By Lori Rose
After spending the summer with our landscapes, we know exactly where a touch, a group, or a drift of color is needed. Although the mere mention of shrubs tends to conjure up thoughts of space hogs like old-fashioned lilacs and forsythias, there are dozens of small and medium-sized shrubs that are perfect partners for perennials, larger shrubs and even containers. Fall is a great time to plant shrubs, whether for spring flowers, summer interest or a fall spectacle. Here are some lovely shrubs that are sure to please the color-starved landscape or garden.
Everyone knows forsythia as the first blooming shrub of spring. But to get those intense yellow flowers, we have to tolerate the huge, sometimes scraggly habit of the old-fashioned bushes. However, forsythias are available in a more compact form so that they will not have to be trimmed every year. ‘Show Off’ is not your typical forsythia. It is compact and full of blooms from the ground to the ends of every stem. This little beauty will stay small, growing from three to six feet tall and wide. ‘Show Off’ will do well in any soil. It withstands city conditions and is air pollution tolerant, so go ahead and plant them near the street. If pruning or shaping becomes necessary, do so immediately after flowering. Old stems can be removed or can be cut back to the ground. Planted in a row, it creates an unobtrusive, “friendly fence” that chases away the winter blahs with the first flowers of spring.
Coralberry is a native shrub that is—dare we say it?—deer resistant. The vivid color of the fall berries on the variety ‘Amethyst’ makes it a garden standout. The deep purple-pink fruit is much brighter and showier than that of other coralberries, and the plant has nice branching and a neat habit, unlike the legginess of some older types. The bright berries drape the plant in autumn. You have to see these berries to believe the almost-fluorescent, almost unreal color. This shrub will indeed stand out anywhere it is planted. Try it in a woodland garden or in a mixed bed of shrubs and perennials. Coralberry ‘Amethyst’ grows 3-5 feet tall and wide, and is not fussy about soil conditions. It prefers full sun to partial shade.
Itea ‘Little Henry’ is a dwarf version of the popular ‘Henry's Garnet’ sweet spire. Less than three feet tall and wide at maturity, it looks lovely in mass as a low hedge, or as a delightful addition to the mixed border. 'Little Henry' has loads of pure white, fragrant gooseneck flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The green summer foliage changes to brilliant orange-red in the fall, giving burning bushes a run for their money. Adaptable, colorful and easy to grow, ‘Little Henry’ is a pretty and useful native shrub. It will tolerate wet soil and grows in either sun or shade. Try them near a blue evergreen, where the white flowers in spring and fiery leaves in fall will contrast beautifully with the gray-blue needles of the evergreen.
Weigela ‘Wine & Roses’ has rich burgundy foliage, creating a bold contrast with the clear rosy-pink flowers. It is floriferous in spring, and will rebloom throughout the summer. Try it in front of a green hedge for a standout display. Enjoy ‘Wine & Roses’ as either an accent plant or used for a dramatic mass planting. It is fast growing and trouble free, making it an easy way to add season-long color to the garden. Its tight habit and colorful foliage makes it very versatile. The richly colored branches make an excellent addition to cut flower bouquets. This winner of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal Plant award grows 4-5 feet tall and wide, and isn’t picky about soil. Grow ‘Wine & Roses’ in full sun for best color. Be sure to leave plenty of room near these unique shrubs for companion plants such as coreopsis and roses.
‘My Monet’ is a pint-sized weigela that will add a splash of color to semi shady areas. It has a neat, tight habit and colorful foliage variegated with green, cream and a blush of pink. Everyone who has seen this beauty falls in love at first sight. ‘Eyecatcher’ weigela lives up to its name with electric yellow variegated foliage and dark red flowers in spring. Both of these weigelas prefer well drained soil but are adaptable to many soil types, and both will continue to flower on and off throughout the season. If you’d like to prune for shape, do so right after the big flowering in late spring. These little 18-inch shrubs will come back year after year when planted in sun or partial sun.
For deep purple foliage that is nearly black, try Sambucus (Elderberry) ‘Black Beauty’. It has striking, darkest purple-black leaves. In June, enjoy the masses of lemon-scented pink flowers that contrast wonderfully with the foliage. They are followed by blackish-red fall berries, which can be harvested for making elderberry wine and jam, or left on the plant to attract birds and other wildlife. This bold beauty can be grown as a large shrub, reaching eight feet tall, or it can be cut back hard in late fall. Cutting back will help keep the plants small enough to be good perennial partners. The finely cut leaves give it an effect similar to that of Japanese maple. Use it in place of the more sensitive Japanese maple varieties since ‘Black Beauty’ is extremely durable and adaptable. It prefers moist, even boggy, soil conditions but will tolerate dry soil too. Use it in full sun for the best color—as a dramatic accent plant, as a hedge, or incorporated into the mixed or perennial border. Create a stunning look by pairing ‘Black Beauty’ with another Sambucus, ‘Sutherland Gold’, that sports deeply cut golden-green foliage. The dark color makes a dynamite combination with anything yellow, chartreuse or pink.
Looking for intense color in the late summer and autumn? Caryopteris (Bluebeard) gives a remarkable floral display, and is beloved by butterflies and gardeners alike. ‘Petit Bleu’ has a compact habit with glossy green leaves and rich, deep blue flowers—a garden rarity. ‘Pink Chablis’ has masses of charming, clear pink flowers, giving a nice contrast to the cool, bluish-green foliage. Both ‘Petit Bleu’ and ‘Pink Chablis’ grow to two feet tall and wide and enjoy full sun. They will die back over the winter, making them the perfect addition to a perennial garden. ‘Sunshine Blue’ bluebeard has chartreuse-yellow leaves and blue flowers and is a bit larger than ‘Petit Bleu’, growing to three feet. Planted in well-drained to dry, loose soil in a sunny area, caryopteris is a valuable plant for the garden, providing late season blooms when many other plants have passed their prime. The flowers and foliage have a pleasant scent, and make a lovely addition to cut flower arrangements.
Color your landscape with one or all of these native shrubs this fall, and enjoy three-season beauty for years to come.
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.