Long Blooming and Low Maintenance Shrubs
When spring’s flowering trees and shrubs start winding down, landscapes can fall short on color – unless you plan ahead. Shrubs that begin blooming as spring comes to an end provide beauty and color just when you need it. These five low-maintenance flowering shrubs light up landscapes with months of summer blooms. As an added bonus, these beauties are pollinator favorites, too.
Anthony Waterer Spirea
The red-purple tint of Anthony Waterer spirea’s new spring foliage hints at the beauty to come. This deer-resistant shrub’s stunning flowers open to vibrant crimson, then mature to brilliant rose-pink. Best for full sun to partial shade locations, this flowering shrub fills the garden with blooms from June through September. Trim away spent flowers to encourage even more blooms. About 3 feet tall and wide, Anthony Waterer attracts both butterflies and bees.
(Hardiness zones 4 through 8)
Happy Face Pink Paradise Potentilla
Compact and undemanding, Happy Face Pink Paradise potentilla will put a smile on your face with its cheery, cherry-pink blooms. This outstanding shrub performs best in locations with full sun, where it blooms from June until frost. The semi-double flowers hold their color well, especially in cooler climates. In hot summer conditions, blooms may fade to soft pale pink and near white for a multi-color effect. Just 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, this tough flowering shrub resists deer, tolerates road salt and attracts butterflies and bees. (Hardiness zones 2 through 7)
White Drift Rose
Drift roses combine the size and repeat blooms of miniature roses with the disease-resistance and hardiness of groundcover shrub roses. The result is a delightful rose that delivers the best of both. White Drift rose is an easy-care, low-growing rose with fully double, pure white flowers from June to October. Growing just 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide, White Drift performs best when planted in full sun. Butterflies and bees will appreciate this flowery addition. (Hardiness zones 5 through 10)
Flutterby Petite Tutti Frutti Pink Buddleia
Fragrant, magenta-pink flowers from June until frost make Flutterby Petite Tutti Frutti Pink butterfly bush a favorite with gardeners and butterflies. But don’t let the name fool you – hummingbirds and bees like it, too. Unlike some buddleias, this heat- and drought-tolerant variety rarely re-seeds. Graceful and petite, it’s excellent for mixed containers and mixed borders. Tutti Frutti Pink flourishes in full sun to partial shade and grows just 24 to 30 inches tall and wide.
(Hardiness zones 5 through 9)
Arthur J. Simmons Caryopteris
The aromatic, silvery foliage of Arthur J. Simmons caryopteris gets a jolt of color from purple-blue blooms that start in early summer and go until frost stops the show. This compact shrub does best in a full sun location and grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. For best growth and flowering, cut it back to about 8 inches tall in early spring each year. Bees love this low-maintenance, deer-resistant shrub’s distinctive fuzzy blooms. (Hardiness zones 5 through 9)
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