
The compact leafy shrub shown right, called 'Nana' or 'Nana Purpurea,' is dome-shaped and 1 to 2 feet tall. Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica), with unbranched vertical stems up to 7 feet tall, has a feathery texture, creamy-white summer flowers, scarlet fall fruit and brightly colored foliage throughout the year.
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Provide well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun to partial shade. Use this dense, rounded shrub as a foundation plant or locate it near paths and entryways to enjoy its intoxicating fragrance. The shrub reaches 4 to 8 feet high with upright, spreading branches that extend to 8 feet wide. Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) has intensely fragrant white flowers in spring that open from pink buds blue-black fruit follows in early summer. Good Choice for the Great Plains, Northwest and Midwest It dies back to the ground in the coldest reaches of its adapted area, but re-sprouts from the base and blooms on new wood. It prefers a sunny location in any well-drained soil and can tolerate drought.

Use the shrub as an accent plant or in a mixed shrub border. The billowy plant can grow to 10 feet high and wide. Fountain Butterfly Bush iStockĪward-Winner in the Rocky Mountain and Plains Statesįountain butterfly bush (Buddleia alternifolia) is a spring bloomer with lilac flower clusters along gracefully arching stems. Give it moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Plant this graceful shrub in groups or intermingled with other shrubs in an informal setting. This widely adapted plant grows upright from 4 to 6 feet high with an equal or greater spread. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a shrub for all seasons, with large, showy cone-shaped flower clusters in early summer, outstanding fall color and handsome cinnamon-colored, flaking bark in winter. Native to Georgia, Florida and Mississippi None have serious pest problems, and they don’t require constant pruning or cleanup. These 15 low maintenance shrubs for landscaping are all attractive, reliable, trouble-free plants.

The only real trick to growing shrubs is picking the right ones from among the many hundreds available. Some dazzle with flowers, colorful leaves, or berries others fill summer evenings with a heavenly scent.

They are the backbone of the landscape, the foundation of garden design. Every garden and yard should include shrubs.
