summer air with scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon LilacSyringa vulgarisSite it in full sun with open air around the canopy, and the common lilac returns decades of heavy spring fragrance.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCommon NinebarkPhysocarpus opulifoliusA cold-hardy native of the rose family, grown for exfoliating bark and pigmented foliage on a shrub that demands little.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCotoneasterCotoneasterDrought-hardy and reliably berried red through winter, cotoneaster rewards sound siting with years of low-input performance.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCranberryVaccinium macrocarponSupply acidic peat, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low creeping vine returns a crop of tart berries each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeDemandingCreeping JuniperJuniperus horizontalisSite it in full sun with sharp drainage, and this rugged evergreen mat needs little from you.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyCrossvineBignonia capreolataA vigorous southeastern native that carries a heavy spring flush of trumpets and reliably draws hummingbirds.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCurrantRibes rubrumCold-hardy and reliably productive, the currant carries tart berries on a renewable framework of canes.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyDavid Austin RoseRosaOld-garden form and fragrance carried on a shrub bred for repeat flowering from late spring to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateDipladeniaMandevilla sanderiProvide full sun, warmth, and sharp drainage, and dipladenia produces trumpet flowers from early summer through fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateDragon FruitHylocereus undatusSupply this climbing cactus with sun, a load-bearing post, and a pollination partner, and it returns night-blooming flowers and bright pitaya.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDrooping LeucothoeLeucothoe fontanesianaMatch its native niche of shade, acidic soil, and even moisture, and this arching evergreen holds through every season.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateDutchman's PipeAristolochia macrophyllaA fast woody twiner that builds a wall of overlapping leaves and hosts the pipevine swallowtail.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyDwarf FothergillaFothergilla gardeniiHoney-scented spring catkins and multicolored fall foliage on a slow, acid-loving native of the witch hazel family.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyElderberrySambucus canadensisSupply sun, steady moisture, and a second cultivar nearby, and elderberry returns heavy clusters of dark fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyEncore AzaleaRhododendronMatched to acidic soil, filtered sun, and steady moisture, the Encore azalea flowers in spring and reblooms into fall.☀️ Partial sun · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateEvergreen EuonymusEuonymus japonicusA tough, shade-friendly evergreen that shears cleanly into hedging and demands little once it is sited well.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyFloribunda RoseRosaSite it in full sun with open airflow and base irrigation, and a floribunda repeats its clustered bloom from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateFlowering QuinceChaenomeles speciosaAs one of the earliest shrubs into bloom, flowering quince colors bare branches before foliage breaks.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGardeniaGardenia jasminoidesMatch its need for acidic soil, steady moisture, and humid air, and the gardenia returns intensely fragrant white flowers.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicDemandingGlossy AbeliaAbelia × grandifloraSet in sun and sharply drained soil, glossy abelia carries flowers from late spring to frost with minimal intervention.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyGoji BerryLycium barbarumGive it full sun, lean alkaline soil, and room to sprawl, and this tough nightshade rewards you with superfood berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGooseberryRibes uva-crispaA cold-hardy fruiting shrub that performs on cool conditions, an open shape, and steady moisture.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateGrandiflora RoseRosaTall, long-stemmed, and built to bloom from spring to frost, the grandiflora gives you hybrid-tea flowers on a floribunda frame.☀️ Full sun · 💧 4–7 daysPet & child safeModerateGrapeVitis viniferaGive a grapevine full sun, sturdy support, and a hard dormant prune, and it channels its vigor into fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicModerateGroundcover RoseRosaSited in full sun with open air movement, a groundcover rose carpets the ground in bloom from spring to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHardy KiwiActinidia argutaA cold-tolerant vine yielding smooth, grape-sized fruit consumed whole, with no need to peel.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateHazelnutCorylus avellanaGive it full sun, a cross-compatible pollinizer, and room to spread, and the hazel returns a nut crop each autumn.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateHeavenly BambooNandina domesticaAdaptable, drought-hardy, and red-leafed in winter, nandina performs almost anywhere, yet its cyanogenic berries endanger wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyHoneyberryLonicera caeruleaPair two cultivars for cross-pollination and harvest the earliest berry of the season, sweet-tart and frost-tough.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHoneysuckleLonicera sempervirensIn full sun on a sturdy support, trumpet honeysuckle produces coral tubular flowers that hummingbirds are built to feed on.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyHybrid Tea RoseRosaGiven full sun, deep base watering, and a hard spring cut, the hybrid tea rose sustains long-stemmed bloom from summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–8 daysPet & child safeModerateHydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaGive it rich, moist soil and afternoon shade, and the hydrangea returns armfuls of bloom through summer.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateInkberry HollyIlex glabraA native shrub adapted to wet ground, hard winters, and shade that holds its evergreen foliage year round.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese BarberryBerberis thunbergiiTough, thorny, and richly colored, but assess the site and the law before you plant it where it can spread.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese HollyIlex crenataRoot it in acid, freely draining ground and Ilex crenata holds a sheared outline for decades with little intervention.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese KerriaKerria japonicaSited in dappled shade and free-draining soil, Japanese kerria opens spring with golden flowers carried on bright green stems.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese LaurelAucuba japonicaGive it shade and good drainage, and Japanese laurel returns glossy gold-speckled foliage with almost no fuss.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese PierisPieris japonicaProvide acidic soil and shelter from wind, and andromeda repays you with drooping white flowers each spring.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateJapanese PittosporumPittosporum tobiraAn evergreen shrub that withstands sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing and still carries an orange-blossom scent each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese SkimmiaSkimmia japonicaSite it in shade and acidic soil, and this evergreen sets fragrant spring flowers and persistent winter berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateJapanese SpireaSpiraea japonicaA tough, fast, forgiving shrub, Japanese spirea carries flat pink flower clusters and shifting foliage color from spring through fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyKiwiActinidia deliciosaGive it full sun, a strong trellis, and a male partner, and a kiwi vine rewards the patience with fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateKnock Out RoseRosaSite it in full sun and renew a third of the canes each spring, and the Knock Out reblooms from June to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyLingonberryVaccinium vitis-idaeaMatch its need for acidic soil, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low evergreen carpet returns two crops of tart red berries a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–5 daysPet & child safeModerateLoganberryRubus × loganobaccusIn full sun, rich soil, and on a firm trellis, the loganberry sets a long crop of tart-sweet summer fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateMandevillaMandevilla × amabilisSupply full sun and warmth, and this tropical vine converts the season into trumpet flowers from summer through fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateMiniature RoseRosaGive it full sun, steady water, and good airflow, and a miniature rose blooms from spring right through fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeModerateMock OrangePhiladelphus coronariusBecause it flowers on old wood in full sun, mock orange rewards correct timing with a flood of orange-blossom scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Fashioned WeigelaWeigela floridaSited in full sun and pruned on old wood in time, weigela sets a heavy flush of tubular late-spring flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Garden RoseRosaHardy, deeply fragrant, and easygoing on their own roots, old garden roses reward sound culture year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateOleanderNerium oleanderA tough, drought-adapted evergreen shrub that blooms all summer and carries a serious caveat: every part is dangerously poisonous.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyOregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumSited in shade and sheltered from winter wind, Oregon grape delivers yellow spring bloom and blue-black berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionflowerPassiflora incarnataSited in full sun with room to run, the maypop climbs fast, sustains fritillary larvae, and flowers straight through summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionfruitPassiflora edulisGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and a strong trellis, and this fast vine rewards you with fragrant fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysMildly toxicModeratePomegranatePunica granatumSite it in full sun with even moisture, and the pomegranate sets deep red fruit each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–10 daysMildly toxicEasyPrivetLigustrum vulgareA vigorous, shear-tolerant hedge in the olive family, prized for dense regrowth but flagged for escaping cultivation and poisoning grazing stock.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyRambling RoseRosaSited in full sun on a strong frame and pruned the moment its early summer flowering ends, a rambler will sheet a fence in bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRaspberryRubus idaeusSited in full sun with rich, acidic loam and pruned by cane type, the raspberry fruits heavily year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRhododendronRhododendronMatch the acidic soil and dappled shade of its woodland origins, and a rhododendron blooms reliably for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateRose of SharonHibiscus syriacusBecause it flowers on current-season wood, this hardy mallow rewards a hard late-winter cut with color from June to October.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyRugosa RoseRosa rugosaBuilt for salt spray and severe cold, the rugosa rose flowers through summer and closes the year in a load of red hips.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScarlet FirethornPyracantha coccineaAn adaptable rosaceous shrub, firethorn trades hard thorns and sharp drainage for white spring bloom and persistent orange-red winter fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyShrub RoseRosaGive it full sun and moving air, and a shrub rose reflowers from late spring until frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaHardy to the extremes and blooming from June to September, shrubby cinquefoil performs on soils that defeat most shrubs.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby St. John's WortHypericum frondosumA tough, drought-adapted native shrub that answers full sun with a canopy of bright yellow summer flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasySilver Lace VineFallopia baldschuanicaA climber that reads full sun and thin soil as an invitation to cover a fence in a single season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySky Pencil HollyIlex crenataA fastigiate Japanese holly that reads as a green column, dependent chiefly on acidic soil and winter protection.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateSlender DeutziaDeutzia gracilisA low-maintenance Hydrangeaceae shrub that flowers on old wood and rates non-toxic to pets.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySmoke BushCotinus coggygriaSite it in full sun with sharp drainage, and Cotinus coggygria answers with summer haze and strong fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySnowball BushViburnum opulusSited in full sun with generous spacing, the snowball bush produces its dense white flower globes through mid spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoidesTrained onto a support, Trachelospermum jasminoides rewards the grower with clouds of fragrant white flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySummersweetClethra alnifoliaSupply steady moisture and light shade, and summersweet returns fragrant spikes at a point in the season when most shrubs have finished.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySweet Autumn ClematisClematis ternifloraA late-summer curtain of fragrant white bloom on a vigorous vine whose reseeding demands disciplined management.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyTeaCamellia sinensisKept in acidic soil, dappled shade, and even moisture, this evergreen shrub produces the leaf flushes that become every cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateTea PlantCamellia sinensisMatch its origins with acidic soil, part shade, and steady moisture, and Camellia sinensis yields the leaves behind every cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTrumpet VineCampsis radicansIn full sun on a strong support, the trumpet vine blooms hard and feeds hummingbirds all summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyViburnumViburnumSite it in sun with room to breathe and steady moisture while establishing, and viburnum returns fragrant spring bloom and fall fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyVirginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaA tough native vine that repays brilliant fall color with a standing demand to hold its vigor in check.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyVirginia SweetspireItea virginicaA wetland-adapted native shrub that carries fragrant spring spires and long-holding fall color on arching stems.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyWinter DaphneDaphne odoraLittle else perfumes the cold-season garden the way daphne does, yet poison runs through every tissue of the shrub.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysToxicDemandingWinterberry HollyIlex verticillataGrown as a dioecious pair, winterberry sets bare stems dense with red berries that persist through winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyWintergreenGaultheria procumbensMatch its acidic soil and cool shade, and wintergreen forms a glossy evergreen mat carrying red berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 4–7 daysMildly toxicModerateWisteriaWisteria sinensisGive it full sun, a heavy support, and two hard prunings a year, and wisteria drips with flowers each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWitch HazelHamamelis virginianaSupplied with moist, acidic soil and space to develop its frame, witch hazel produces ribbon-like flowers after the rest of the garden has entered dormancy.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyYaupon HollyIlex vomitoriaEvergreen and durable, the one North American holly you can brew, yaupon tolerates drought, salinity, and deep shade alike.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasy