There’s a shrub for every climate and garden style, from modern or formal to cottage or wild. You can use them to define your walkways, frame entrances, or to create natural privacy screens or block wind. Or just use shrubs to create visual interest or to bridge the gaps between trees and small plants.
They bring a sense of variety and depth to your yard, especially if you opt for evergreen varieties that are hardy, drought-tolerant, and easy to maintain. Let’s have a look at the best shrubs you can grow in your garden to keep it beautiful and lively throughout the year.
1. Boxwood
Boxwood is one of the most timeless shrubs and it’s ever-so-popular amongst avid gardeners looking for dense, compact foliage that stays lush and green throughout the year. You can shape it into neat borders, geometric designs, or topiaries for a structured, formal look.
All you need to do is provide the right sunlight (both full sun and partial shade will do), well-draining soil, and regular trimming. Pair your boxwood shrubs with flowering plants for a beautiful balance that lasts.
2. Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are showstoppers. Their large, lush blooms in shades of blue, pink, white, and purple form the perfect garden borders, cottage-style designs, and centerpieces. They’ve got a long blooming season and their flower color can change depending on the pH levels of the soil.
Acidic soil will lead to blue flowers, while alkaline soil turns flowers pink. They need well-drained soil, partial sun, and proper pruning to encourage fresh growth and fuller blooms. Hydrangeas also attract pollinators, solidifying their position in the list of the best shrubs you can grow in your garden.
3. Holly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly… or grow them in your garden for a festive appeal, particularly during the colder winter months. Holly shrubs have glossy, spiky leaves with bright red berries, but the female plants will only produce berries if you’ve got at least one male plant nearby for pollination.
English holly is the most popular, but you can also choose a smaller variety that’s better suited to your garden needs. Regardless of your choice, holly needs well-drained soil as well as full sun or partial shade and it works well as a privacy hedge or decorative feature.
4. Dogwood
Dogwood shrubs have the most striking bark and vibrant foliage that turn fiery red or orange in autumn months. The foliage is an impressive feature by itself, but red-twig and yellow-twig dogwood are popular for their colorful stems that work wonders in dull, lifeless winter gardens.
During spring, they do the impossible and get even better with clusters of white or pink flowers to create a display that’s perfect for naturalistic gardens and mixed borders. Dogwoods are great because they’re hardy, adaptable, and they only need moist, well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight to thrive.
5. Juniper
Juniper is one of the best shrubs you can grow in your garden because they bring an entirely different look to the table. Instead of the everyday thick, waxy, evergreen varieties, their needle-like foliage in shades of silver, green, and blue are a refreshing change. These colors stay around throughout the year and varieties range from ground covers to tall forms. The shrub is versatile and low-maintenance and it can thrive in the toughest conditions, from drought and poor soil to extreme temperatures. They also control erosion on slopes and break wind in open areas.
6. Viburnum
Viburnum is a jack of all trades. These shrubs provide glossy green leaves that change to shades of burgundy or bronze in fall, white and pink flowers that bloom in spring, and vibrant berries that shift from red to black straight after. There are hundreds of species to choose from, from evergreen to deciduous varities, but they all work beautifully as hedges and accent plants. They need full sun to partial shade and they adapt well to different soil types, attracting pollinators and feeding birds as they grow.
7. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are one of the best shrubs you can grow in your garden if you want a tropical look. These beauties with their large, colorful blooms and glossy evergreen leaves are available in shades of purple, red, pink, and white. The biggest visual displays are in spring and early summer, but they’ll provide structure and color throughout the year with their rich foliage.
The key is to provide acidic, well-drained soil and dappled shade that mimics their natural woodland habitat. It’s also important to protect their roots from heat and to maintain moisture, but mulching can help with that.
8. Forsythia
Just before the leaves emerge, forsythia shrubs get bright yellow blooms, which is what they’re famous for. The flower display comes around just before winter fades, signaling the change of the seasons and bringing along the warmth and color that has been missing. During the summer months, the green leaves provide a lush backdrop, and in autumn they turn purple or bronze. It’s remarkably easy and fast to grow and the only requirements are full sun and well-drained sun. If you don’t like the natural shape of the arching forsythia branches, you can prune them into near hedges.
9. Lilac
If you’re looking for something with both an aesthetic appeal and an intoxicating fragrance, lilac is the way to go. The shrubs bloom in late spring, showing off beautiful clusters of purple, pink, and white flowers, and attracting bees and butterflies. Give them space and good airflow, as well as full sun and well-drained soil, and you’ll be rewarded with abundant blooms and the prettiest heart-shaped leaves that look healthy and vibrant. To shape the plant and encourage the next year’s flowers, it’s important to prune the shrubs immediately after blooming.
10. Kerria
Kerria, Kerria japonica, or Japanese rose. Call it what you want, but this deciduous shrub with its bright yellow, pom-pom spring flowers, slender, arching green stems, and ability to bloom in partial shade is a must-have. It’s easy to care for and stays beautiful right throughout the year, making it one of the best shrubs you can grow in your garden. It spreads gently, filling your dim garden corners with light and color for a soft, natural look.
11. Mountain Laurel
Mountain laurel is stunning and there’s no doubt about it. The glossy evergreen leaves and clusters of white to deep pink star-shaped, almost porcelain-like flowers create a jaw-dropping display. And the best part is that it’ll stick around to make your garden look great for years to come.
It doesn’t grow as fast as other shrubs, but it’s long-lived and low maintenance once established, as well as tolerant to cold. Like rhododendron, mountain laurel needs acidic soil and partial shade to stay alive and happy.
Jamie is the founder of The Backyard Pros. When he was 15 years old he started working at a garden centre helping people buy plants, gardening products, and lawn care products. He has real estate experience and he is a home owner. Jamie loves backyard projects, refinishing furniture, and enjoys sharing his knowledge online.