Spring Blooming Shrubs
It wasn't called "Spring" for just any reason! Spring signifies the return of warmer weather and the springing forth of new growth on shrubs. And with new spring growth comes fresh spring flowers emerging on spring flowering shrubs.
Many gardeners are familiar with Forsythia (Yellow Bells) and flowering Quince as these are two of the first spring flowering shrubs to show color in the spring garden.
As the season progresses, the show continues with the witchhazel-like Loropetalums, which produce an abundance of pink fringe flowers that contrast beautifully with the maroon-red to purple foliage, depending on the variety. If you don't like purple foliage and pink flowers there's a new Loropetalum variety called 'Emerald Snow' that blooms white against lime green leaves.
When it comes to azaleas, there are the Encore's that bloom from Spring to Fall, the Southern Indica's that are the most sun tolerant, and then the natives that are hard to beat. The native azaleas (honeysuckle azaleas) are not only beautiful but many are also fragrant. Few suffer from any serious pest and disease problems. While its true that they are deciduous, they don't hang onto their dead flowers like many evergreen types. For the most effective display, plant native azaleas against a backdrop of evergreens or plant evergreen azaleas as a foreground.
Another spring favorite that puts on a spectacular show is Chinese snowball viburnum, Viburnum macrocephalum. In late spring this show stopper bears flower clusters up to 8 inches wide that start out chartreuse before they turn white. Semi-evergreen in Southern climates, it can grow 20 feet high and 15 feet wide.
Spring is full of fragrant possibilities. Aside from the ever-popular and highly-fragrant 'August Beauty' and Creeping Gardenia, there's several new and exciting varieties to choose from. 'Daisy' gardenia produces an abundance of single white daisy-like flowers that literally cover the mounding foliage (to 3') in Spring. ''Frostproof' is an exceptionally hardy newer variety that shares the same foliage and flower characteristics of the creeping gardenia but with an upright growth habit. Plant gardenias near outdoor sitting areas where their wonderful fragrance can be enjoyed.
Another fragrant wonder is the ever-popular Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans). No garden in the South is complete without at least one of these. The Tea Olive is a large growing shrub or small tree (usually to 12') that produces an abundance of small white flowers that provide a wonderful perfume fragrance in the garden from late winter through the early spring and again throughout the fall season! At any time during the year the daytime temperatures are between 50 to 75 degrees F, your Tea Olive will most likely be blooming.
Below is a listing of shrubs that bloom at some time during the Spring. Click on any thumbnail image or link to see a detailed description, usage tips and instructions for care.
(52) Plants Found. Showing 1 to 6 of 52.