Shrubs grown for their flowers. Each plant page gives the flowering time and colour.
82 plants from our verified database, by name. A plant is only listed when the data this list relies on is not in doubt. How our data is made
Yucca filamentosa 1.8 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
It forms a stemless evergreen rosette of sword-shaped leaves edged with white threads, and in early summer sends up a head-high stalk carrying…
Kolkwitzia amabilis 3 m × 3 m after 10 years
A large deciduous shrub with arching branches that are smothered in pale pink, yellow-throated bell flowers in late spring. It is very undemanding:…
Hydrangea macrophylla 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A rounded deciduous shrub with large mophead or lacecap flower clusters that carry the garden through summer. Plant it in sheltered part shade where…
Sambucus nigra 4 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
A native, very fast-growing, spreading shrub or small tree that carries large, creamy white, strongly scented flower plates from late spring and…
Prunus spinosa 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A native, very thorny shrub that is covered in white blossom in early spring before the leaves, and one of the best wildlife hedges: impenetrable,…
Caryopteris × clandonensis 90 cm × 1 m after 10 years
A low, mounded deciduous shrub with aromatic grey-green leaves that covers itself in a haze of blue flowers in late summer and early autumn, when…
Viburnum × bodnantense 2.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An upright deciduous shrub 2 to 3 m tall that carries strongly scented pink flowers on bare branches from late autumn to early spring, when little…
Forsythia × intermedia 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A fast-growing shrub with arching branches that are lined with golden yellow flowers in early spring, before the leaves appear. It is undemanding,…
Spiraea × vanhouttei 2 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An old, proven flowering shrub: in May its arching branches are covered along their whole length with small white flower clusters, as if dusted with…
Viburnum × burkwoodii 1.8 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A dense, semi-evergreen shrub whose white flower clusters open from pink buds in April and carry a sweet scent a long way, so plant it near a terrace,…
Buddleja davidii 3 m × 3 m after 10 years
Its fragrant summer flowers attract butterflies and work well at the back of a sunny border. Give it freely draining soil, prune in spring, and remove…
Amelanchier canadensis 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
An upright, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree that is covered in white flower clusters in April before the leaves open, ripens edible,…
Calycanthus floridus 1.8 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An unusual, dense shrub whose maroon, strap-petalled flowers open from late May into early summer and smell of strawberry and pineapple; the bark…
Vitex agnus-castus 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A loose, spreading shrub with a Mediterranean feel: grey-green, aromatic, hand-shaped leaves and fragrant lilac flower spikes from midsummer into…
Chaenomeles speciosa 2 m × 2 m after 10 years
A dense, spiny shrub that reaches head height and flowers in early spring before the leaves: depending on the cultivar the white, pink or red blooms…
Cercis chinensis 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A multi-stemmed ornamental shrub with upright branches whose bare twigs and stems are smothered in vivid purplish pink flowers in April, before the…
Cytisus scoparius 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An upright shrub of whippy, almost leafless green stems that disappear under pea flowers in May: the species is yellow, while the hybrids sold by…
Syringa vulgaris 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, long-lived deciduous shrub grown for its strongly scented flower clusters in spring. It copes well with sun, heat and limy soil, and with…
Lagerstroemia indica 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
A heat-loving flowering shrub or small tree that blooms from midsummer into autumn, with crinkled flower clusters, good autumn colour and smooth,…
Hypericum × dummeri 70 cm × 1 m after 10 years
A low, spreading, semi-evergreen shrub with reddish stems and blue-green leaves that bears large golden yellow cup-shaped flowers from early summer…
Sorbaria sorbifolia 1.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
An extremely hardy shrub with finely divided, rowan-like leaves and creamy white feathery flower plumes in summer; the compact cultivar most often…
Viburnum farreri 2.2 m × 1.7 m after 10 years
An upright, open-branched shrub that flowers on bare wood before the leaves: clusters of white, almond and vanilla scented flowers opening from pink…
Rosa Floribunda Group 90 cm × 70 cm after 10 years
The floribunda (the small-flowered polyantha roses belong here too) is a low, bushy rose that carries its flowers in clusters at the shoot tips and…
Prunus triloba 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
In spring, before the leaves open, the bare stems are packed with double pink flowers like tiny roses, and few shrubs put on a bigger show. It is…
Ribes sanguineum 2.2 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A fast-growing, upright then arching, thornless ornamental shrub that is covered in April, as the leaves emerge, with hanging clusters of crimson,…
Chaenomeles × superba 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low, spreading, thorny deciduous shrub that covers itself in large, waxy, mostly red flowers in early spring before the leaves, when little else…
Prunus incisa 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
In nurseries you will find almost only the dwarf 'Kojo-no-mai': a slow, compact shrub with zigzag twigs that is covered in white, pink-centred blossom…
Deutzia scabra 2.5 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A tall, upright shrub with arching branches that is covered for about two weeks in early summer with lightly scented flower clusters, white or flushed…
Abelia × grandiflora 1.2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A semi-evergreen shrub with arching branches and glossy leaves that carries small, white, pink-flushed, scented bell flowers from early summer until…
Hypericum patulum 1.2 m × 1.3 m after 10 years
A dense, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub that carries large, golden-yellow, cup-shaped flowers from early summer into autumn, in sun or part shade. It…
Santolina rosmarinifolia 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
A Mediterranean subshrub with bright green, thread-fine aromatic foliage that forms a dense cushion and is covered with pale yellow button flowers…
Spiraea × cinerea 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A dense, rounded bush with thin, arching shoots that are covered along their whole length with tiny snow-white flowers in April, before the leaves…
Viburnum opulus 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A fast-growing, large native shrub with lobed, maple-like leaves, flat white lacecap flowers in May and June, red autumn foliage and glossy red…
Osmanthus heterophyllus 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green, spiny leaves that look like holly, bearing tiny white flowers in autumn whose scent carries a long way…
Deutzia × hybrida 1.8 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
Hybrid deutzia covers its arching branches with masses of pink, star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer; it is mostly sold as 'Mont Rose',…
Rosa Hybrid Tea Group 1.2 m × 80 cm after 10 years
The hybrid tea is the classic cutting rose: one large, full flower on a long straight stem, in several flushes from May until the frosts. It suits a…
Rhododendron Japanese Azalea Group 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
A low, dense, small-leaved evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub that in late April and May carries so many white, pink, red, purple or orange-red flowers…
Kerria japonica 2 m × 2 m after 10 years
An undemanding deciduous shrub that covers its arching stems, which stay bright green all winter, with golden yellow flowers in April and May;…
Pieris japonica 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow-growing evergreen shrub with scented white or pink sprays in spring that recall lily of the valley, and new shoots that are bright red or…
Chaenomeles japonica 1 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
Japanese quince is a knee to waist high, wide-spreading thorny shrub that covers itself in orange-red flowers in early spring before the leaves, a…
Viburnum plicatum 2.5 m × 3 m after 10 years
A broad, spreading deciduous shrub with horizontal, tiered branches that are lined with two rows of white flowers in late spring: the lacecap forms…
Spiraea japonica 1 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A low, dense, mounded deciduous shrub that carries flat pink flower heads for weeks in summer and is popular with butterflies. It is undemanding and…
Viburnum carlesii 1.3 m × 1.3 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, dense, rounded shrub that carries snowball-like clusters of white flowers opening from pink buds in April, into early May; their…
Viburnum tinus 2 m × 2 m after 10 years
A Mediterranean evergreen viburnum with dark, glossy foliage that flowers from late autumn in mild winters, otherwise from late winter into spring:…
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
Large flower panicles change from lime green to creamy white and pink, bringing colour from midsummer into autumn as a specimen shrub or an informal…
Magnolia 'Susan' 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A compact, slow-growing magnolia that opens its slender purple-red, paler-centred, lightly scented flowers before the leaves in April and early May,…
Syringa patula 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A dense, slow-growing, compact lilac that flowers after the common lilac, in late spring to early summer: purple buds open to pale lavender,…
Syringa meyeri 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, dense, rounded dwarf lilac with small leaves that is covered in strongly scented, pale lilac-pink flower clusters in late spring. It…
Rosa Miniature Group 40 cm × 40 cm after 10 years
Scaled-down versions of the big roses: dense little bushes 20 to 60 cm tall with tiny leaves and flowers 2 to 4 cm across that come in flushes from…
Philadelphus coronarius 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, upright then arching deciduous shrub grown for its white, intensely sweet-scented flowers in late May and June: plant it near a patio or seat…
Hydrangea serrata 1 m × 1 m after 10 years
A smaller, more compact and somewhat hardier relative of the bigleaf hydrangea: its flat lacecap heads carry tiny fertile flowers ringed by a few…
Physocarpus opulifolius 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
An undemanding, fast-growing deciduous shrub with arching branches, rounded clusters of white or pinkish flowers in May and June and reddish, inflated…
Spiraea nipponica 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A dense, tough shrub with arching branches that are covered along their whole length with clusters of tiny white flowers in late spring and early…
Hydrangea quercifolia 1.5 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A shrub for all four seasons: big cone-shaped white flower heads in summer that slowly turn pink, large oak-like leaves that colour burgundy and…
Mahonia aquifolium 1.2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A slow-growing evergreen shrub with glossy, holly-like, spiny-edged leaves that copes with shade and part shade under trees, where few other shrubs…
Cornus alternifolia 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
The smaller cousin of the wedding cake tree: a multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree with horizontal, tiered branches, fragrant creamy white…
Hydrangea paniculata 2 m × 1.6 m after 10 years
The most sun-tolerant and least fussy hydrangea: from midsummer into autumn it carries cone-shaped white or greenish-white panicles that age to pink…
Ceanothus × pallidus 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A deciduous, summer-flowering ceanothus almost always sold as the cultivar 'Marie Simon': from midsummer to autumn its reddish shoots carry fluffy…
Viburnum × pragense 2.5 m × 2.2 m after 10 years
A fast-growing, dense evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green, veined leaves; in late May it carries flat heads of creamy white, lightly scented…
Syringa × prestoniae 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, upright then rounded lilac that flowers a week or two after common lilac, in late May and June, with big conical panicles in pink, purplish…
Prunus × cistena 2.2 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A small ornamental shrub with upright branches whose glossy reddish purple leaves keep their colour all summer, with pale pink, fragrant flowers in…
Aronia arbutifolia 2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
An upright, slender shrub grown for its flaming red autumn foliage and for the glossy red berries that stay on the stems well into winter; white,…
Rhododendron × hybridum 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A large evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that covers itself in ball-shaped flower trusses in May, in white, pink, red, purple or yellow. Plant…
Salix gracilistyla 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A broad, bushy pussy willow that carries its striking catkins in late winter before the leaves: 'Mount Aso' has pink ones, while 'Melanostachys',…
Hibiscus syriacus 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
An upright, vase-shaped deciduous shrub that carries large, hollyhock-like flowers from midsummer into autumn, when most shrubs have finished. It…
Hydrangea aspera 2 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, open shrub with huge velvety leaves and flat lacecap flower heads in late summer: lilac in the centre, ringed by pale pink or white sterile…
Potentilla fruticosa 1.2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A dense, rounded little deciduous shrub that flowers almost without a break from late spring until the first frosts. It is undemanding and copes…
Rosa Shrub Group 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A large, varied group of roses that grow into big, loose bushes; modern shrub roses and English roses belong here. Use them as specimens, at the…
Caragana arborescens 3.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An extremely cold-hardy and drought-tolerant upright large shrub or small tree that copes where others give up: on poor, sandy or limy soil in…
Deutzia gracilis 1 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A low, tidy deciduous shrub with arching stems that is almost hidden under pure white, lightly scented flower clusters in late spring. It suits the…
Cotinus coggygria 3 m × 3 m after 10 years
A large, spreading deciduous shrub known for the smoke-like, pinkish, fluffy plumes it carries in summer and for its yellow, orange and purple-red…
Hydrangea arborescens 1.3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A rounded deciduous hydrangea that carries big globe-shaped flower heads from early summer on the current year's shoots, so it blooms reliably even…
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' 1.3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A rounded deciduous hydrangea that carries huge snow-white flower globes, 20 to 30 cm across, from early summer, and because it blooms on the…
Diervilla sessilifolia 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low, tough deciduous shrub that spreads slowly by suckers and grows in almost any soil, taking drought and even dry shade under trees, so it is…
Tamarix tetrandra 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A loose shrub with arching, almost black stems and tiny scale-like leaves, covered along their whole length in pale pink flower sprays in late…
Tamarix ramosissima 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An airy shrub with tiny scale-like leaves and pink flower plumes over a long period in summer. It copes with drought, heat, poor sandy and salty soil,…
Paeonia × suffruticosa 1.2 m × 1 m after 10 years
Tree peonies are slow-growing, very long-lived deciduous shrubs that carry flowers up to 20 cm across, often scented, in late April and May, in white,…
Hypericum × inodorum 1 m × 1 m after 10 years
Tutsan is a low, dense, semi-evergreen shrub that carries golden yellow flowers from early summer into autumn while already ripening its showy, fleshy…
Yucca flaccida 1.4 m × 1.1 m after 10 years
A stemless evergreen yucca whose sword-shaped leaves are thinner and softer than those of Adam's needle: the outer leaves bend down in the middle,…
Weigela florida 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An easy, dependable deciduous shrub that is covered in funnel-shaped pink, red or white flowers in late spring and early summer, often with a…
Buddleja × weyeriana 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A vigorous, arching butterfly bush that swaps the usual purple for yellow, apricot or yellow and lilac scented flowers packed into ball-shaped…
Mahonia × media 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A sculptural, upright evergreen with long, fern-like spiny leaves that carries sprays of fragrant yellow flowers from late autumn to the end of…
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