You can use shrubs in your outdoor space to create hedges, add a touch of color or greenery in a particular spot or attract birds and butterflies to your yard. Some shrubs, however, can grow to heights as great as 10 to 20 feet. When you want a shrub that reaches a maximum, manageable height of 6 feet, there are plenty from which to choose.
Although you already know the height of shrub you prefer, there are other considerations to take into account before making a selection. Consider whether you want a lone shrub for a specific location or several in a row to create a hedge. Check the typical spread of the shrub to ensure that it will fit in the space or to ascertain how far to plant it from other shrubs in a row of hedges. Check the soil, sunlight and moisture requirements to determine whether or not the conditions in your yard fulfill the needs of the shrub.
Shrubs for Hedges
Plant several shrubs in a row to create a hedge that shields your outdoor space from wind, muffles intrusive noises or creates privacy. Japanese beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 8, thrives in full sun to partial shade, requires little maintenance and blooms from June to July with white blossoms. Fragrant abelia (Abelia mosanensis), USDA zones 5 to 9, is another low-maintenance option that blooms from May to June with pinkish-white flowers and whose flowers emit a pleasant fragrance.
Shrubs for Color
When you think of shrubs, you may think green, however, many shrubs bloom with colorful flowers or have leaves that turn colors to add warm, wonderful hues to your garden. White enkianthus (Enkianthus perulatus), hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8, produces white flowers against green foliage in the spring and has leaves that turn a rich scarlet in the fall. Mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata), hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9, prefers full sun to partial shade, blooms with blue or pink flowers and requires little maintenance.
Shrubs for Wildlife
If you love to look out your window and see fluttering butterflies or bustling birds, select shrubs that naturally attract these creatures. Winterberry bushes (Ilex verticillata "Afterglow"), hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, is a deciduous shrub that blooms from May to June and attracts birds. The "White Profusion" butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii "White Profusion"), hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, attracts butterflies with its white blooms from June to September and has a plethora of green leaves.
- Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: Think Before You Plant
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Callicarpa Japonica
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Abelia Mosanensis
- Fine Gardening: Enkianthus Perulatus (White Enkianthus)
- Fine Gardening: Hydrangea Serrata (Mountain Hydrangea)
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Ilex Verticillata "Afterglow"
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Buddleja Davidii "White Profusion"
- John Keatley/Photodisc/Getty Images