Enjoy These Shrubs for Year-Round Interest

Grow versatile azaleas as specimens in containers or plant them in ground for a mass of abundant color. Azaleas are touted as shade tolerant and they're often planted on the edges of woodlands. Some cultivars can handle full sun sites, be sure to check the plant tags and online product information for the best variety for your site.

Southern gardeners can grow deciduous native azaleas like Florida Flame azalea. Native azaleas lose foliage in winter, but come back in spring with beautiful, fragrant flowers.

Butterfly bush (buddleia) is a pollinator magnet. Butterflies flock to its purple panicles in late summer. Butterfly bush likes full sun and is hardy in zones 5 to 9. Additionally, buddleia is deer-resistant and drought tolerant.

Plant butterfly bush in well-draining soil amended with compost. Butterfly bush puts on a lot of growth in summer, but delay pruning until late winter. Birds and beneficial insects use the dry stems for habitats. When it's time to prune, take off between 1/2 and 1/3 the length of the stems.

Camellia japonica blooms in spring, but camellia sasanquas bloom in fall. Sasanquas are known for glossy, evergreen foliage and a graceful growing habit.

Once established, camellia sasanquas are drought resistant. A few times a year, treat sasanquas with a slow-release fertilizer. Most sasanquas are hardy in zones 7 to 10, so be sure to check plant tags for performance in your zone.

In cold climates, look for patio-sized sasanquas in containers and enjoy them outside in warm weather. In winter, bring the containers inside your home or a sheltered space like a garage.

Camellia shrubs are beautiful when they're in bloom. Bring the beauty inside your home by cutting blooms and floating them in a shallow bowl filled with water. Display the floating camellias as a table centerpiece.

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia) are deciduous woody plants that can be either large shrubs or small trees. They’re hardy in zones 7 to 10. The foliage can be green to nearly black with blooms in shades of white, pink, red and purple.

Drought-tolerant crape myrtles grow best in full sun. Give them plenty of water in their first year to help establish roots.

Tip: Always check plant tags and note the mature size before purchasing and planting. Crape myrtles can grow quite large and should not be placed too close to structures like your home.

If you garden in zones 9 through 12, you can grow crotons outdoors. These colorful foliage plants bring tropical bursts of yellows, oranges, reds and greens to your sunny landscape.

Crotons will grow in full sun, though some cultivars prefer some shade, so check the plant tag and be sure to give it the proper location in your outdoor space.

If you live in areas that occasionally experience light frosts, crotons will often bounce back from exposure. To be safe, cover crotons with a plant cover for added protection. While crotons rarely experience pests or disease, keep an eye out for occasional pests. If you see problems, identify the pests and treat accordingly. Versatile crotons grow indoors, too.

Deutzia is an attention-getting, low-growing deciduous shrub that blooms in early spring. The flowers are white or pink.

Deutzia is drought tolerant once established. Be sure to plant it in well-draining soil. If your soil has a lot of clay, add organic compost when planting. Deutzia is hardy in zones 5 to 8.

Forsythia is an early-flowering shrub that welcomes spring with a shower of yellow flowers. Forsythia is a fast grower. Its arching branches flower first, then leaves emerge. Plant forsythia in full sun and let it delight the bees and butterflies. Most cultivars are hardy in zones 4 to 8.

A fall show-off, fothergilla is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and blooms in mid-spring. Fothergilla is a three-season shrub with bright white flowers and glossy green foliage. The foliage turns shades of burgundy, red, orange, yellow or gold in autumn. In the Garden Center and online, look for the most popular fothergilla cultivar, 'Mt. Airy.'

Hibiscus is a category of plants known for boldly colored blooms. Tropical hibiscus are small shrubs that thrive in zones 10 to 12. They're sold as annuals throughout the country. You can enjoy them outside then bring them into your home in winter.

Hardy hibiscus species are native to North America. Hardy hibiscus are sometimes called rose mallow or perennial hibiscus. They grow in hardiness zones 4 to 9, and die back to the ground each winter and emerge again in spring. When shopping for hardy hibiscus, look for cultivars of these plants with bloom colors including pink, white, red and yellow.

Shrub hibiscus plants are often called by the old-fashioned name Rose of Sharon. Like tropical hibiscus, they’re native to southern and central Asia. Shrub hibiscus plants are more frost tolerant than tropical varieties. In the U.S., shrub hibiscus is usually hardy in zones 5 to 9. Because they’re so hardy, some shrub hibiscus varieties can grow to heights up to 15 feet.

All three hibiscus types grow in well-draining soil in full sun. Though hibiscus can survive without fertilizer, you can use an all-purpose plant food to support blooms. If a hard frost damages your tender hibiscus, don’t worry. Cut it back and it will regrow when temperatures warm up again. Just beware of fallen blooms near foot traffic or on a patio, deck or concrete. The blooms can be slippery and stain surfaces.

Lilacs are not old-fashioned plants, they are classic and long-living. Lilac shrubs can grow for more than 100 years. New varieties tolerate heat and humidity, extending their hardiness as far south as zone 8. Look for new compact lilacs that grow 2 to 3 feet high and 3 feet wide.

Lilacs thrive in well-draining, slightly alkaline soil in a full sun site. Prune mature lilacs by about a third to rejuvenate growth.

Versatile loropetalum thrives in part shade and some varieties grow 6 to 15 feet tall. If you’re a small space gardener, other varieties grow compactly and work well in containers on balconies, decks, patios or porches.

Loropetalum blooms on and off with fringe-like pink or white flowers, adding more magic to this easy-going shrub. Use a time-release fertilizer every three months and bone meal after blooming to promote more flowers. Trim when needed and only after it blooms.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Quercifolia) shines in summer when its white panicles (clusters of blooms) emerge. In fall, the panicles dry to a green or pinkish brown. In addition to stellar blooms, oakleaf hydrangea foliage turns shades of gold and red.

Oakleaf hydrangeas can be tall, up to 8 feet at maturity. Southern gardeners plant oakleaf hydrangeas in part sun sites, while Northern gardeners plant in full sun. Most oakleaf hydrangea cultivars are reliable growers in hardiness zones 5 to 9.

Podocarpus is a salt-, drought- and cold-tolerant shrub that works well in both big and small spaces. Use larger varieties as a privacy screen, alongside a blank wall or fence, lining a driveway or garden path or simply as a hedge because it grows taller than fence height if you don’t keep it trimmed.

Dwarf podocarpus can be used in plant pot containers because it grows only up to 3 feet tall. Either variety will grow in sun or shade. However, expect richer color if you can grow this shrub in the shade. After tiny flowers bloom in spring, the birds love the purple berries that grow in female plants.

Red twig dogwood is prized for its spectacular red stems in winter gardens. In warm weather, the stems are green. When the foliage drops in autumn, red twig dogwood's bright red stems will glow in your landscape.

Although related to dogwood (cornus) trees, red twig dogwood will never reach tree size. Still, mature plants grow 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. Annually prune red twig dogwoods to keep the crispy red color. Red twig dogwoods grow best in zones 2 to 8.

Rhododendron flowers with clusters, or trusses, bloom in late spring and early summer and thrive in zones 5 to 8. Like azaleas, they thrive in acidic soil and filtered sunlight with afternoon shade. When planting, make sure the top of the roots meet the soil level.

Once established, rhododendron shrubs are low maintenance, requiring occasional pruning and fertilizing. In spring and fall, top dress the base with compost and mulch. Treat with a slow release fertilizer several times a year.

Smoke bush is noted for its feathery blooms in summer that, from a distance, resemble smoke. Smoke bush is hardy through most of the country, in zones 4 to 11. Smoke bush is deer resistant and thrives in full sun.

Plant smoke bush in a site where it can spread to a mature size of 4 to 6 feet tall and wide.

Spiraea is an old-fashioned shrub with newfound pizzazz. It's a low-maintenance favorite once established in your landscape.

Spiraea hits all the marks: drought tolerance, deer resistance and winter hardiness. Many are cold hardy to zone 3. Plant spiraea in full sun for the most blooms. In the Garden Center and online, look for new varieties with intense fall color like bright yellow foliage.

A mainstay for hot climates, trinette looks beautiful with its brilliant yellow and green foliage resembling pinwheels. Easy-growing trinette can grow up to six feet tall, so it’s a perfect match for any spot in your landscape where you need instant tropical interest. It’s evergreen and cold tolerant, too. Trinette shrubs thrive almost anywhere and do best in part sun or afternoon shade. When pruning is needed, just trim off stems with a hand pruner and watch the shrub fill in easily. As you enjoy your trinette shrubs, be sure to fertilize them in spring, summer and fall with a slow-release granular fertilizer.

Winter daphne can be a challenging shrub to grow. If you garden in zones 7 to 9, your efforts will be rewarded with a stunning evergreen shrub that blooms early in spring. The foliage is often variegated and the clusters of blooms are sweet and fragrant.

Daphne is prone to root rot. For this reason, make sure to plant winter daphne in a slightly elevated bed in well-draining soil. Amend the soil with plenty of organic compost to improve drainage.

When you're ready to plant shrubs, follow these tips for shrub planting success:

• Remove weeds, rocks, twigs and grass from your planting spot.
• Dig a hole twice as wide as, and a bit deeper than, the shrub’s container.
• Mix some compost into the soil.
• Follow the directions on your soil test and add any needed amendments.
• Fill the hole with water, and let it soak in.
• Take the shrub out of its pot and gently loosen the roots. Set the shrub into the hole no deeper than it was already growing.
• Replace the soil and firm it down.
• Water the shrub.
• Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Keep it away from the stems, where pests and diseases hide.