There’s something blasé about shrubs. Trees, ground covers, vines-their names sound a bit more sophisticated, but shrubs?
Far too often we take for granted the year-round color, texture, and appeal that shrubs add to the landscape.
What are shrubs? Generally defined as long-lived woody plants, distinct from trees by being under 10-15 ft tall and are clothed with leaves down to the ground instead of having a bare trunk covered with leaves, shrubs can range from subshrubs to large woody plants that can be pruned either as trees or shrubs.
Shrubs serve many purposes; in fact, their use is restricted only by imagination.
Gardeners with small spaces will find that shrubs can provide height where trees would simply be too large. In fact, several shrubs can be used as small or trees or clumps of trees. Shrubs are essential elements in an attractive, well-designed landscape, providing form, structure, and seasonal interest. So take good care of these medium-size landscape plants: They play a grand-size role in your backyard.
An increasing number of shrubs are available with multiple seasons of interest and more assets than just solid evergreen foliage or a fleeting show of pretty flowers. Consider some of the members of this class of plants:
 Rose – Lucida – Shrub The Lucida Rose, Rosa virginiana ‘Virginia Rose’, is a shrub rose. In the spring, it comes alive with a multitude of delicate pink flowers with yellow centers. Each dark green leaflet is up to 2.5 long, turning purplish red in the fall. Lucida Rose is a great plant to use for clearings, shores, and roadsides. It also excels in mixed borders, hedges, and as specimens. Lucida is tolerant of harsh conditions, including salt spray, wind, and poor soil. The rose hips from the Virginia rose are extremely rich in Vitamin C and are completely edible to both humans and animals.They have a pleasantly tart taste and can be used to make jellies or teas. Plant them as a hedge along your house or as a single accent at the edge of patio planting bed. * Fall color *Salt and Harsh Conditions Tolerant *Can Be Used Individually Or As A Hedge |
 Rose – Oso Easyâ„¢ Cherry Pie – Shrub Rose Oso Easy™ Cherry Pie Shrub Rose, Rosa ‘Meiboulka’ PPAF, is a shrub rose with a rich color that won’t be missed in your landscape. The disease resistant plant that does not need pruning loves full sun and produces single, large, candy apple red flowers have bright yellow stamens from early summer into fall. Grow ‘Cherry Pie’ in medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained garden loams in full sun.Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Use ‘Cherry Pie’ for border fronts, cottage gardens, foundations, rose gardens or banks. *Disease Resistant *Blooms All Season *Multiple Uses |
 Rose – Ruby Meidiland – Shrub Clusters of Rubies The Ruby Meidiland Rose, Rosa ‘MEIpreston’, is the most outstanding of the Meidiland series of landscape shrub roses. It is a low-mounding rose that which blooms profusely displaying small, double, deep ruby red blooms in abundant clusters. Ruby Meidiland Rose is very disease resistant. This rose generally does not need much pruning, but if pruning is needed, do it in late winter to early spring. *Blooms Profusely All Season *Disease Resistant *Low Mounding Growth |
 Rose – The Fairy – Shrub The Fairy rose is a shrub rose which has hundreds of small shell pink blooms that appear on a virtually foolproof plant. It has been popular since 1932. Fairy roses have spreading pyramidal clusters of blooms and have fern like leaves that are disease proof. Even without blooms the plant is attractive with the lush, dense foliage of small, bright green, pointed leaves. The great shrub qualities and appealing blooms give the Fairy rose a special magic. The flowers do not have much fragrance but its appearance makes up for that lack of a heavy rose scent. The Fairy repeats bloom but the blooms can be increased by regular deadheading and minimal pruning. Tough and Hardy! *Profuse Blooms *Disease Resistant *No Fragrance |
 Rose – Easy Elegance® Little Mischief – Shrub These Bi-Color Roses Will Delight All Season The Easy Elegance® Garden Path™ Little Mischief rose will reign in your garden with it’s compact everblooming qualities. New blooms of deep pink with a white eye contrast nicely with the lighter pink aging blooms. With its glossy green foliage and low-growing habit the Little Mischief rose is a wonderful companion plant in a border planting. The Easy Elegance Little Mischief would also make a stunning hedge, a beautiful focal point in a bed, or a star performer in a decorative container. The Little Mischief rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Little Mischief rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care. *Disease Resistant *Bi color Blooms *Season Long Color |
 Lace Shrub – Crispa The Lace Shrub, ‘Stephanandra incisa ‘Crispa’, features maple-like, deeply cut, bright green leaves, up to 3 long, that turn yellow and orange in autumn. The red-purple to red-orange fall color is very attractive. The leaves are borne on arching branches which tend to weep downward and root at the tips, when soils are moist and organic. The leaf foliage and arching habit are the best ornamental features of this shrub. The Lace Shrub is used best as a dense, shrubby ground cover, very low hedge or foundation plant. This plant is also effective for erosion control on steep banks and slopes. Lace Shrub prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil and it will flower in late spring. The Lace Shrub provides 4 season interest. The bright green maple-like leaves in the spring and summer, the very nice fall color and the arching branch habit in the winter. * Fall color! * Arching Branches! |
 Rose – Thrive!® – Shrub Long-Blooming, Red Roses on a Hardy Shrub Thrive is a hardy shrub rose with prolific, long-lasting, fiery red blooms. Plant some along a sidewalk or driveway for a continually blooming border of roses to guide your way. Your Thrive is a rose that will “thrive” in many conditions, and provide a seemingly endless supply of blooms to brighten your yard all summer long. The flash of the bright red flowers is sure to catch your eye, especially since each stem can hold up to 10 of the 3-inch blossoms. Thrive is a variety of shrub rose, that possess’ all the hardiness expected of a shrub rose. It’s not only disease resistant but also black spot, rust and mildew resistant as well. This is a rose you can plant and forget about as it requires little or no care from you. Shrub roses are known for their hardiness, and Thrive will certainly “thrive” in your yard, and brighten your landscape for years to come. *Long-Blooming Flowers*Hardy |
Click here to Return from Buy Shrubs to Basics of Gardening