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| SUMMER BLOOMING SHRUBS |
Summer blooming shrubs are a welcomed and
desired element in the landscape. There
are many varieties of flowering shrubs to choose from that can add lasting beauty and color to your summer garden, and in some cases, bring interest into the fall months. Here are eighteen flowering shrubs that I have chosen for their colorful blooms, relatively low maintenance and and overall hardiness.
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Dwarf Azalea 'Gumpo'
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Attributes: A compact, dense and low mounding evergreen shrub with large, ruffled pink flowers that bloom late in the spring into early summer.
Zones 6-9
Zones 6-9
Light Needs: Full Sun-Part Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 12-24" tall, 3-5' wide
Bloom Time: Late spring-Summer
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| Buddleia davidii Lo & Behold (Dwarf Butterfly Bush) Attributes: Dwarf Buddleia is grown for its compact, non-invasive habit and elongated clusters of purple fragrant flowers. Blooming starts in the spring and is continuous without the normal deadheading required by other Buddleia.
Zones 5-9
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Mid summer-fall
Attributes: Brilliant pink blooms emerge in summer and last into fall on this smaller, more compact form of Crape Myrtle. Excellent for smaller spaces.
Zones 6-9
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Occasional watering once established
Mature Size: 3-5 tall, 4-5 wide
Bloom Time: Summer
Attributes: Caryopteris, also known as Blue Mist Shrub, has a rounded habit and becomes covered with many small gray-green leaves that have a minty scent when crushed. In late summer into fall, the shrub forms lightly scented violet-blue blooms that draw pollinators to the garden.
Zones: 5-9
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Low
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Late Summer
Attributes: Hydrangea 'Pink Elf' is a smaller, more compact version of a pink hydrangea with large pink blooms in late spring-early summer, making it a perfect candidate for those smaller spaces.
Zones: 5-11
Light Needs: Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Summer
Attributes: Endless Summer is the the original mop-head type hydrangea with the unique ability to bloom consistently on both old and new wood.
Zones: 4-9
Light Needs: Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 3-5' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Summer
Attributes: PeeGee hydrangea is a vigorous, upright showy plant with creamy white flowers that bloom in late summer. It can be grown as either a tree form or as a multi-stemmed shrub.
Zones: 3-8
Light Needs: Full Sun-Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 10-25' Tall, 8-16' Wide
Bloom Time: Summer
Attributes: Tardivia displays elongated white blooms in summer and be grown as either a single stemmed tree or multi-stemmed shrub. Blooms occur on the new wood of the season.
Zones: 3-8
Light Needs: Full Sun-Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 8-12' Tall, 7-10' Wide
Bloom Time: Late Summer to Fall
Attributes: A new creation from France. The enormous flowers are a blend of vanilla and strawberry, held upright on red stems. They emerge creamy white in mid summer, changing to pink and finally to strawberry red.
Zones: 4-8
Light Needs: Full Sun-Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 6-7' Tall, 4-5' Wide
Bloom Time: Mid-Summer to Fall
Attributes: An easy care, disease resistant shrub rose with a classic look and a generous bloom cycle (about every 5-6 weeks) that will continue until the first hard frost. Fragrant blooms come in red, pink or yellow.
Zones: 5-10
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 3-4' Tall, 3-4' Wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
Attributes: An outstanding low maintenance plant with bright yellow blooms in summer. This deer resistant plant is easy to care for and requires little pruning. For best results, prune about a third of the branches to the ground in late winter.
Zones: 2-7
Light Needs: Full Sun-Part Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall, 3-4' Wide
Bloom Time: Summer
Attributes: Extremely fragrant rose pink flowers bloom on the current year's growth and last for approximately 4-6 weeks in July and August. Flowers attract butterflies and bees.
Zones: 4-8
Light Needs: Full Sun-Part Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 5-8' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Mid-Late Summer
Attributes: Limemound Spirea is a hardy, easy to grow plant with a compact, mounding habit. It bears soft clusters of pink flowers in mid to late summer.
Zones: 4-8
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall, 3-4' Wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
 Attributes: Double Play is a newer hybrid of Spirea producing colorful foliage and blooms larger than other Spirea. Zones 4-9 Light Needs: Full Sun Water Needs: Moderate Mature Size: 2-3' Tall by Wide Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
Zones: 5-8
Light Needs: Full Sun-Partial Shade
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 6-8' Tall, 8-10' Wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
Attributes: Variegated Weigela is an arching, medium-sized shrub displaying gray-green leaves with creamy-white margins. Rosy-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers appear in late spring into summer. Zones: 5-8 Light Needs: Full Sun-Part Shade Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 4-5' Tall by Wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
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Weigela 'Spilled Wine'
Attributes: Spilled Wine is a new hybrid with dark black-purple leaves and a spreading habit. Its hot pink-magenta flowers are similar to those of Wine & Roses, but this is a more compact plant. The tubular flowers attract Hummingbirds to the garden!
Zones: 4-8
Light Needs: Full Sun
Water Needs: Moderate
Mature Size: 2-3' Tall, 3-4' Wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer
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| Summer Blooming Shrubs |
These eighteen flowering shrubs will be sure to bring color and interest to your landscape space. For more information on flowering trees and shrubs and their use in design, be sure to Visit my Author Page and Books on Amazon:
As Always...Happy Gardening!
Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved
Well I have to check out that crape myrtle and the strawberry Hydranga
ReplyDeleteHave many weigela,lilacs, spiraei summer sweet, Rhododendrons,azaleas and PeeGees and lace Hydrangias.
Your blog is great yvonne in Midcoast maine.
I'd like to get the Strawberry Hydrangea myself. I have seen them in nurseries and they are gorgeous! Glad you enjoyed the post.
DeleteI love the Strawberry Hydrangea myself , not usually a fan of these but this looks beautiful! Maybe someday if I ever move out of an apartment!
ReplyDeleteAs a master gardener I warn home gardeners about the dangers of buddleia and it is great to have an alternative to suggest to them. Also, I love the pontentilla. My mother had one in her garden in England. I have added it to my list of 'must haves 'along with 'Lo and Behold.' Wonderful information, Lee. P. x
ReplyDeletePlease tell us the dangers of buddleia. Someone just offered one to me. Thanks. Love reading this blog on this very hot afternoon.
ReplyDeleteBuddleia can be considered invasive in some states; however, the newer cultivars (especially the dwarf species) have proven to have at least a four year sterility rate, making them less invasive and non-threatening to the environment. National Gardening Bureau just announced more new cultivars to appear in 2022!
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