Abelia (Summer/Fall Bloomer)
Abelia is one of the most perfect flowering shrubs, as it checks off all the boxes one is most likely looking to find in a foundational shrub. It is deer resistant, drought + heat tolerant, semi evergreen, and later flowering - meaning that it will give you a beautiful display of blooms when most other flowering shrubs have finished their show. It’s also a pollinator magnet: I find hummingbirds and hummingbird moths every day on my Abelias when they’re in bloom.
There are several Abelia varieties to choose from, and it’s important to note that they can vary greatly in heights. There are compact varieties, such as Abelia ‘Rose Creek’, which grows to about 4’ high. This variety is perfect if you’re looking for shrubs to be placed near windows or in the middle of a wide border. There are also tall varieties that can be used to create privacy hedges or shrub borders. Abelia ‘Grandiflora’ is the perfect variety for that.
Mock Orange (Spring Bloomer)
Mock Orange (Philadelphus) is the most sweetly scented flowering shrub that is covered in rose like blooms during the early spring. Though the flowering window is short, the shrub is a wonderful background plant during the whole season, as it’s covered in oval shaped rich green leaves.
Mock Orange is an easy and fairly fast grower, but please note that it has not proven to be deer resistant - at least at my farm. They are commonly nibbled upon and have had their flower show interrupted because of it. Thankfully this doesn’t seem to kill their spirit, as they continue to grow despite the many sporadic prunings. However, their maturity has definitely been stunted because of it.
The main species of Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius), one most commonly found in historic gardens, can reach up to 12’ tall at maturity, making it a beautiful hedge if you don’t mind it being bare during the winter months. There are other varieties that are more compact, such as Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aurea’ (5-6 feet tall) and Philadelphus virginalis ‘Snowbelle’.
Spicebush (Early Spring Bloomer)
A native alternative to Forsythia, Spicebush (Lindera binzoin) offers the same lovely yellow blooms in early spring and can be used as a cut flower in arrangements. Glossy berries follow the blooms, and the foliage turns to a beautiful shade of golden yellow in the fall. Spicebush is easy to grow and tolerant of many conditions, and it is deer resistant.
Just as with Forsythia bushes, these are deciduous and are not as dense in foliage as other shrubs. For that reason, I like to plant these alongside evergreens or fuller foliage shrubs such as Mock Orange. Spicebush shrubs grow 6-12 feet all, so they are best at the back of a border or planted within a tall hedge.
Ninebark (Spring/Summer Bloomer)
Ninebark (Physocarpus Opulifolius) is a native, easy to grow shrub that blooms late spring-early summer. Depending on the variety, its flowers are white or light pink, and it also has foliage options of yellow green or dark burgundy.
Personally I love the dark foliage Ninebark plants (such as the Summer Wine varieties), as they make an incredible statement in the garden, adding a bit of moodiness and depth to a space. I’ve found the dark foliage varieties work best planted amongst neutral tones of whites and beige, or muted tones of yellows, purples, and pinks - though it could also be a nice backdrop for bright reds!
Virginia Sweetspire (Late Spring/Early Summer Bloomer)
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a native deciduous shrub that becomes heavy with white flowers in spring and has foliage that becomes a beautiful purply red in autumn. The most commonly found variety of Sweetspire is ‘Henry Garnett’, a variety reaching about 6 feet tall at maturity. Sweetspire works well alongside evergreens and shrubs and perennials with more of an upright habitat to complement its somewhat floppy nature. It also is beautiful planted en masse. Unlike the other shrubs listed, Sweetspire thrives in dappled sunlight as opposed to direct sun, so it is perfect to planted alongside trees.
Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spring Bloomer)
Bridal Wreath Spirea is a mounding shrub with slim nodding limbs that are heavy with tiny white florets cascading down in mid spring. It grows about 6-8 feet tall at maturity and is easy to grow in full sun. Mature plants tend to be ignored by deer, but they may need protection in the first couple years after planting.
Bridal Wreath is the perfect name, as its long limbs bend easily to form wreaths or flower crowns. Petal confetti will be abundant as its flowering window closes, and the wind typically takes care of the piles that amass around it.
