Need advice about these shrubs

17 years ago

I need a shrub to plant at the corner of my house, in a 7'x7' space, with sidewalk on 2 sides and the foundation of house behind it. There are 3 small, rounded blue holly shrubs, in a row, next to the 7'x7' space.

I need something upright or vase shaped about 8-10 ft high, and not invasive or suckering. Area will get morning sun and late afternoon shade. Well drained soil and mostly sheltered from winds. So my candidates are:

Viburnum bodnantense: not sure if this is hardy is zone 6, but I liked the overall look of it. Does anyone have this in zone 6? How is its growth rate?

Chokeberry Brilliant Red: looks like correct height, easy care, fast growth rate, but does it get invasive by suckering? Also, does it look a little scruffy for a prominent spot?

Ilex verticillata, winterberry, sparkleberry: another shrub that has the right height and nice winter appearance but how much sun does it need? Growth rate and suckering? I have space to plant a male pollinator nearby.

Steeds holly: everyplace I've researched shows a different height and growth rate. And how much sun will it need? Is it more columnar or pyramidal in shape?

Winter hardy camelias: don't know anything about them, does anyone grow them in zone 6?

Plants that I'm not interested in, for now anyway. Yews, already have a lot of them; Sky pencil holly, just doesn't appeal; Dragon lady holly, I wanted something with a different leaf type and this is probably a little narrow for the space; hibiscus, just doesn't appeal to me.

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

Iris GW
17 years ago
Chokeberry, the deciduous ilex shrubs and sparkleberry ... I love all these shrubs but they do sucker.

How about Fothergilla?

Here is a link that might be useful: Fothergilla
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stimpy926
17 years ago
You might consider a Viburnum carlessii or V. burkwoodii 'Mohawk' - either get the wonderful fragrance of flowers in spring (great near walkways) and good fall color as well. I wouldn't plant the gangly V. bodnantense near a pathway.
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First, get rid of the ivy - it is considered a noxious weed in OR (and most other places in the PNW as well) and it is a habitat for rodents. Same with any English holly. Deer will graze various plants with thorns so that is not exactly a guarantee and rugosa roses need sun. Various evergreen shrubs should work for you - a spreading yew, sweet box (Sarcococca species), Pieris japonica and native huckleberries (they'll eat the berries but leave the plants alone) are all relatively deer resistant, however young animals will invariably sample anything and even the adults will test out things new to the garden to see if they are tasty or not so it is best to protect initially. You can also try underplanting with hellebores - completely deer proof - and hardy geraniums like maculatum or macrorrhizum which apparently haver an unpleasant taste. If your property is regularly traveled by deer - and most of us in the PNW experience their visits to some degree or another - try planting so that you leave pathways to prevent trampling of young plants.
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garden_wench
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you both for your replies.

I like fothergilla, I have 4 of them but they are so slow growing. I really wanted something more vase shaped in this spot, I want to underplant with something like a dwarf nandina.

How much do the winterberries sucker? Thinking I want to use them somewhere.

How much sun will either of these viburnums need? How about growth rate and overall shape? I'd like something about 8-10 ft high but not as wide since the space is 7'x7'.
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Iris GW
17 years ago
What is the scientific name for the plant that you are thinking of when you say winterberry? If it is Ilex verticillata, then I think suckering is more an issue with the species (than cultivars) and more likely to occur in moist areas.
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garden_wench
Original Author
17 years ago
I am thinking of the Ilex verticillata called Sparkleberry or Winter Red or Berry Heavy.
After reading your post I did some quick research and saw (on UConn's website) that the Ilex verticillata x Ilex serrata hybrids have more vigorous growth than the ilex verticillata cultivers.

So, Sparkleberry was listed there as the more vigorous hybrid, Winter Red as the cultiver, and I couldn't find any info on Berry Heavy. Any of these 3 would probably work in that area.

So what is the verdict on the Sparkleberry, too vigorous, or just misunderstood? All the nursery websites give conflicting advice.

Since i want to underplant this area with some small bulbs, perennials, etc., an upright plant is what I looking for. A viburnum would be great also, but I'd have to wait till it was blooming. Had 2 different viburnums at my previous house, one smelled great and the other, some kind of arrow-wood, was really bad.
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bogturtle
17 years ago
I really like the Hamamelis, or witchhazel hybrids, and these are colorful now and in the fall. Some are naturally inclined to be vase shaped. The selection continues to increase. I would have more, but they are, compared to other plants, pricey. I also like the Pseudocamellias and Corylopsis.
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Need advice about these shrubs

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