WHAT ARE FLOWERING SHRUBS?

Flowering shrubs are the shrubs which are cultivated or grown for the flowers so as to add the beauty & to increase the aesthetic value of landscapes. Flowering shrubs are also the shrubs which produce beautiful flowers in different seasons of the year. These shrubs are cultivated or grown mainly because of them producing flowers.  Flowering shrubs can also be defined as the foliage containing flowers which arise from many bases from ground & consisting of numerous woody structures as the stem. These can grow up to a height of 15 feet which can serve as the attractive point of gardens or landscaping monuments as these contain beautiful coloured or fragrant flowers.  These are quite hardy in nature & can flourish well in difficult conditions of growth & development. These can also withstand frost & cold weather but requires regular pruning & trim for maintaining the proper structure & to stop the vigorous growth in a rainy season. Flowering shrubs will provide shade & colour effect to the landscape gardening & helps in beautifying it. Flowering shrubs are also planted in houses & gardens for controlling the noise & sound pollution as these are an excellent sound absorbs. Some of the flowering shrubs like lilac, viburnum etc. are also planted in homes for their aromatic values. Flowering shrubs also make the great colourful borders in between the different types of plants in houses & gardens etc.

Some of the examples of flowering shrubs are Rhododendron species, Lilac, Camellia, Hydrangea, Fothergilla, Forsythia, winter hazel, Virginia, Hamamelis vernalis etc.

LIST OF FLOWERING SHRUBS ACCORDING TO SEASONS:

Shrubs flowers in different seasons according to temperature & weather conditions required for flowering or blooming.  The flowering shrubs can be listed mainly into three groups according to the seasons in which they bloom & provide flowers such as:

1. Spring flowering shrubs: These are the shrubs which produce flowers in the spring season. Most of the flowering shrubs are grouped in this list as preferably spring season is best for blooming due to favourable temperature & weather conditions needed for flowering in the spring season. Examples of spring flowering shrubs are:

1. Rhododendron species:  these are commonly known as Azalea & can produce a variety of flower colours if provide with the good growing environment. These can be of evergreen or deciduous nature.
2. Camellia: It is the flowering shrub which produces flowers like rose & flower colour like red, pink or white. It can be 20 feet taller in height.
3. Viburnum: It the flowering shrub which flowers only in the spring season. It is sweet smelling flowering shrub which can be grown very easily in any conditions. It attracts birds & butterflies.
4. Lilac: these are the most planted shrubs in home gardens & contain beautiful flowers of colours ranging from white, orange, pink, red & lilac. These can be grown on soils having good drainage & in sunny weather conditions. These have the height ranging from 3 to 30 feet.
5. Fothergilla: It is the shrub which flowers in spring as well as winter season. It has easy & fast growth & is a native of North America.
6. Weigela: It is the spring blooming shrub containing trumpet-shaped pink, red, blue or white colours.

1. Winter flowering shrubs: Although only a few shrubs produce flower in winter but winter blooming shrubs produce very attractive & beautiful flowers. For example:

1. Corylopsis species: It is commonly known as winter hazel shrub which consists of fragrant pale yellow colour flowers looking like earrings. It produces flowers in late winters or in early spring season.
2. Hamamelis vernalis: It is commonly called as witch hazel flowering shrub producing an orange to bright yellow colour fragrant flowers. It bridges the winter & sprig seasons.

1. Summer flowering shrubs:  These are the flowering shrubs which bloom or produces flowers in the summer season. These are planted in gardens or homes so that to add a variety of colours in the dry & hot summer as well. These shrubs are quite hardy in nature. For example:

1. Hydrangea: It is the shrub flowering in summer & whose flower colour varies with the pH range of soil. The acidic soil results into blue colour flowers & basic soil produce pink colour flowers. The big species can be of white, pink or blue color.
2. Japanese Rose: It is the flowering shrub which blooms in the month of April & produces branches in the winter season.
3. Carolina or Calycanthus floridus: It is the flowering shrub bearing dark red colour fragrant flowers which look like banana or pineapple in spines containing clusters.
4. Cotinus coggygria: It is commonly called as a Smoke tree which blooms in summers & containing red-green leaves. It produces pink colour flowers & grows as a single stem tree or shrub.
5. Clethra salmi folia or Summersweet: It is the sweet smelling shrub which blooms in late summers. Its flower colour ranges from white to red pinkish.
6. Virginia: It is the flowering shrub grown for its white colour flowers in summer.
7. Bluebird or Caryopteris species: It is the ground flowering or creeping shrub of 3 feet tall producing blue flowers.