Looking for a shrub that gets a second look? Take this list to your neighborhood garden center for help finding these show-stopping shrubs for your garden.
| SHRUB NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
|
This plant deserves all the limelight and will stay in the spotlight for years to come. A proven performer, this sun-loving hydrangea produces panicle blooms of light green and creamy white that gracefully age to blush pink and wine red. Plant many of these as a flowering hedge, use in containers, or shape into tree-form. A particular favorite for those who enjoy freshly cut flowers and dried arrangements.
Image Source: provenwinners.com |
| Deciduous & Native Azaleas, Rhododendron var spp.
|
Long before those gauzy, big pink or white azalea blooms hedged our Southern homes, the show-stopping native azaleas dotted our Alabama hills, forests, and stream beds. Once established, these natives produce loads of intricate, honeysuckle-like blooms that cover the branches. Several are quite fragrant. There are many varieties from which to choose, such as the Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens), the orange-yellow ‘Florida Flame’ azalea (Rhododendron austrinum), our ‘Alabama Azalea’ (Rhododendron alabamense), and many more. We are fortunate many hybrids exist due to breeders and collectors, such as the Aromi series. (Pictured: Rhododendron x ‘Tallulah Sunrise’)
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com |
| Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’
|
Shade gardeners, rejoice! This is a dazzling variegated foliage plant to perk up low-light spaces. Glossy, pointy leaves display white, web-like patterns. This evergreen is an excellent container choice by a shady doorstep. Lucky gardeners will see spiky, Sputnik-shaped flowers and unique seed heads in spring.
Image Source: southernlivingplants.com |
| Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine‘ PP20379
|
Not the ligustrum hated by allergy sufferers and hedge-trimmers, this sun-yellow introduction is the talk of the town. Producers state that it is sterile and non-blooming, so it is non-invasive. Plant in full sun as a hedge, border, or bright accent plant. It’s tough, deer-resistant, and provides year-round interest.
Image Source: southernlivingplants.com |
| Spirea japonica ‘Double Play® Candy Corn®
|
What a wildly fun color range on one plant. This spirea produces new foliage in rust red and glowing orange. As the season progresses, you’ll fall in love with chartreuse shades and amber golds that give Double Play® Candy Corn® its name. In summer, purple flowers appear for a high contrast in color.
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com |
| Chinese Snowball – Viburnum macrocephalum
|
Some passersby think these are giant hydrangea trees. However, there’s no mistaking the beauty and bold impact of a Chinese snowball viburnum in bloom. A fast-growing shrub, it will easily reach 10-15-feet in several years. Branches are covered in head-sized globes of white petals in early spring, usually around Easter in Alabama.
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com |
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
This plant deserves all the limelight and will stay in the spotlight for years to come. A proven performer, this sun-loving hydrangea produces panicle blooms of light green and creamy white that gracefully age to blush pink and wine red. Plant many of these as a flowering hedge, use in containers, or shape into tree-form. A particular favorite for those who enjoy freshly cut flowers and dried arrangements.
Image Source: provenwinners.com
Deciduous Azaleas & Native Azaleas, Rhododendron var spp.
Long before those gauzy, big pink or white azalea blooms hedged our Southern homes, the show-stopping native azaleas dotted our Alabama hills, forests, and stream beds. Once established, these natives produce loads of intricate, honeysuckle-like blooms that cover the branches. Several are quite fragrant. There are many varieties from which to choose, such as the Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens), the orange-yellow ‘Florida Flame’ azalea (Rhododendron austrinum), our ‘Alabama Azalea’ (Rhododendron alabamense), and many more.
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com
Fatsia japonica ‘Spiderweb’
Shade gardeners, rejoice! This is a dazzling variegated foliage plant to perk up low-light spaces. Glossy, pointy leaves display white, web-like patterns. This evergreen is an excellent container choice by a shady doorstep. Lucky gardeners will see spiky, Sputnik-shaped flowers and unique seed heads in spring.
Image Source: southernlivingplants.com
Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’ PP20379
Not the ligustrum hated by allergy sufferers and hedge-trimmers, this sun-yellow introduction is the talk of the town. Producers state that it is sterile and non-blooming, so it is non-invasive. Plant in full sun as a hedge, border, or bright accent plant. It’s tough, deer-resistant, and provides year-round interest.
Image Source: southernlivingplants.com
Spirea japonica ‘Double Play® Candy Corn®
What a wildly fun color range on one plant. This spirea produces new foliage in rust red and glowing orange. As the season progresses, you’ll fall in love with chartreuse shades and amber golds that give Double Play® Candy Corn® its name. In summer, purple flowers appear for a high contrast in color.
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com
Chinese Snowball – Viburnum macrocephalum
Some passersby think these are giant hydrangea trees. However, there’s no mistaking the beauty and bold impact of a Chinese snowball viburnum in bloom. A fast-growing shrub, it will easily reach 10-15-feet in several years. Branches are covered in head-sized globes of white petals in early spring, usually around Easter in Alabama.
Image Source: maplevalleynurseryllc.com
