Author Topic: What is your favorite small shrub? I need ideas. (Read 3417 times)

LeeAnne151 · « **on:** April 06, 2009, 09:13:02 AM »

I have a couple of holes, severe winter kills and I don't want to replace with the same shrubs. I need two different shrubs that mature to 3' x 3' don't need full sun and don't bloom red or orange.

The soil is clay that has been amended with compost for fifteen years and there are tree roots so it does get sort of dry in summer even with soaker hoses.

One spot backs up to a boxwood hedge and gets morning sun. The bed has rhododendrons, azaleas, fothergilla, helebores, Japanese maple, dicentra, ferns, foxglove, spirea 'Limemound', daffs, crocus and more. Thinking about Dapne 'Carol Mackie' the variegation will look good against the boxwood. Already have D. odora and D. x transatlantica 'Summer Ice' in other locations.

The other spot gets more sun but some afternoon shade and is next to a Double Pink Knockout rose and near a lavender blooming hebe with gray leaves and Russian sage also lav with gray and lavender so nothing with gray leaves! Prefer evergreen.

I have azaleas, hydrangeas, pieris and rhododendrons up the ying yang already and want something different!

Joyce · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2009, 09:20:27 AM »

Do you have any Skimmia yet? Pinkish white blooms now, red berries in the winter.

I just got a Daphne 'Carol Mackie' and put it in semi shade and a dry-ish spot.
It needs it sort of dry otherwise it'll do that drop dead act that Daphnes are famous for.

Also, Pia hydrangeas stay about 3 x 3 when mature.

Sean · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2009, 09:40:26 AM »

How about Beautyberry - Callicarpa dichotoma

It grows really well here and should do well for you as well.

Cheers,
Sean

Joyce · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2009, 10:29:39 AM »

They get huge here Sean...but they are soooo pretty!

tinkster · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2009, 11:46:54 AM »

This is one of my favorites.. people stop and single it out and its like dry soil http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/04807.html I have it and love it. Then minature pokemoke I dont have but the neighbor does and its very pretty. I am also looking for some neat shrubs.. I want something that stays ever green and looks something like laurels . I bought a very nice english cherry laurel to go beside my wateralll but its not doing to well in full sun.

tink

Freddie Peepers · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2009, 12:08:32 PM »

How about Caryopteris? Blue flowers, attracts butterflies like crazy, although it does die back here in the winter (zone 5)

Joyce · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2009, 12:12:35 PM »

That's a miniature Crepe Myrtle called 'Pokemoke'. Then there is another called 'Chickasaw'. Both need full sun to look and bloom their best.
I have/had both...Pokemoke is dwarf and fairly fast growing. Chickasaw is Pygmy and grows so slow it's painful.

But I love both and they stay small, both under 3 x 3' and very compact. Chickasaw will stay under 2 x 2' if you can live that long to see it.

Someone stole my 'Pokemoke' out of my front lawn after my gardens were on a garden tour.

:'(

Cherry Laurels will get a LOT bigger than 3 x 3.
Yup, and they don't do well in hot, dry sun. Need lots of water in full sun.

Tink just mentioned a variegated Caryopteris.

I also have one that has charteuse foliage called Caryopteris Sunshine Blue.
They need full sun to look and bloom their best.

Freddie Peepers · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2009, 01:18:45 PM »

my bad

on the caryopteris. The flowers on that variegated one don't look like the ones I have. Mine look more like a bottle brush

Joyce · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2009, 01:51:58 PM »

They do look different!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2009, 02:28:36 PM »

Thank you for the suggestions.

I have Caryopteris 'Sunshine Blue' and three others, names not handy. One has variegated foliage the other two are the typical gray foliage. I love them but they won't work in these spots.

The boxwood sucks a lot of water so the spot near is somewhat dry. The PJM Rhododendron that croaked used to wilt a lot in summer.

I have tried two different dwarf crape myrtles in sunnier spots and they both didn't make it through winter though my tree which is 'Zuni' has been fine for twelve years.

I have a beautyberry in the back yard 'Profusion' I really don't have enough space for it and it doesn't look very good.

I have three 'Pia' hydrangeas already, they are wonderful. Love the size and shape. I have one of those new doubles that keeps on blooming in the front yard too. Not Endless Summer but similar. I have a variegated lace cap too.

I am interested in one of those new dwarf oaf leaf hydrangeas 'Little Honey' but I haven't seen one for sale. 'Chardonnay Pearls' Deutzia also looks like it might be cool though it looks almost identical to the 'Limemound' Spirea.

I have 'Midnight Wine' and 'French Lace' Weigelas already too.

tinkster · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2009, 06:42:51 PM »

joyce on my cherry laurel.. I was gonna move it but I really want that mountain laurel look beside my waterfalls. IF given plenty of water do you think it could live there. I was hoping it was just struggling because it was new. The tag said full sun but on the internet I was seeing more like partial sun. It gets sun till about 2ish in the day. I would almost risk losing it just to see if I can get it to live there.. Last year I planted the banana tree above it and it shaded it but the looks was odd to me.. kind of like tropical with moutain. IS that a planting no no

tink

Joyce · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2009, 10:40:48 AM »

My Little honey Croaked for no reason after 3 years. Very weird.

Skimmia, have you tried that yet?

EDIT...OOOHHHH!! Look at this new one! I have to have it!!!! Deerproof too.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/kniphofia_1192006350_633.jpg&imgrefurl=http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/169621/&usg=__ZX5mkZrF2beP6zjNzEMmNGI_lpA=&h=600&w=800&sz=326&hl=en&start=57&um=1&tbnid=1khyIMw00KC5_M:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dskimmia%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D42%26um%3D1

http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=3154

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 07, 2009, 03:48:00 PM »

Skimmia is really common here and I don't have one, you need a male to pollinate the berries on the female. They tend to get spider mites here and are discolored all over town. I can see the discoloration from the car. That variegated one is outstanding though. I have not seen it anywhere.

Bullfrog · « **Reply #13 on:** April 07, 2009, 06:32:04 PM »

I have to honsetly admit that my favorite all time shrub is Cannibus Sativa.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 08, 2009, 08:13:03 AM »

If you would have asked me in the 80's I would have agreed with you.

JimMcD in SVAZ · « **Reply #15 on:** April 08, 2009, 12:08:47 PM »

Cannabis sativa ? I had no idea that making sacks and rope out of hemp was so popular. Oh, wait...you mean...Oh, oh.

WV Kim · « **Reply #16 on:** April 08, 2009, 05:23:34 PM »

I wanted something different for around my pond and I found a Black Lace Sambucus elderberry bush. On June 22, 2008 (my son's birthday!) we had a hail storm here and my bush was only on its second year being planted, and it had severe damage and it survived!!

I like Japenese Maple trees but didnt want a tree beside my pond so I found this in a Garden Gate magazine I subscribe to. This will the third summer for it and I am looking forward to it! There are several different types of elderberry bushes. It would be different and it is worth the try.

WV Kim

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 08, 2009, 10:39:29 PM »

Elderberries are outstanding shrubs but get way bigger than the two spaces I have.

Here is a picture of a gorgeous one at Schriener Iris Gardens, it is at least twelve feet tall.

WV Kim · « **Reply #18 on:** April 10, 2009, 10:20:53 AM »

Wow!

What a beautiful shrub! I dont plan on letting mine get much more than 7' tall. I plan on trimming it to fit the spot. I do need about 3-4' to fill in a spot. I cant wait for mine to look like that! I have day lillies in front of mine. Thanks for sharing the picture.

WV Kim

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 11, 2009, 05:30:15 PM »

Here is 'Black Lace' at a local nursery in their shrub border. It is also 10' tall or more.

tinkster · « **Reply #20 on:** April 11, 2009, 08:49:18 PM »

I love that.. I bought the black beauty and yellow sutherland I think it was called.. The yellow died and the black is 3 years old and maybe 18 inches tall with a couple branches.. I cant seem to find what it likes. Any tips on how to get mine going hehehe.

tinkster

WV Kim · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2009, 08:00:51 AM »

Tink,
I have mine in full sun. I also have clay soil. This will be the 3rd summer and the limbs are just starting to bud and a few are opening up! The limbs are 2 1/2 feet tall and I hope they will grow another 3 feet this year.

Mine is beside my pond so I add a little water from the filter when I clean it out each time. Even after the hail storm it came back even filled in alittle. The bark has the marks from the damage but it didnt kill it.

WV Kim

jw · « **Reply #22 on:** April 12, 2009, 09:20:12 AM »

I love the Black Lace and mine is just starting to bud out too. I just got it last year and didn't realize they got that big! It may be in for a move. If you like the evergreens a Hinoki Cypress is a cute little shrub that won't make a big mess by your ponds. I love all the miniature evergreens. No fuss, no muss!

Joyce · « **Reply #23 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:48:06 AM »

How about 'Little Heath' Pieris?

Or Scarlet Leucothoe.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 16, 2009, 09:04:18 AM »

I have Pieris 'Little Heath' in a pot. I'd put the new Pieris japonica 'Fire-N-Ice' in front of the boxwood hedge but it's red new growth would clash horribly with the PJM Rhododendron next to it. http://www.als-gardencenter.com/index.php?cID=520

I looked for that variegated skimmia the other day but did not find one. Did not find daphne 'Carol Mackie' except in a huge pot for forty bucks. Can't afford to spend that.

Aren't there some East Coast native Azaleas that are deciduous that smell good? We have a lot of the orange and red Exbury azaleas out here that all get mildew in summer and the color would be awful in this bed. Maybe I can mail order one of the Eastern ones?

Joyce · « **Reply #25 on:** April 16, 2009, 09:57:11 AM »

LeeAnne, send me your email and I'll send you an availability list from my favorite wholesaler.
Then pick out what you want and I'll mail it to you.

kitfoxdrvr · « **Reply #26 on:** May 01, 2009, 11:47:52 AM »

You mentioned the 'Chardonnay Pearls' Deutzia, but for me it gets larger. You may want to look at 'Nikko' Deutzia. It tends to spread its limbs horizontally, but not invasively. It will stay under 2' tho, and has nice green foliage even in our summer heat and humidity.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/PlantFinder/Plant.asp?code=S720

Steve