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What are your favorite shrubs? Why?

18 years ago

I'll be planting on a clean slate this spring, (new construction last fall.) Browsing for shrubs now, I'm considering Mock Orange for its frangrant flowers in early spring. I have some lilacs from the old place. The area has both full sun and shade.

Also considering diablo ninebark for it's foliage and appearance.

What are some of your favorites? I'm zone 4.

Thanks

Cheryl

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Comments (8)

lee53011
18 years ago
I like smoke bush for the color and beauty berry for the color and fruits for the birds. Also rose of sharon is nice for the flowers.

Lee
putzer
18 years ago
Hydrangea 'Endless Summer,' my Weigela (red blooms, I think it's Red Prince or something like that). I love the blooms on both-gorgeous! The birds like to hang out in the Weigela as well. Last year, we planted four Viburnum, two black beauty elderberries, and a gray dogwood. We want to attract more birds naturally. Sooo if they all get fruit they will be on my list of favorites as well.
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jlsch
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One word of caution. I have two mock orange shrubs, and one never blooms. When I went to the shrub forum I found out this is not an uncommon problem. I love my Korean Spice - viburnum for fragrance.
cheryloz4
Original Author
18 years ago
Oh yes! The Endless Summer Hydrangea saw those @ the stores last summer. I'll have to add those as well and the beautiful weigela I had Minuet and another (?). They have such pretty flowers. I never had checked out any of the viburnums, smoke bush or the rose of sharon. Is Rose of Sharon a rose bush.I have several spreading old fashiond rose bushes, and a climber Henery Kessley. Hmmmmm mock orange not flowering. I wanted it for the fragrant flowers.
Thanks everyone.
Cheryl
lee53011
18 years ago
Rose of Sharon is not a rose bush. I believe it is in the mallow family a close relative of the hibiscus. Blooms in summer and atracts hummingbirds, grows up to 10' and is a deciduous bush. Comes in a variety of colors, including pink, white and lilac. A very behaved bush, I have not trimmed mine in over 5 years, and it grows more or less vertically. Here are some links for pictures of Rose of Sharon and Smokebush.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/788/index.html
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1043/index.html

Lee
cheryloz4
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the research. They are both very attractive. I'm not sure the rose of sharon would surive zone 4 winters.
Cheryl
heartsease
18 years ago
Hi, Cheryl,
I like the following for multi-season interest and bird habitat ...
Blueberries for pretty spring flowers, summer fruit and beautiful autumn foliage. Rugosa roses for fragrant flowers and colorful hips for winter ... I try to buy recurrent bloomers. Delicata is wonderful. Sea Green junipers ... all season interest and birds love it for nesting, it gets large eventually and seems to resist winter burn when others are damaged.
Linda
daddylonglegs
18 years ago
My Rose of Sharon in Waukesha is in southern exposure and does very well. I bought one for my mother-in-law in Z4 Minnesota and it died. Could have been something she did though, mine is very hardy.
I've had 4 mock orange bushes for 6 years, has never bloomed. Moved them last year, fingers are crossed. Will toss them if they don't bloom next year.
Favorite is Yellow Potentilla (white is good too), by far. Blooms all summer

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