Shrubs

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

Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumA native shrub that gives a garden spring flowers, blue-black berries, and fiery fall color through every season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAsiatic JasmineTrachelospermum asiaticumHard-wearing, glossy, and happy in sun or deep shade, Asiatic jasmine lays down a calm green carpet and asks for almost nothing.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAzaleaRhododendronOffer it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, and the azalea returns a spring display the whole garden orients around.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateBeautybushKolkwitzia amabilisAn effortless, arching shrub that turns a spring border into a cloud of pink, bell-shaped flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack ChokeberryAronia melanocarpaHardy, undemanding, and edible from spring flower to winter berry, chokeberry brings quiet structure to a garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyBlackberryRubus fruticosusGive it full sun and room to ramble, and a blackberry turns a back fence into a summer larder.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyBluebeardCaryopteris × clandonensisOne hard spring cut, and bluebeard returns a haze of cool blue to the border just as late summer asks for it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlueberryVaccinium corymbosumSettle the soil acidic and a second bush beside it, and a corner of the garden becomes a summer ritual of fruit.☀️ 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 tricuspidataThe classic dressing for a crimson autumn facade, set on masonry to climb rather than your siding.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyBougainvilleaBougainvillea spectabilisGive it sun, restraint, and a touch of neglect, and bougainvillea fills a space with 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 alatusSet it where full sun reaches all afternoon, and the autumn foliage flares a deep scarlet that reads from the far end of the garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyButterfly BushBuddleja davidiiGive it full sun and a hard spring cut, and the butterfly bush turns a summer border into a haven of flowers and wings.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCalifornia LilacCeanothus thyrsiflorusSet it where it gets full sun, sharp drainage, and almost no water, and California lilac crowns the spring garden in blue.☀️ Full sun · 💧 15–30 daysPet & child safeModerateCamelliaCamellia japonicaGive it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady water, and the camellia brings the garden to life when little else is in flower.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirensSet against full sun and a sturdy support, this evergreen vine drapes a fence or arbor in fragrant yellow trumpets by late winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyChinese Fringe FlowerLoropetalum chinenseSet loropetalum in acidic soil with good drainage and it lends a garden colored foliage and fringed bloom with almost no upkeep.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyChocolate VineAkebia quinataFragrant chocolate-purple flowers and edible fruit on a climber that brings drama to a garden and asks for a firm hand.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyClematisClematisSet it with sun on its head and shade on its feet, and clematis dresses a wall in bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala subsp. petiolarisA patient choice that turns a plain shaded wall into a curtain of fragrant white lacecaps.☀️ 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 arabicaGive it warmth, bright indirect light, and humid air, and the coffee plant becomes a glossy evergreen presence that may one day set cherries of its own.☀️ Bright indirect · 💧 5–7 daysToxicModerateCommon BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensQuietly evergreen year-round, boxwood lends a garden the composed, clipped lines of a formal design.☀️ 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 vulgarisGive it full sun and a little room to breathe, and the common lilac perfumes a whole garden through spring for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCommon NinebarkPhysocarpus opulifoliusA native shrub of peeling bark and colorful foliage that gives a garden year-round structure with an easy hand.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCotoneasterCotoneasterEffortless and berry-bright through the bleakest months, cotoneaster gives a garden its winter color when little else will.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCranberryVaccinium macrocarponSet aside acidic peat, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low creeping vine fills its corner with tart fall berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeDemandingCreeping JuniperJuniperus horizontalisSet it in full sun and soil that drains, and this hardy evergreen carpet practically tends itself.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyCrossvineBignonia capreolataA native climber that turns a plain fence into a spring backdrop of trumpets, with hummingbirds as the regular guests.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCurrantRibes rubrumCold-hardy and quietly generous, the currant brings a harvest of tart berries to the heart of a kitchen garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyDavid Austin RoseRosaA shrub that brings old-world romance to the garden, flowering from late spring through to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateDipladeniaMandevilla sanderiGive it full sun, warmth, and sharp drainage, and dipladenia pours out trumpet flowers from early summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateDragon FruitHylocereus undatusSet this climbing cactus against a sturdy post with sun and a pollination partner, and it returns the gesture with night-blooming flowers and bright pitaya.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDrooping LeucothoeLeucothoe fontanesianaGive it shade, acidic soil, and steady moisture, and this arching evergreen brings quiet structure to the garden all year.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateDutchman's PipeAristolochia macrophyllaA fast living screen that drapes a porch in a wall of overlapping leaves and brings the pipevine swallowtail.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyDwarf FothergillaFothergilla gardeniiHoney-scented spring flowers and a fall color show from a refined, low-care native shrub.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyElderberrySambucus canadensisOffer it sun, steady moisture, and a second cultivar nearby, and elderberry returns the favor with heavy clusters of dark fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyEncore AzaleaRhododendronSet against acidic soil, filtered sun, and steady moisture, the Encore azalea carries a garden from spring straight through to fall.☀️ Partial sun · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateEvergreen EuonymusEuonymus japonicusA tough, shade-friendly evergreen that shapes into elegant green architecture and asks almost nothing in return.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyFloribunda RoseRosaSet in full sun with room to breathe and water at the base, a floribunda dresses a garden in clustered bloom from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateFlowering QuinceChaenomeles speciosaIt is the shrub that announces the season, the first color of spring unfurling on bare branches before the leaves arrive.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGardeniaGardenia jasminoidesGive it acidic soil, steady moisture, and humid air, and the gardenia fills a room with intensely fragrant white flowers.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicDemandingGlossy AbeliaAbelia × grandifloraOffer it sun and free-draining soil, and glossy abelia keeps flowering from late spring to frost with hardly a thought.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyGoji BerryLycium barbarumGive it full sun, lean alkaline soil, and room to sprawl, and this tough nightshade earns its keep with superfood berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGooseberryRibes uva-crispaA handsome, cold-hardy berry bush for the productive garden, happiest with 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, a handsome support, and one hard prune a year, and it turns a wall or arbor into a fruiting fixture for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicModerateGroundcover RoseRosaSet in full sun with room to breathe, a groundcover rose carpets the ground in bloom from spring to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHardy KiwiActinidia argutaA hardy climber offering smooth, grape-sized fruit to enjoy whole, no peeling ritual required.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateHazelnutCorylus avellanaGive it full sun, a pollen partner, and room to spread, and the hazel earns its place with a harvest each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateHeavenly BambooNandina domesticaPoised, drought-proof, and fiery in winter, nandina anchors a border with ease, though its berries are poison to wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyHoneyberryLonicera caeruleaSet two cultivars together in the garden and gather the season's first berry, sweet-tart and frost-tough.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHoneysuckleLonicera sempervirensSet it against full sun and a support to climb, and trumpet honeysuckle turns a plain wall into a coral-flowered gathering place for hummingbirds.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyHybrid Tea RoseRosaGive it full sun, deep water, and a hard spring cut, and the hybrid tea rose brings long-stemmed blooms to the garden from summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–8 daysPet & child safeModerateHydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaGive it rich, moist soil and afternoon shade, and the hydrangea fills a summer garden with armfuls of bloom.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateInkberry HollyIlex glabraA quietly elegant native shrub that carries wet ground, hard winters, and shade and stays green all year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese BarberryBerberis thunbergiiTough, thorny, and richly colored, but weigh where it belongs before you plant it where it can spread.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese HollyIlex crenataSettle it into acid ground that drains cleanly, and this evergreen repays the garden with crisp lines that endure.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese KerriaKerria japonicaSet in dappled shade and free-draining soil, Japanese kerria brings a golden lift to spring on bright green stems.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese LaurelAucuba japonicaGive it a shaded corner out of the wind, and Japanese laurel turns the dimmest spot in the house into a quietly luminous one.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese PierisPieris japonicaSet it in acidic soil and out of the wind, and andromeda dresses the spring garden in drooping white flowers.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateJapanese PittosporumPittosporum tobiraThe evergreen shrub that shapes a garden with sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing behind it and scents the spring like orange blossom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese SkimmiaSkimmia japonicaA composed evergreen for the shaded garden, carrying fragrant spring flowers and bright winter berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateJapanese SpireaSpiraea japonicaA relaxed anchor for the garden, Japanese spirea sets a scene of flat pink flower clusters and shifting foliage color from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyKiwiActinidia deliciosaA sunlit corner, a well-built pergola, and a paired male vine turn kiwi into living garden architecture that closes each fall with fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateKnock Out RoseRosaSet it in full sun with one easy spring prune, and the Knock Out carries a garden in color from June to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyLingonberryVaccinium vitis-idaeaGive it acidic soil, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low evergreen carpet lays down two crops of tart red berries a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–5 daysPet & child safeModerateLoganberryRubus × loganobaccusSet against full sun, rich soil, and a handsome trellis, the loganberry brings a long summer of tart-sweet fruit to the garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateMandevillaMandevilla × amabilisWith full sun and summer warmth, mandevilla turns a bare rail or post into a curtain of trumpet blooms.☀️ 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 coronariusOne shrub in full sun, and early summer arrives on a drift of orange-blossom scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Fashioned WeigelaWeigela floridaSet in full sun and pruned on cue, weigela drapes the late-spring border in soft tubular color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Garden RoseRosaFragrant, timeless, and easygoing on their own roots, old garden roses give a garden its sense of place year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateOleanderNerium oleanderA tough, drought-proof shrub that carries a garden through summer in bloom, with one caution attached: every part is dangerously poisonous.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyOregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumSet it in shade with shelter from winter wind, and Oregon grape brings yellow spring flowers and blue-black berries to the garden.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionflowerPassiflora incarnataGive it full sun and a wall to dress, and the maypop turns a plain fence into a summer-long stage for flowers and butterflies.☀️ 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 granatumSet in full sun, the pomegranate turns a sunny corner into a ritual of ruby fruit each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–10 daysMildly toxicEasyPrivetLigustrum vulgareThe quiet architecture of the garden, a fast hedge that shapes a boundary into anything you please, but one that strays and turns dangerous to grazing animals.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyRambling RoseRosaSet against a fence, an arch, or an old stone wall, a well-placed rambler turns a plain boundary into the centerpiece of an early summer garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRaspberryRubus idaeusSet in full sun and generous soil and pruned once a year, the raspberry turns a sunny border into a summer ritual of fruit by the handful.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRhododendronRhododendronWith the acidic soil and dappled shade it loves, a rhododendron becomes the quiet centerpiece of a woodland garden for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateRose of SharonHibiscus syriacusSet against an open, sunlit corner, this shrub turns the quiet end of summer into the garden's best season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyRugosa RoseRosa rugosaA shrub with seaside poise, the rugosa rose carries a garden through summer bloom and into a fall dressed in red hips.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScarlet FirethornPyracantha coccineaA working shrub with a sense of drama, firethorn dresses a sunny wall in white spring bloom and a long run of orange-red winter berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyShrub RoseRosaA shrub rose brings months of easy bloom to a border, from late spring through to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaAn unfussy summer performer, shrubby cinquefoil brings effortless color to the sunniest edges of a garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby St. John's WortHypericum frondosumEffortless structure and a wash of bright yellow summer flowers, from a native shrub that carries a border with almost no upkeep.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasySilver Lace VineFallopia baldschuanicaThe climber that turns a plain boundary into a cloud of summer white, given room and a yearly trim.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySky Pencil HollyIlex crenataThe vertical line a considered garden reaches for, content with acidic soil and a little winter attention.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateSlender DeutziaDeutzia gracilisThe quietly elegant shrub that turns a spring border into a soft drift of white and then bows out gracefully.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySmoke BushCotinus coggygriaWith full sun and sharp drainage, smoke bush drapes a garden in summer haze and turns fiery by fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySnowball BushViburnum opulusSet it where it has full sun and open space, and the snowball bush becomes the spring centerpiece a garden builds itself around.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoidesDraped along a wall or terrace rail, star jasmine turns an ordinary corner into a scented retreat.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySummersweetClethra alnifoliaGive it steady moisture and a little shade, and summersweet perfumes the late-summer garden long after other shrubs have bowed out.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySweet Autumn ClematisClematis ternifloraThe vine that turns a bare boundary wall into a scented white backdrop for the last soft evenings of summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyTeaCamellia sinensisSet in acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, this evergreen shrub turns a quiet garden corner into the source of your daily cup.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateTea PlantCamellia sinensisSettle it into acidic soil, part shade, and steady moisture, and Camellia sinensis brings the leaves behind every cup of tea into your own garden.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTrumpet VineCampsis radicansSet against full sun and a strong arbor, the trumpet vine turns a summer garden into a hummingbird stage.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyViburnumViburnumGive it sun, space, and a steady drink while young, and viburnum sets a garden's seasonal mood with spring fragrance and fall berries for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyVirginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaA tough native vine that turns a plain boundary into a wall of autumn fire, with a little keeping in hand.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyVirginia SweetspireItea virginicaA native shrub that gives a garden two seasons of atmosphere, from scented spring spires to a smoldering autumn finish.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyWinter DaphneDaphne odoraNo shrub layers a cold-weather garden with fragrance quite like daphne, though the whole plant is toxic.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysToxicDemandingWinterberry HollyIlex verticillataPair a male with your females and winterberry brings bare stems lit with red berries to the winter garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyWintergreenGaultheria procumbensGive it acidic soil and cool shade, and wintergreen lays down a glossy evergreen carpet lit with 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 virginianaGive it moist, acidic soil and a place to spread, and witch hazel brings ribbon-like flowers to the garden just as the season slips into quiet.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyYaupon HollyIlex vomitoriaEvergreen, unfussy, and the one North American holly you can brew, yaupon carries a garden through drought, salt, and shade.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasy