Shrubs

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

Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumA hardy native shrub that delivers spring flowers, blue-black berries, and fiery fall color with hardly any effort.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAsiatic JasmineTrachelospermum asiaticumTough, glossy, and happy in sun or deep shade, Asiatic jasmine carpets the ground and asks for almost nothing.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAzaleaRhododendronHand it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, and the azalea pays you back with a spring you can hardly look away from.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateBeautybushKolkwitzia amabilisA rewarding, arching shrub that erupts in pink, bell-shaped flowers every spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack ChokeberryAronia melanocarpaTough, cold-proof, and edible from spring flower to winter berry, chokeberry gives back far more than it asks.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyBlackberryRubus fruticosusHand it full sun and room to ramble, and a blackberry pours out fruit by the bucket for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyBluebeardCaryopteris × clandonensisChop bluebeard back hard each spring and it roars back with a haze of blue flowers just as the garden starts to fade.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlueberryVaccinium corymbosumDial in the acidic soil and a second bush nearby, and the blueberry pours on summer 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 tricuspidataGrow it for a wall that ignites crimson in fall, then give it masonry to climb, not your siding.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyBougainvilleaBougainvillea spectabilisGive it sun, a touch of thirst, and a little benign neglect, and bougainvillea pays you back with sheets of color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateBoysenberryRubus ursinus × idaeusHand 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 in full sun and the autumn leaves blaze a deep scarlet you can pick out clear across the yard.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyButterfly BushBuddleja davidiiHand it full sun and a bold spring cut, and the butterfly bush erupts with flowers and wings all summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCalifornia LilacCeanothus thyrsiflorusHand it full sun, sharp drainage, and almost no water, and California lilac erupts into a wall of blue every spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 15–30 daysPet & child safeModerateCamelliaCamellia japonicaHand it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady water, and the camellia fires off blooms when little else dares to flower.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirensHand it full sun and a sturdy support, and this evergreen vine erupts in fragrant yellow trumpets by late winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyChinese Fringe FlowerLoropetalum chinenseDrop loropetalum into acidic soil with good drainage and watch it churn out colored foliage and fringed blooms for almost no work.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyChocolate VineAkebia quinataFragrant chocolate-purple flowers and edible fruit on a climber that takes off fast and rewards a firm hand.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyClematisClematisPlant it with sun on its head and shade on its feet, and clematis scrambles into a wall of bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala subsp. petiolarisStick with it and watch a bare wall turn into 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 arabicaGive it warmth, bright indirect light, and humid air, and watch the coffee plant grow into a glossy evergreen that may one day set cherries of its own.☀️ Bright indirect · 💧 5–7 daysToxicModerateCommon BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensSlow, sturdy, and evergreen year-round, boxwood gives any clipped, formal garden its green backbone.☀️ 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 vulgarisDrop it into full sun with room to breathe, and the common lilac rewards you with waves of spring scent for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCommon NinebarkPhysocarpus opulifoliusA tough native shrub that throws out peeling bark and colorful foliage and asks for next to nothing back.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCotoneasterCotoneasterTough, drought-proof, and blazing with red berries all winter, cotoneaster earns its keep and then some.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCranberryVaccinium macrocarponHand it acidic peat, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low creeping vine pays you back with tart fall berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeDemandingCreeping JuniperJuniperus horizontalisGive it full sun and soil that drains, and this tough evergreen mat looks after itself.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyCrossvineBignonia capreolataA fast native climber that erupts into a spring blaze of trumpets and keeps the hummingbirds zipping in.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCurrantRibes rubrumTough as nails and bursting with tart berries, the currant earns a spot in any cool-climate garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyDavid Austin RoseRosaOld-rose beauty and perfume on a shrub that blooms again and again from late spring to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateDipladeniaMandevilla sanderiHand it full sun, warmth, and sharp drainage, and dipladenia keeps trumpet flowers coming from early summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateDragon FruitHylocereus undatusHand this climbing cactus sun, a sturdy post, and a pollination partner, and it rewards you with night-blooming flowers and bright pitaya.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDrooping LeucothoeLeucothoe fontanesianaFeed it shade, acidic soil, and steady moisture, and this arching evergreen puts on a show every month of the year.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateDutchman's PipeAristolochia macrophyllaA fast climber that rockets up a support into a wall of overlapping leaves and feeds the pipevine swallowtail.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyDwarf FothergillaFothergilla gardeniiHoney-scented spring flowers and a roaring fall color show on a tough, rewarding native shrub.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyElderberrySambucus canadensisHand it sun, steady moisture, and a partner cultivar close by, and elderberry pays you back with heavy clusters of dark fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyEncore AzaleaRhododendronPair it with acidic soil, filtered sun, and steady moisture, and the Encore azalea fires off bloom in spring and rolls right on into fall.☀️ Partial sun · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateEvergreen EuonymusEuonymus japonicusA tough, shade-friendly evergreen that snaps into a hedge and rewards you for almost no effort.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyFloribunda RoseRosaPlant it in full sun, give it elbow room, and water at the base, and a floribunda keeps pumping out clusters from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateFlowering QuinceChaenomeles speciosaIt races to be one of the first shrubs to bloom each spring, setting bare branches alight with color before the leaves catch up.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGardeniaGardenia jasminoidesGive it acidic soil, steady moisture, and humid air, and the gardenia pays it back with intensely fragrant white flowers.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicDemandingGlossy AbeliaAbelia × grandifloraHand it sun and soil that drains, and glossy abelia keeps flowering from late spring to frost with barely any effort.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyGoji BerryLycium barbarumGive it full sun, lean alkaline soil, and room to sprawl, and this tough nightshade pays you back in superfood berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGooseberryRibes uva-crispaA tough, cold-hardy berry bush that rewards you when you give it 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 one bold yearly prune, and it rewards you with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicModerateGroundcover RoseRosaGive it full sun and room to breathe, and a groundcover rose carpets the ground in bloom from spring straight to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHardy KiwiActinidia argutaA frost-proof vine loaded with grape-sized berries you toss back whole, zero peeling involved.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateHazelnutCorylus avellanaGive it full sun, a pollen partner, and room to spread, and the hazel keeps the nuts coming every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateHeavenly BambooNandina domesticaTough, drought-proof, and fiery in winter, nandina rewards a grower, though its berries are poison to wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyHoneyberryLonicera caeruleaPair up two cultivars and beat the whole garden to the first berry of the year, sweet-tart and frost-tough.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHoneysuckleLonicera sempervirensGive it full sun and something to climb, and trumpet honeysuckle rewards you with coral flowers and a steady rush of hummingbirds.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyHybrid Tea RoseRosaGive it full sun, deep water, and a hard spring cut, and the hybrid tea rose keeps pumping out long-stemmed blooms from summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–8 daysPet & child safeModerateHydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaGive it rich, moist soil and afternoon shade, and the hydrangea piles on armfuls of bloom all summer.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateInkberry HollyIlex glabraA tough native shrub that powers through wet ground, hard winters, and shade and stays green right through.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese BarberryBerberis thunbergiiTough, thorny, and richly colored, but check the rules before you plant it where it can spread.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese HollyIlex crenataHand it acid soil with real drainage and this tough evergreen powers into sharp, sheared forms that hold for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese KerriaKerria japonicaHand it dappled shade and soil that drains, and Japanese kerria fires up spring with golden flowers riding bright green stems.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese LaurelAucuba japonicaThe shade-loving evergreen that turns dark corners into gold-dusted color.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese PierisPieris japonicaHand it acidic soil and shelter from wind, and andromeda pays you back with drooping white flowers every spring.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateJapanese PittosporumPittosporum tobiraAn evergreen shrub that powers through sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing and still perfumes the spring like orange blossom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese SkimmiaSkimmia japonicaGive it shade and acidic soil and this evergreen delivers fragrant spring flowers and bright winter berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateJapanese SpireaSpiraea japonicaFast, tough, and generous, Japanese spirea keeps giving flat pink flower clusters and shifting foliage color from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyKiwiActinidia deliciosaGive it full sun, a strong trellis, and a male partner, and a kiwi vine pays back the patience with fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateKnock Out RoseRosaPlant it in full sun and hit it with one spring prune, and the Knock Out roars from June to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyLingonberryVaccinium vitis-idaeaHand it acidic soil, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low evergreen carpet fires off two crops of tart red berries a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–5 daysPet & child safeModerateLoganberryRubus × loganobaccusGive it full sun, rich soil, and a sturdy trellis, and the loganberry pours out a long summer of tart-sweet fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateMandevillaMandevilla × amabilisHand it full sun and summer heat, and mandevilla races up its support and fires off trumpet blooms into 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 coronariusPlant it in full sun and prune on cue, and mock orange packs early summer with orange-blossom scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Fashioned WeigelaWeigela floridaHand it full sun and a well-timed prune, and weigela erupts into a late-spring rush of tubular blooms.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Garden RoseRosaTough, fragrant, and easygoing on their own roots, old garden roses pay you back season after season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateOleanderNerium oleanderA tough, drought-proof shrub that blasts out bloom all summer long, with one hard rule attached: every part is dangerously poisonous.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyOregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumPlant it in shade with shelter from winter wind and Oregon grape rolls out yellow spring flowers and blue-black berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionflowerPassiflora incarnataGive it full sun and room to run, and the maypop rockets up its support, feeds butterflies, and flowers all 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 granatumPlant it in full sun, keep the water steady, and watch it load up with ruby fruit each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–10 daysMildly toxicEasyPrivetLigustrum vulgareA fast, shear-happy hedge that fills in quick and takes any shape, though it bolts out of the garden and poisons grazing animals.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyRambling RoseRosaPlant it in full sun on a strong frame, prune it at just the right moment, and a rambler will race up a fence and burst into early summer flower.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRaspberryRubus idaeusPlant it in full sun and rich soil, prune once a year, and this fast, generous berry piles your bowl high.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRhododendronRhododendronGet the acidic soil and dappled shade dialed in, and this shrub throws out spectacular spring trusses year after year.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateRose of SharonHibiscus syriacusPlant it in full sun with room to stretch, and watch this tough shrub pump out color from midsummer clear into fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyRugosa RoseRosa rugosaThe rugosa rose powers through salt spray and deep cold, blooms all summer long, and finishes the season loaded with red hips.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScarlet FirethornPyracantha coccineaFast, fearless, and bristling with thorns, firethorn delivers a flood of white spring flowers and orange-red winter berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyShrub RoseRosaPlant it in full sun with airflow, and a shrub rose puts on a show from late spring until frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaBombproof and blooming nonstop all summer, shrubby cinquefoil packs a huge payoff into a shrub that barely asks a thing.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby St. John's WortHypericum frondosumTough as nails, drought-proof, and blazing with bright yellow summer flowers, this native shrub gives back far more than it takes.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasySilver Lace VineFallopia baldschuanicaPlant it, stand back, and watch a bare fence vanish under froth of white bloom in a single season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySky Pencil HollyIlex crenataA skinny green rocket of a shrub for tight corners, happy on acidic soil and a little winter care.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateSlender DeutziaDeutzia gracilisAn easy, pet-safe shrub that erupts in white spring flowers and rewards you for barely lifting a finger.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySmoke BushCotinus coggygriaPlant it in full sun with sharp drainage and watch smoke bush erupt into summer haze and fiery fall leaves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySnowball BushViburnum opulusPlant it in full sun with space to spread, and the snowball bush erupts into white spring globes year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoidesSet it loose on a fence and star jasmine rockets up, spilling clouds of fragrant white flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySummersweetClethra alnifoliaGive it steady moisture and a little shade, and summersweet fires off fragrant spikes long after the rest of the garden has clocked out.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySweet Autumn ClematisClematis ternifloraWatch a bare fence disappear under fragrant white bloom the moment late summer arrives.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyTeaCamellia sinensisGive it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, and this evergreen shrub keeps pushing out the leaves behind every cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateTea PlantCamellia sinensisSet it up with acidic soil, part shade, and steady moisture, and Camellia sinensis grows the very leaves behind every cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTrumpet VineCampsis radicansGive it full sun and a strong support, and the trumpet vine will pack the summer with hummingbirds.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyViburnumViburnumGive it sun, space, and steady water while young, and viburnum keeps delivering spring fragrance and fall berries for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyVirginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaA tough native vine that pays back brilliant fall color for the price of keeping it trimmed.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyVirginia SweetspireItea virginicaA native shrub that keeps earning its place, with scented spring spires and blazing fall color year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyWinter DaphneDaphne odoraHardly any shrub perfumes a winter garden the way daphne does, yet every part of it is poisonous.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysToxicDemandingWinterberry HollyIlex verticillataPair a male with your females and winterberry delivers bare stems packed with red berries all winter long.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyWintergreenGaultheria procumbensGive it acidic soil and cool shade, and wintergreen knits together a glossy evergreen mat loaded with red berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 4–7 daysMildly toxicModerateWisteriaWisteria sinensisHand it full sun, a burly support, and two fearless prunings every year, and wisteria answers each spring with cascades of bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWitch HazelHamamelis virginianaGive it moist, acidic soil and room to spread, and witch hazel rewards you with ribbon-like flowers just as the rest of the garden clocks out for winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyYaupon HollyIlex vomitoriaEvergreen, unstoppable, and the one North American holly you can brew, yaupon powers through drought, salt, and shade.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasy