Flowering shrubs for the southern garden

This is the time of year when many gardeners turn their thoughts to the magic of flowering plants. After all, April showers bring May flowers, right? Carefully selected flowering shrubs are wonderful assets in our landscapes. Following are ten such shrubs recommended by Southern Living magazine.

First up are hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are a Southern garden staple so universally loved that no one dares question even a single cluster of baby-blue blooms, even if they’re merely there to flank your trash cans. Hydrangeas are just a non-negotiable — unless of course, you’re ready to venture outside the cluster of baby-blue blooms.

One of the South’s favorite shrubs, azaleas offer some of the best curb appeal potential of all these flowering staples, which is why you’ll see so many blooming in Southern gardens from spring to fall, depending on the variety. Azaleas like plenty of morning light, but you might want to avoid areas that get midday or hot afternoon full sun. When planting in masses, use the same selection in the same hue for maximum impact. Azaleas range in size depending on the variety — make sure to check maturity size and spacing requirements before planting to prevent large selections, like Southern Indian hybrids that can grow up to 8 to 10 feet tall, overtaking a sizable section of your landscape.

Gardenias are tender white flowering shrubs that make any garden look classic and timeless. It boasts some hard-to-resist attributes: beautiful evergreen leaves, snow-white blossoms, an intoxicating fragrance, and the ability to withstand the Southern summer heat. Gardenias bloom in spring and summer and individual flowers can last several weeks in bloom. Plant gardenias where they can get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight—in warmer climates, they’ll prefer morning to mid-day sun with afternoon shade, in cooler climates, they can grow in full sun. These tropical evergreen shrubs grow in USDA Zones 8-11 but there are now many varieties tolerant to cooler temperatures that can be grown in Zone 7, such as ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ and ‘Frostproof’.

Hibiscus will add a healthy dose of the tropics to your garden with their funnel-shaped blossoms. Hibiscus likes a lot of sun and water, which makes it a great option if you’re looking to add a new container plant to your collection that you can move around freely and keep moist throughout growing season. Hot tip: Perennial hibiscus makes the better pick to grow as a shrub, while tropical is a showy option for containers. Hibiscuses come in a wide range of colors including, red, orange, pink, yellow, and white.

Camellias have a long blooming season and love the climate down here in the South. In general, camellias grow and bloom better in partial shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun. The reward is a table-worthy display of pink and white blossoms.

Weigela has experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade. It makes for a great ground shrub speckled with tiny blooms to fill any flower bed you have that needs some personality. This low maintenance shrub grows 3 to 6 feet high and wide and blooms in late spring and early summer. Weigela comes in a variety of flower and foliage colors. Flowers come in pink, red, white, or yellow hues and foliage can range from variegated in yellow and green to a deep burgundy.

Abelia is a hearty and reliable shrub that grows in full sun with regular water. Abelia attracts butterflies and blooms spring through fall. Blooms of this easy-to-grow shrub come in pink, purple, red, and white. Abelias grow densely and can be planted as foundation plants as well as for borders, hedges, or privacy screens.

For a look-alike alternative to hydrangeas, try viburnum. This spring-flowering shrub has large, round clusters of flowers that look similar to hydrangea blooms. While hydrangeas blooms come in a wide variety of colors, viburnums flowers are white or pink. Before you choose a viburnum variety, check the maturity height, which can range from 2 to 30 feet high.

Loropetalum, also called Chinese fringe flower, is an evergreen shrub that blooms in whites or pinks and has a fast-growing habit. This shrub can grow big, so make sure to plan accordingly when choosing a variety to plant. Flowers can appear from late winter into early summer. Grow them as specimen plants, hedges, borders, or screens.

‘Knock Out’ roses are easy-to-care-for shrubs that provide blooms from spring through fall. ‘Knock Out’ roses like full sun and well-draining soil. If well cared for, these roses are resistant to black spot, powdery mildew, and pests. (They can, however, fall victim to rose rosette disease, a virus that kills the plant.) Self-cleaning, they don’t require deadheading. These roses bloom on new growth so, for a tidier plant, prune them almost anytime during the growing season.

Try some of these southern flowering shrub favorites. You’ll be glad you did!

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26, two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478) 954-1507.

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