Shrubs

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

Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumA forgiving native shrub that hands you spring flowers, blue-black berries, and fiery fall color for very little 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 almost nothing of you.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAzaleaRhododendronOffer it acid-leaning soil, soft broken shade, and even watering, and each spring your azalea will repay that small kindness with a bloom worth waiting for.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateBeautybushKolkwitzia amabilisA forgiving, arching shrub that wraps itself in soft pink, bell-shaped flowers each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack ChokeberryAronia melanocarpaHardy, kind to beginners, and edible from spring bloom to winter berry, chokeberry asks very little of you.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyBlackberryRubus fruticosusGive it full sun and a little room to ramble, and a blackberry will hand you buckets of fruit for years to come.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyBluebeardCaryopteris × clandonensisGive bluebeard a hard cut each spring and it rewards you with a soft haze of blue flowers just as the rest of the garden settles down.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlueberryVaccinium corymbosumGet the soil acidic and a friend planted nearby, and your blueberry will thank you with summer after summer of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateBorder ForsythiaForsythia × intermediaWelcome the first burst of yellow that opens long before anything else dares to wake in spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBoston IvyParthenocissus tricuspidataGrow it for a wall that blazes crimson in fall, just offer it masonry to climb instead of your siding.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyBougainvilleaBougainvillea spectabilisGive it sun, a touch of thirst, and a little benign neglect, and bougainvillea rewards you with color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateBoysenberryRubus ursinus × idaeusOffer it full sun, a sturdy trellis, and a yearly prune, and the boysenberry rewards you with big, wine-dark fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateBurning BushEuonymus alatusSettle it in full sun and come autumn the leaves flare a deep scarlet you'll catch from clear across the yard.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyButterfly BushBuddleja davidiiGive it full sun and a brave spring trim, and the butterfly bush rewards you with flowers and fluttering wings all summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCalifornia LilacCeanothus thyrsiflorusGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and almost no water, and California lilac will thank you with a wall of blue every spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 15–30 daysPet & child safeModerateCamelliaCamellia japonicaGive it acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady water, and your camellia rewards you with blooms when almost nothing else is flowering.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirensGive it full sun and something sturdy to climb, and this easygoing evergreen vine rewards you with fragrant yellow trumpets in late winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyChinese Fringe FlowerLoropetalum chinenseGive loropetalum acidic soil with good drainage and it rewards you with colored leaves and fringed blooms while asking almost nothing in return.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyChocolate VineAkebia quinataSweet chocolate-purple flowers and edible fruit on a climber that rewards a little firm pruning.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyClematisClematisGive it sun on its head and shade on its feet, and clematis climbs into a wall of bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala subsp. petiolarisSlow to settle, then a curtain of fragrant white lacecaps you can enjoy for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateClimbing RoseRosaTie it up, guide the canes sideways, and a climbing rose will happily drape a wall in bloom.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateCoffeeCoffea arabicaWith warmth, soft filtered light, and humid air, the coffee plant settles into a glossy evergreen that may someday reward you with cherries of its own.☀️ Bright indirect · 💧 5–7 daysToxicModerateCommon BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensCalm, dependable, and evergreen year-round, boxwood gives a clipped garden its steady green bones.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateCommon JasmineJasminum officinaleOffer it sun, warmth, and a sturdy support, and common jasmine will fill your summer evenings with scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon LilacSyringa vulgarisSet it in full sun with a little elbow room, and the common lilac will thank you with clouds of spring perfume for decades to come.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCommon NinebarkPhysocarpus opulifoliusA forgiving native shrub with peeling bark and colorful leaves that gives back far more than it asks.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCotoneasterCotoneasterForgiving, drought-proof, and dressed in red berries through winter, cotoneaster is a kind plant to learn on.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCranberryVaccinium macrocarponOffer it acidic peat, full sun, and steady moisture, and this low creeping vine will thank you with tart berries come fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeDemandingCreeping JuniperJuniperus horizontalisHand it full sun and soil that drains freely, and this hardy evergreen carpet mostly takes care of itself.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyCrossvineBignonia capreolataA forgiving native climber that hands you a curtain of spring trumpets and keeps the hummingbirds dropping by.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCurrantRibes rubrumHardy, forgiving, and loaded with tart little berries, the currant rewards even a first-time gardener in a cool spot.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyDavid Austin RoseRosaThe charm and scent of an old rose, with flowers that keep coming back from late spring all the way to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateDipladeniaMandevilla sanderiGive it full sun, warmth, and sharp drainage, and dipladenia will reward you with trumpet flowers from early summer all the way to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateDragon FruitHylocereus undatusOffer this climbing cactus sun, a sturdy post, and a pollination partner, and you will be rewarded 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 graceful arching evergreen will reward you all year long.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateDutchman's PipeAristolochia macrophyllaA forgiving climber that fills a frame with soft, overlapping leaves and welcomes the pipevine swallowtail.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyDwarf FothergillaFothergilla gardeniiSweet, honey-scented spring flowers and glowing fall color on a tough little shrub that forgives beginners.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyElderberrySambucus canadensisOffer it sun, steady moisture, and a partner cultivar close by, and elderberry rewards you with full, dark clusters of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyEncore AzaleaRhododendronSettle one into acidic soil, filtered sun, and steady moisture, and your Encore azalea rewards you with spring color that returns into fall.☀️ Partial sun · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateEvergreen EuonymusEuonymus japonicusA tough, shade-friendly evergreen that clips into a hedge and asks almost nothing of you in return.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyFloribunda RoseRosaGive it sun, a little space, and water at the roots, and your floribunda will thank you with clusters of bloom from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateFlowering QuinceChaenomeles speciosaAmong the first shrubs to wake each spring, flowering quince brightens bare branches with color before the leaves catch up.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGardeniaGardenia jasminoidesGive it acidic soil, steady moisture, and humid air, and this shrub thanks you with sweetly scented white flowers.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicDemandingGlossy AbeliaAbelia × grandifloraGive it sun and soil that drains well, and glossy abelia will reward you with flowers from late spring to frost, almost on its own.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyGoji BerryLycium barbarumGive it full sun, lean alkaline soil, and room to sprawl, and this forgiving nightshade will thank you with superfood berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGooseberryRibes uva-crispaA forgiving, cold-hardy berry bush that simply wants cool conditions, an open shape, and steady moisture.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateGrandiflora RoseRosaTall, long-stemmed, and happy to bloom from spring right to frost, the grandiflora hands you hybrid-tea flowers on a floribunda frame.☀️ Full sun · 💧 4–7 daysPet & child safeModerateGrapeVitis viniferaGive a grapevine full sun, a sturdy support, and one hard prune a year, and it will reward you with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicModerateGroundcover RoseRosaGive it full sun and a little breathing room, and a groundcover rose will carpet the ground in bloom from spring right up to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHardy KiwiActinidia argutaA tough little vine that rewards you with smooth, grape-sized berries eaten skin and all, never a peel in sight.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateHazelnutCorylus avellanaGive it full sun, a good pollen partner, and room to spread, and the hazel will thank you with nuts every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateHeavenly BambooNandina domesticaForgiving, drought-proof, and glowing in winter, nandina is easy to love, though its berries are poison to wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyHoneyberryLonicera caeruleaSet two cultivars side by side and you'll gather the earliest berry of the year, sweet-tart and frost-tough.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeEasyHoneysuckleLonicera sempervirensOffer it full sun and something to climb, and trumpet honeysuckle thanks you with coral flowers and a happy parade of hummingbirds.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyHybrid Tea RoseRosaGive it full sun, a deep drink, and a confident spring cut, and the hybrid tea rose will reward you with long-stemmed blooms from summer to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–8 daysPet & child safeModerateHydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaGive it rich, moist soil and afternoon shade, and this forgiving shrub will reward you with armfuls of summer bloom.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateInkberry HollyIlex glabraA forgiving native shrub that shrugs off wet ground, hard winters, and shade and stays green all year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese BarberryBerberis thunbergiiTough, thorny, and richly colored, and forgiving to grow, yet worth a careful thought before you plant it where it can spread.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese HollyIlex crenataGive it acidic soil and sharp drainage, and this easygoing evergreen shears into clean, lasting shape.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese KerriaKerria japonicaGive it dappled shade and soil that drains, and Japanese kerria will thank you with golden spring flowers on cheerful green stems.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese LaurelAucuba japonicaAn easygoing shade shrub that makes you look like a natural.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese PierisPieris japonicaOffer it acidic soil and a wind-sheltered spot, and andromeda rewards you with drooping white flowers each spring.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateJapanese PittosporumPittosporum tobiraA forgiving evergreen shrub that shrugs off sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing and still smells like orange blossom come spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyJapanese SkimmiaSkimmia japonicaGive it shade and acidic soil and this easygoing evergreen rewards you with fragrant spring flowers and cheerful winter berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateJapanese SpireaSpiraea japonicaForgiving, quick to grow, and generous, Japanese spirea rewards you with flat pink flower clusters and foliage that shifts color from spring to fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyKiwiActinidia deliciosaGive it full sun, a strong trellis, and a male partner, and your kiwi vine will thank your patience with fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateKnock Out RoseRosaGive it full sun and one easy cleanup prune a year, and your Knock Out rewards you with bloom 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 will thank you with two crops of tart red berries a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–5 daysPet & child safeModerateLoganberryRubus × loganobaccusWith full sun, rich soil, and a sturdy trellis, the loganberry rewards you with a long, tart-sweet summer harvest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateMandevillaMandevilla × amabilisGive it sun and summer warmth, and mandevilla will reward you with trumpet blooms clear into fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateMiniature RoseRosaGive it full sun, steady water, and good airflow, and your miniature rose will bloom from spring right through fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysPet & child safeModerateMock OrangePhiladelphus coronariusGive it sun and one well-timed prune, and mock orange will fill your early summer with orange-blossom scent.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Fashioned WeigelaWeigela floridaGive it full sun and one well-timed trim, and this easygoing shrub rewards you with a soft rush of tubular spring flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOld Garden RoseRosaHardy, sweetly scented, and easygoing on their own roots, old garden roses reward you year after year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateOleanderNerium oleanderA tough, drought-proof shrub that blooms all summer and asks only that you respect one thing: every part is dangerously poisonous.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyOregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumGive it shade and a little shelter from winter wind, and Oregon grape will thank you with yellow spring flowers and blue-black berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionflowerPassiflora incarnataGive it full sun and a little room, and this forgiving maypop climbs fast, feeds butterflies, and blooms all summer long.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyPassionfruitPassiflora edulisGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and a strong trellis, and this fast, forgiving vine will reward you with fragrant fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 2–4 daysMildly toxicModeratePomegranatePunica granatumGive it full sun and a steady drink, and your pomegranate will thank you with ruby fruit every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–10 daysMildly toxicEasyPrivetLigustrum vulgareA forgiving, fast-growing hedge that shears into almost any shape, though it wanders out of the garden and can harm grazing animals.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyRambling RoseRosaGive it sun and a sturdy frame, prune when the moment is right, and even a nervous beginner will watch a rambler drape a fence in early summer flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRaspberryRubus idaeusOffer it full sun, rich soil, and one prune a year, and this forgiving berry rewards you with handfuls of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateRhododendronRhododendronGet the acidic soil and gentle shade sorted, and this shrub will thank you with spring flowers for years to come.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysToxicModerateRose of SharonHibiscus syriacusPlant it in full sun with a little breathing room, and this easygoing shrub will keep the garden in color from midsummer to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyRugosa RoseRosa rugosaEven a first-time gardener can grow the rugosa rose, a shrub that shrugs off salt and hard cold and finishes the season heavy with red hips.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScarlet FirethornPyracantha coccineaForgiving, fast, and a little prickly, firethorn rewards you with soft white spring flowers and bright orange-red winter berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyShrub RoseRosaGive it full sun and a little breathing room, and a shrub rose rewards you with flowers from late spring to frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaA shrub that forgives beginners and keeps blooming right through summer, all for next to no effort.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyShrubby St. John's WortHypericum frondosumRugged, drought-proof, and lit up with bright yellow summer flowers, this friendly native shrub barely asks for anything.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasySilver Lace VineFallopia baldschuanicaGive a bare fence one season and this easygoing climber will wrap it in white bloom, asking for little more than a yearly haircut.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySky Pencil HollyIlex crenataA slender green column that fits where nothing else will, asking for little more than acidic soil and a bit of winter kindness.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateSlender DeutziaDeutzia gracilisA forgiving little shrub that pours out white spring flowers and forgives almost any beginner's slip.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySmoke BushCotinus coggygriaGive it sun and sharp drainage, and this easygoing shrub rewards you with summer haze and blazing fall leaves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySnowball BushViburnum opulusGive it full sun and a little room, and the snowball bush will thank you with white spring globes for years to come.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoidesGive star jasmine a fence or wall to climb and it thanks you with clouds of sweet white flowers.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasySummersweetClethra alnifoliaOffer it steady moisture and a little shade, and summersweet rewards you with sweet-scented spikes long after other shrubs have called it a year.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySweet Autumn ClematisClematis ternifloraClouds of fragrant white flowers arrive every late summer, on an easygoing vine that forgives almost every beginner slip.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyTeaCamellia sinensisGive this forgiving evergreen shrub acidic soil, dappled shade, and steady moisture, and it will grow the very leaves behind your cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateTea PlantCamellia sinensisOffer it acidic soil, part shade, and steady moisture, and Camellia sinensis happily grows the leaves behind every cup of tea.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTrumpet VineCampsis radicansSet it in full sun with something strong to climb, and your trumpet vine will call hummingbirds in all summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyViburnumViburnumOffer it sun, space, and steady water while it settles, and viburnum rewards you with spring fragrance and fall berries for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyVirginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaA forgiving native vine that gives you glorious fall color in exchange for a little steady trimming.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyVirginia SweetspireItea virginicaA gentle, forgiving native that rewards you with spring flowers and glowing fall color, even if you are just starting out.☀️ 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 verticillataSet a male beside your females and this easygoing native gives back bare stems glowing with red berries all winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicEasyWintergreenGaultheria procumbensOffer it acidic soil and cool shade, and wintergreen settles into a glossy evergreen mat freckled with red berries.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 4–7 daysMildly toxicModerateWisteriaWisteria sinensisGive it full sun, a strong support, and two hard prunings a year, and wisteria will drape itself in flowers each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWitch HazelHamamelis virginianaGive it moist, acidic soil and a little room, and witch hazel will thank you with ribbon-like flowers long after the rest of the garden has settled in for winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyYaupon HollyIlex vomitoriaEvergreen, forgiving, and the one North American holly you can brew, yaupon takes drought, salt, and shade in stride.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasy