Bodnant viburnum is popular for its scented winter flowers.

hybrid witch hazels are great for winter interest. They bloom, and are also very fragrant. Unfortunately though, they are also grafted, which makes them slightly more expensive than most shrubs. If you're interested, some good cultivars are "arnold promise" and "jelena", but there are a lot more to choose from.

Thanks! I will check out that viburnum and the witch hazels further. Do either of them also have good color in the fall?

For fall leaf color plant Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'.

How does Malus do in your area?

For a viburnum, I'd recommend V. purnifolium.

I have to say I love the course texture of the witchhazel foilage though.

More plants to check on - great! Thanks! I will take a look at both the Diane witch hazel and the V. prunifolium.

whaas - Malus is lovely when it blooms in the spring. However, by the end of summer here, it's looking really ratty. Spots on the leaves and all. And while I've enjoyed photos of their fruits on the forum here, I've never seen them looking that good around here. So I'd rather not do that here. In other areas, I think it could be a very good option.

Characteristics of flowering crabapple trees vary with the particular kind - of which there are hundreds. Some are disease resistant and some are not, some have a good fruit display in fall (and sometimes winter) others do not. There are some flowering crabapple cultivars that are in fruit for months at a time.

To bboy's point, you can more than likely find a Malus culivar that will work for you. For example, maybe the ones you see that look ratty don't have good fireblight resistance.

Even for my area, I feel like so many look...lets say crabby. But others maintain good clean foilage all year.

For example my 'Coralburst' looks great all growing season.

Nandina's should grow well in your zone, and they have an interesting burgundy color. I tried some of these this year, and they still have leaves poking out of the snow. Not that common here in new england, but probably more so down further south.

Red twig dogwood winter flame, great yellow, orange, and red coloration on the stems. One of the few newer plants to live up to it's marketing hype. Just put one in last year, and it's really impressive so far. Winter flame fall color kind of a light bronze color, but it goes with the other fall plants quite nicely.

Certain heavenly bamboo cultivars have striking foliage color at least part of the time. Others do not. Out my way these may be quite tender, freezing down at rather high temperatures.

Thanks for all the input - sounds like I will have to revisit malus. Which ones might be best for the clean foliage, fruit, and fall color here in the hot, humid south? Will those stay to 10-12 feet or get bigger? For this particular spot, I don't want anything much taller, as it would shade the veggies eventually. Might find another spot for it, though. :- )

I do like the look of the nandina with berries, but if those types are invasive here, I may have to pass on nandina. The red twig dogwood is a nice option, though, and I'm glad to hear the winter flame has a reasonably good fall color.

Chokeberry is another good option - my husband happens to be interested in the health benefits of the fruit. We haven't tasted them - but if they're terrible, the birds could eat them. :- ) Would they make a terrible mess near a driveway (the bush, not the birds)? Should I plan a different position for one of those? I had a different place in mind for one in future anyway.

Take a look at this topic...several Malus cultivars are recommended from the folks in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Malus

Don't give up on Ilex verticillata either. A favorite cultivar of mine 'Winter Red' should mature at just about the height and spread you described and would be happy in the conditions you described especially if you could irrigate during the heat of summer although once established they are suprisingly tolerant. You will have to plant a male cultivar like 'Apollo' within 50 feet or so to assure good pollination. woody_ct

Whaas and Woody, thanks for your additional info. I had not seen that malus thread before - probably because I wasn't looking specifically for malus in the past.

I would definitely like to have the Ilex verticillata somewhere, though placement of a pollinator has to be considered, of course. And I'm liking the idea of a malus that looks good through the summer and fall, with lovely fruits in the fall and winter. I will have to do more research.

Of course, I may place some of these suggested shrubs in other spots on the property. Our lot was cow pasture before we built on it, so we are slowly putting in trees and shrubs. I want to carefully research so that I get what I really want for these long-term plantings. It's not like a perennial that you can easily dig up and replace if you don't care for it!

So - I have some great suggestions so far: Malus, Ilex verticillata, Aronia/photinia, Red twig dogwood, witch hazel, and viburnums prunifolium and bodnant. This is a very visible spot year-round. Which one(s) do you all think have the best spring and summer interest, along with the fall/winter that are my top priority here? I can find other places for the other shrubs, but may as well have the showiest here where we'll see it twice a day.

Thanks!

For spring/fall interest - Fothergilla gardenii, actually not bad in summer either - compact, tidy, nice plant

For all seasons - Hydrangea quercifolia and Cornus alternifolia

IMO, I'd remove the Aronia and dogwood options for this spot.

I like the quercifolia suggestion...but that will not like full all day blazing sun on a slope.

In the end, I'd chose the Malus cultivar since fall/winter interest is your top priority...there are several cultivars with persistant fruit.

If you want something that is more drought tolerant, v. prunifolium. 'Summer Magic' is a nice cultivar.

Paula, thanks - I'm actually already eyeing the fothergilla and hydrangea for another area. They are both very pretty! The cornus is on my list to research as well. I am starting from scratch on an area in back that will provide an evergreen screen and for which I'll be planting more ornamental plants on our side (the north side), which will ultimately be partial shade.

Whaas - I am looking further into the malus cultivars. That may be the winner for this spot in the end. We'll see. Why not the aronia here? Messy?

I think the 'Summer Magic' viburnum is lovely, too - but it may not have the winter interest I'm looking for. Do the berries persist long? The web seems to indicate no, but that could be incorrect. (Heaven knows, it's been wrong before!)

These all seem to be shrubs I want to have on the property - just a matter of figuring out what to put where! You guys are great - I'm really appreciating all the input.

I have not found the Aronia to be messy. Handsome summer foliage, nice flowers, great fall color and winter berries.

I have an Aronia melanocarpa and enjoy it very much for the reasons esh_ga has mentioned. Mine is upright 6-7 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide (the cultivar name escapes me). The berries are very tart but I still eat a few every year.
tj

Funny...Aronia melanocarpa is one of my least favorite shrubs in my yard. I have the straight A. melanocarpa and 'Morton'....AKA Iroquois Beauty.

All slow growers, rabbits eat em up, not very dense, suckers. But the white flowers, black berries and fall color keep me from removing them.

Perhaps it is a difference in aronia cultivars? I will try to see if there are some in public gardens around here. UT has a pretty good test garden. I think this is one I would like to see some examples in person.

FWIW, rabbits are not an issue for me at present. Our yard is too wide open and there are too many dogs in the neighborhood. The bunnies stay closer to woods and brush, of which there are several neighborhood areas. Of course, as I plant more shrubs and trees, that may change!

Well, there is a difference in species. Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'(Photinia pyriflolia)has red berries - it is a different species than Aronia melanocarpa (Photinia melanocarpa). A cultivar of that one is 'Morton' (Iroquois Beauty). Red chokeberry and Black chokeberry are the common names for the two species.

If you plant junipers, the rabbits will come.

esh - no! No junipers! While I like gin just fine, I have no intention of distilling my own. :- )

In my area, all the builders plant junipers - of every conceivable variety. So they're overplanted, and usually badly pruned (as they get too large for the space). As a result, I'm avoiding them in favor of other types of evergreens, both needled and broadleaf. Bad associations, you know.

If we were going to try to eat or cook with the chokeberries, do you know if red or black is better? Sounds like I need to see both types before planting anything. I definitely wanted a chokeberry somewhere.

I don't know about cooking with the berries...but straight up, they call them "Choke"berries for a reason.

Aronia arbutifolia is prefered over Aronia melanocarpa.

In my opinion Aronia is good for naturalizing in groups not planting as a speciman...although not sure how you planned on using this plant.

Have you considered a smaller scale Amelanchier?

It is almost impossible to find a plant which looks good year-round, but a variegated-leaved Red Twig Dogwood (something like Ivory Halo) comes very close.

You get a very silvery colored (actually a white variegation on green) shrub in the spring/summer with a light blooming in the early spring. The shrub is not at itÂs best in late summer (for about a month), as it typically is afflicted with a fungus which spots the now pink-tinged foliage. And you may have to de-leaf the shrub yourself, after the leaves wither. However, beyond this period, the stems of the shrub turn to their red winter color, and the shrub will look good for the rest of the winter.

IÂve also got a variety of Winterberries. Winterberries are nice, but they are notoriously slow growers. Fortunately, my first Winterberry (a Winter Red) was pretty good size when I got it (about 2 ft tall X 1 1/2 ft wide), but in 5 years, itÂs only about doubled its size. The most impressive Winterberries IÂve seen are about double the size of my Winterberry now. So, although I do get a nice display of berries from early September to late January usually (it depends on the timing of the winter ripening of the berries), IÂm still hoping to see the shrub achieve a larger size.

A side point is that the Winter Red variety has good fall color, particulary when juxtaposed against the ripening berry color. My Winter Red turns a nice golden color in the fall, and keeps that color for a good while.

Unfortunately, the shrub is quite delectable to rabbits foraging in the winter, and because of its slow growth, itÂs easy to lose size over the winter that you donÂt recover int the following year. I like the plant, but IÂve learned that I have to protect it in the winter.

IÂve got additional Winterberries that IÂve planted in the last 4 years or so. Unfortunately, I didnÂt get large specimens of these plants, so IÂm not seeing anything thatÂs very impressive yet.

If you use Winterberries, make sure that you get large plants (at a local nursey, for example).

Aronia melanocarpa is the one used as a food additive for flavoring. I've never tried arbutifolia, but the site below gives the edible edge to melanocarpa.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Plants for a Future

Thanks - good additional info. My initial plan was to include the chokeberries in a more naturalized area of trees and shrubs I'm planning, backed by an evergreen screen. That may turn out to be the best place to enjoy them. Don't know yet. I can also include other items there that have been suggested here.

This area that I'm considering right now will be more of a specimen area, though I will plant around the "specimen" with some smaller shrubs/bulbs/perennials as well. I will pick them once I figure out what the specimen will be - so as to play off both the specimen's showiest seasons and to hopefully make up for any times of year the specimen isn't doing much.

Thanks again, for all the info - it's hard picking things I've never grown before. I have to find time to visit more botanical gardens in the area, too, because there aren't that many people who plant unusual things nearby. So it's sometimes hard to see things actually growing really near me. My next-door neighbor has put in some of the less usual trees and shrubs in the last year or so, so I can see hers, but most other homes in our area seem to stick with the standbys.

'Winter interest' means different things to different people. For some it means interesting bark and twig structure. For others it means evergreen leaves plus maybe even flowers (camellias) or berries in winter (hollies).

For broad-leafed evergreen shrubs and small trees in full sun, consider some of the Hollies and evergreen viburnums such as 'Chindo', maybe even Carolina Cherrylaurel.

Highbush Cranberry holds its berries most all of winter because birds don't eat them right away. When the leaves fall off the bush in fall, the many clusters of bright red berries make a striking appearance. My Wentworth is upright and oval with a tight branching structure. It grows to about the size you are looking for.

Dear vvesper,
The Japanes Flowering Apricot (_Prunus mume_) is unsurpassed for winter interest. I is a small, fast-growing deciduous flowering tree whose blooming season is December through February. Its flowers are frost resistant and are produced profusely during winter when there are few other flowers. _Prunus mume_ comes in white, pink, and red. Its flowers vary from single to semi-double and, I think, double. A high-quality nursery in your area may possibly carry _Prunus mume_. If not, it is available from Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, NC, via mail order. Camellia Forest offers many excellent _Prunus mumw_ cultivars and has an excellent, secure Website.

If a variegated red twig dogwood is to your liking, there's a recent introduction called cornus stolonifera 'Hedgerows Gold' that may want to consider. Very good cream and green foliage, good winter red color on the stems, vigorous upright grow, and mine displays an interesting fall color you can observe in the link below

Here is a link that might be useful: Hedgerows Gold

More great ideas - thanks! I wish I could plant one of what everyone has suggested. :- )

Dave, you are right - winter interest does mean different things. I am flexible to some extent because I don't have much of any kind of winter interest at present. I have recently been putting in various types of evergreens in another area, though.

For this particular area, I am looking more for something with good fall foliage color and winter color of some kind. I guess my preference would be berries or brightly colored bark. Berries, of course, may not persist all winter. Around the end of January, though, I start hankering after flowers! So I do like the idea of winter blooming plants as well.

In the end, positioning of different plants may be based on what needs to be enjoyed close up (like fragrance) and what can be seen from inside on cold days. I do have other areas of the yard still to plant, with things that may not end up being right for this spot.

It's beginning to sound like this particular spot may be well suited by the variegated red-twig dogwoods that have been mentioned, but I'm not sure yet. And I will certainly be researching (and planting) alot of the other suggestions in other parts of the yard!

So many wonderful plants, so little time (and space and money...)!

I felt the same way you do a couple of years ago and went about looking for plants with fall and winter interest. Here's what I've added that have fall color, berries, or bark interest:

Ilex verticillata "Berry Heavy" and "Jim Dandy"
Lindera benzoin
Itea virginica "Henry's Garnet"
Cornus alba
Cornus stolonifera
Acer palmatum "Osakazuki"
Acer japonica "Maikujaku"
Vib. burkwoodii

Other shrubs/trees that are my favorites for all-season qualities are pieris, bamboo, paperbark maple, and evergreen barberry.

I suggest and recommend you try a purple-leafed ninebark as a focal point shrub (Physocarpus opulifolius). I have 'Summerwine', supposedly they're not as tall at maturity as 'Diablo', which is the size you're looking for. 'Diablo' also has great red colored seeds.

They take one or two years to start to really thicken up and get great peely bark, although it's well worth the wait.

There are also a few other cultivars, for ex. 'Coppertina', with an orange leaf.

I brought some cut stems to a local florist to use in their arrangements, with mixed results reported as far as vase life. That could all be due to my handling, since I don't have a cooler.

Fothergilla and Aronia Autumn Magic have great fall leaf color. The former doesn't have much winter interest, while the latter does, with it berries. My Aronia suckered in its first location. However I moved it and it hasn't yet.

Have you considered a willow? Salix Flame may suit your requirements.

Miscanthus looks great in the fall and winter, though not colorful.

Glad I checked back! More suggestions! I am thinking at this point that I will be able to mix in some of the smaller shrubs (like dwarf fothergillas, for example), around the large one. I am definitely putting in some deciduous hollies, but probably near some evergreen trees I've recently planted, for contrast. I also have plans for some iteas and will look into the ninebark some more. It's a great-looking shrub, but I have no personal expeirence of it, so want to fnid out more about it. I hope to actually plant something soon!

Thanks!

vesper~If you go with ninebark, it does have an awkward teenage phase. I could take a picture of mine if you want to see it's winter form.