Shrubs Add Curb Appeal

Witch Hazel

The Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub known for its spidery, fragrant yellow to orange-red flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring, often before its leaves emerge. This makes it a unique and welcome sight in gardens. It is a versatile shrub that offers numerous landscaping benefits beyond its well-known medicinal uses. Native to North America and parts of Asia, these deciduous shrubs are prized for their unique appearance, vibrant foliage, and striking winter blooms. When incorporated into landscape designs, this plant can enhance outdoor spaces with a range of aesthetic and functional advantages. Witch Hazel adds Interest Throughout The Year Four-Season Interest: In late winter or early spring, the shrub bursts into bloom, displaying fragrant, spidery flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. This early flowering period provides a much-needed splash of color when most other plants are still dormant. Additionally, Autumn's foliage turns vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red, creating a stunning autumnal display. Natural Privacy Screen: This shrub, with its dense branching and arching habit, can be an effective natural privacy screen. Planted strategically along property borders or in groupings, it can shield outdoor spaces from prying eyes and create a sense of seclusion. Pollinator-Friendly: The flowers are a valuable nectar source for early-emerging pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. By attracting these beneficial insects, this shrub contributes to the overall health and biodiversity of the landscape, promoting a balanced ecosystem. Tolerance to Shade: It thrives in partial shade to full sun, making it an excellent option for landscapes with varying light conditions. Its adaptability allows for planting in different locations, from under the canopy of more giant trees to sunnier spots in the garden. Erosion Control: The extensive root system helps stabilize the soil and prevent soil erosion, prevention on slopes, or areas prone to water runoff. Low Maintenance: Once established, this shrub is relatively low-maintenance. It is resistant to pests and diseases and requires minimal intervention. Wildlife Attraction: Apart from pollinators, this shrub attracts other wildlife, such as birds, which feed on the seeds and seek shelter within the shrub's branches. This feature contributes to the overall biodiversity and liveliness of the landscape. Winter Interest: Distinctive, ribbon-like flowers appear in winter, adding a unique touch to the landscape during an otherwise less colorful season. These spidery blooms can withstand light frosts, offering an enchanting sight in colder climates. Versatile Uses: Beyond standalone plantings, this shrub can be incorporated into mixed borders, woodland gardens, or naturalized areas. Its adaptability allows it to blend seamlessly with other plants and design elements. In conclusion, Witch Hazel is valuable to any landscape design, offering four-season interest, privacy screening, pollinator support, erosion control, and low maintenance. Its unique beauty and ecological contributions make it a sought-after shrub for enhancing outdoor spaces. By incorporating this shrub into landscaping plans, homeowners and landscape designers can create visually appealing and ecologically friendly gardens that stand out every season. Witch Hazel Has Bright Golden Blooms This green-leafed shrub blooms with bright yellow flowers between October and December. The ribbon-like yellow petals usually appear after the leaves have fallen but sometimes will appear while the oval-shaped yellow autumn leaves still cling to the branches. It also has fruits that will form from fertilized flowers. They first appear as green capsules but then turn brown over time. Its scientific name is because this shrub’s flowers, fruits, and leaves can all appear on its branches simultaneously. Hamamelis loosely translates as “together with fruit.” Its hardy nature makes it an easy-to-grow shrub. Because of this, it is trendy amongst gardeners as a shrub hedge or screen. Its fragrant flowers often lead to it being grown in an area where its pleasant scent is noticeable. It is usually the last bit of color in a garden due to its late bloom. Witch Hazel Thrives In Most U.S. Zones This shrub can be planted successfully in U.S.D.A. zones 3 to 9. It requires a lot of sunlight and does best in full sun or partial shade. Flowering will peak in full sun. It does well in moist, acidic soil and can handle heavy clay soil. The height increases by 13 to 24 inches yearly, giving it a slow to medium growth rate. If preferred, pruning can be done in early spring to keep the shrub from growing too large. This plant requires little maintenance to flourish and rarely has insect or disease problems. Witch hazel has a broad, rounded leaf arranged in an alternating pattern along the branches. The flowers are also noteworthy in appearance, with slender petals. Some bloom in spring while others counter that, and the plant can showcase its cycle between seeding and blooming, such as the snapping type with seeds that split in a manner that ejects the seeds to a sufficient distance of nearly 30 feet. The sunny yellow flowers of this shrub add a glow of happiness to yards and gardens. The delightful fragrance of those flowers creates an even more cheerful atmosphere. It is so easy to care for and an excellent fit for even the hands-off gardeners.

Elderberry

The Elderberry bush is a medium-sized shrub with opposite compound leaves and clusters of tiny, creamy-white or pale pink flowers, followed by dark purple-black berries arranged in umbrella-like clusters. It is a versatile and beneficial plant used in landscaping. This deciduous shrub offers many advantages with its attractive foliage, beautiful blooms, and fruits. Elderberry Bush Can Look Like A Shrub Or A Tree Deciduous elderberry shrubs can range in size from little trees to shrubs with several trunks. One type has tiny white blooms with five lobes, five stamens, and a tri-style ovary. Another type is yellowish-white and has five flattened petals. They thrive in partially shaded, damp places like meadows, marshes, forest borders, ditches, thickets, and floodplains. Typically, the most fertile canes have developed lateral branches by the second year. After the fourth year of growth, you can trim off the older canes since they become much less productive. Increase Pollination With Elderberry Bush Elderberry Bushes are great pollinator magnets due to the abundance of nectar in their vast, flat, shallow blossoms. Moths, beetles, flies, butterflies, and beetles are some pollinating insects that visit these blooms. They continuously provide nectar and pollen for bees throughout the growing season. When planted in clusters around an orchard, they will attract more pollinators. Even though they produce fruit on their own, they often experience an increase in yield when cross-pollination occurs. Because of their thick growth and ability to produce new branches yearly from the base, they are excellent for screening off unwanted views. Furthermore, they can aggregate into thick masses, which makes them perfect for creating natural landscapes. Their dense foliage can also provide wind protection. Planting them along driveways or fence rows is an excellent way to enjoy their seclusion. Add Wildlife Nutrition With TN Nursery Plant Elderberry Bush Elderberry Bush provides unparalleled natural habitats and food sources. Their aromatic blossoms encourage pollinators like bees and butterflies to visit the garden, which is good for biodiversity. They are essential to a healthy ecosystem since they provide a source for birds and small animals like moose, foxes, bears, mice, and deer.

Old Fashion Snowball

Old Fashion Snowball is a showy deciduous shrub prized for its spherical clusters of large, flashy, sterile white flowers that resemble snowballs, adding charm and elegance to gardens and landscapes. It is a versatile and aesthetically pleasing shrub that offers numerous benefits when incorporated into landscaping. The old-fashioned snowball is a flowering shrub that was a mainstay in residential yards decades ago. Many people may remember these eye-catching shrubs when visiting their older relatives' houses. Of course, if you've never heard of this shrub, you may be surprised to learn that it's been around for centuries. It was first introduced into the United States in the 1700s. Its botanical name is Viburnum Opulus, and it's prized for its large white flowers. Other names for this bush include the Japanese or European bush. Prized Features of the Old Fashion Snowball Viburnum Opulus is a flowering shrub. Its large, round flowers, which have a three-inch diameter, are prevalent in late spring and summer. The flowers are initially green, then turn white and sometimes pink. These shrubs can reach heights of between six and 12 feet. In the fall, the green leaves turn red and purple, which helps give this bush three-season appeal. Best Landscaping Uses For Old Fashion Snowball Landscapers and gardeners can plant this vibrant bush anywhere they have space in their yard. Due to their lush foliage, they look best along fencelines and as focal points in medium—to large yards. They also make incredible living privacy fences. Old Fashion Snowball Is Great For Pollinator Gardens Old Fashion Snowball is a great shrub to add if you're looking to attract more bees and butterflies to your home. The pollen and nectar attract butterflies and bees, and the red fruit and its seeds attract birds, which is excellent for the birdwatcher in your family. Since Old Fashion Snowball can grow to a height of 12 feet, gardeners may want to choose plants to fill the void created by the shrub's stem and foliage. Great plants to plant under the Viburnum Opulus include lobelia, bacopa, and alyssum. Additionally, smaller bushes and shrubs usually do well under the viburnum. Gardeners can also plant vica vines and English ivy around these bushes. Gardeners who want to turn their yards into a botanical show will love the Viburnum Opulus. They're prized for their large round flowers and three-season appeal.