Shrubs – Putting the Right Shrub in the Right Place

Shrubs are a common occurrence in almost every landscape. They are varied and versatile. Putting the right shrub in the right place can help bring accents and seasonal interest into a landscape but also define a physical space by creating borders or low hedges. Below you’ll find some of the most useful shrubs and where they grow best around your home. Be sure to see the below photo gallery!

Sunny Locations

Many species of shrubs are very hardy and thrive in full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight). Open areas, boulevards, and the South side of your home are often soaked in sun. Below are some great shrubs for these areas.

-Spirea ‘snowmound’

-Ninebark

-Weigelia ‘Dark Horse’

-Viburnum ‘Autumn Jazz’

-Roses

-Hydrangea

-Potentilla

Partial Shade Locations

If you’re dealing with an area that gets less than 6 hours of direct sunlight, it is no longer considered ‘full-sun’. Below are some popular shrubs for shaded areas.

-Azalea ‘Rosy Lights’

-Barberry (most)

-Boxwood

-Chokeberry

-Clethra

-Cotoneaster

-Currant

-Dogwood

-Forsythia (some)

-Hazelnut

-Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’

-Rhododendron

-Serviceberry

Wet and Dry Areas

Most shrubs will tolerate a range of conditions but sometimes within our landscape, we encounter areas that are particularly wet or dry. For these trouble areas, it’s important to choose shrubs that are suited to the unique conditions.

Dry Locations

-Barberry

-Chokeberry

-Cotoneaster

-Currant

-Hypericum

-Ninebark

-Potentilla

-Rose

-Spirea

-Sumac

Moist Locations

-Barberry

-Chokeberry

-Clethra

-Dogwood

-Serviceberry

-Viburnum

-Willow

-Winterberry

-Witchhazel

Hedges and screenings

Another common use for shrubs is to provide privacy or sound screens. Conifers are particularly well suited for this application. There are many dwarf varieties that fit well into all landscapes. Planting canopy trees with an under-story planting of deciduous shrubs is another great way to create privacy screening. Some great shrubs to use for screening include:

-Boxwood

-Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’

-Yew

-Dwf Pines

-Dwf Spruce ‘Alberta’

-Dogwood

-Ninebark ‘Center Glow’

-Hazelnut

Care and Maintenance

Once a shrub is established, they are generally low maintenance. Pruning in the spring is recommended for most shrubs to maintain shape and size. For flowering shrubs (such as lilac) wait until after they bloom. This will preserve spring blossom sets and often trigger another flush of blooms. For new shrubs, make sure they get a weekly drench of water in their first year. Newly planted shrubs should not be fertilized.