Be inspired . . . The following photo essay describes eight spring flowering shrubs desired for their beauty. Varieties are grown from southern to northern regions of the United States, Asia, Europe and Australia. Growing guidelines, photos and interesting facts of spring flowering shrubs presented in the following order:

1. Forsythia
2. Azalea
3. Rhododendron
4. Lilac
5. Viburnum
6. Spirea
7. Redtwig Dogwood
8. Peony

Soil preferences for most spring flowering shubs include fertile, well-drained and moist soil avoiding waterlogged conditions, ideally with a pH ranging from slightly acidic to neutral (5.0) to (8.0) pH. While adaptable, they prefer sandy, loamy, or silty loam soils and do not perform as well in waterlogged, heavy clay, or extremely dry, poor conditions.

1. Forsythia

When the Forsythias bloom in early spring, we all breathe a sigh of relief from winter’s dull chill. I love the splashes of sunny yellow they provide when driving to my destinations through neighborhoods and downtown districts. Native to eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea) Forstythia’s are now widely cultivated as ornamental shrubs globally across temperate regions including North America and Europe.

Forsythia, forsythia

just when I thought there was no end

to winter’s bare branches,

you took my breathe away!

Forstythia is a genus belonging to the olive family (Oleaceae). Like many flowering shrubs, multiple hybrids have been created. The most common garden variety is a hybrid known as the Border Forsythia ‘Forsythia x intermedia‘. The Border Forsythia typically grows 8-10 feet tall and 10-12 feet wide, forming a large, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with upright, arching branches. It is often used for screening or in large shrub borders, but it can be pruned annually after blooming to maintain a smaller, more compact shape.

• Bloom: Early spring before leaves (One of the first spring shrubs to bloom)
• Exposure: Full Sun (Tolerates partial shade, but will produce less blooms)
• Growth: Dwarf examples: ‘Sugar Baby’ 18-30 inches tall, ‘Mini Gold’ under 2 feet tall. Mid-Size example ‘Show Off’ 5-6 feet tall, known for dense flowers. Large examples ”’Meadowlark’ and ‘Northern Sun’ 8-10 feet tall and very cold-hardy, fast growing.
• Prune: Immediately after sping flowering removing about a quarter of the oldest and thickest and tallest stems at the ground level. Avoid shearing the top; instead, use hand pruners or loppers to remove crossing branches and thin out the center to improve sunlight and air circulation.
• Other: Avoid heavy fertilizer; once establish they are drought tolerant
• Zone: 5 to 8 ideally (There are cold hardy varieties to zone 9 and warmer zones 3 to 4
• Good Pruning and other Forsythia advise from the Plant Doctor

2. Azaleas

Azaleas, wow, quite the announcement of spring arrival! Purple, pink, magenta and white varieties are the most favored. Related to the Rhododendrons, Azaleas are extremely easy to care for and keep their small leaves throughout the winter months. Note: Azaleas are toxic to cats and dogs.

Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe, and North America. They are planted abundantly in Mid-eastern and especially Southeastern United States, Southern Asia, and parts of Southwest Europe.

• Bloom: Mid Spring
• Exposure: Ideally morning sun to afternoon shade to partial shade
• Growth: Typically 3-6 feet tall and slightly wider; Dwarf 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide making them ideal for containers, low hedges, and small garden spaces. Large varities can grow 10-15 feet tall.
• Soil: Prefers more acidic soil pH than other flowering shrubs
• Pruning: Avoid heavy, unnecessary pruning; focus on thinning and shaping. I have done minimal pruning to my azalea shrub shown in the photo above.
• Zone: 4-8

3. Rhododendron

Most people are familiar with the blush pink or purplish billowy bloomers of the popular Rhododendron shrub, but there are countless hybrids. Regardless, they are all recognizable not only by their blooms, but by their large, leathery, shiny, dark evergreen leaves that remain throughout winter months. The photos of Rhododendron above and below demonstrate a few of their diversity with three varieties! They are related to azaleas.

Rhododendrons are primarily native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with roughly 90% of the 1,000+ species originating from southeastern Asia, specifically the Himalayas, Tibet, and western/central China. They are also native to mountainous areas of North America, Europe, Australia, and New Guinea.

• Bloom: Mid to Late Spring
• Exposure: Partial Sun to Shade
• Growth: Dwarf: Typically under 3 feet tall. Excellent for small spaces, rock gardens, and containers.
  Medium: Often grows to 3-6 feet tall and wide.
  Large: Can grow 6-10 feet tall and wide making them ideal for screening or as focal points.
• Soil: Like their cousin Azaleas, Rhodendrons love more acidic soil. You can add coffeed grounds, pine needles, oak leaves or store bought formulas such as iron sulfate.
• Pruning: Rhododendrons as a rule do not need regular pruning to thrive; mild pruning to manage desired size and shape is recommended.
• Zone: 4 to 8

4. Lilac

Native to Southeastern Europe and Asia, common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a deciduous shrub that belongs to the olive family as with the Forsythia. The unforgettable aroma of the Lilacs are intoxicating and easily detectable yards away from the shrub.

Lilac Flowers

This is another flowering shrub that has been cultivated into hundreds of varieties originating from around 20 species. They offer a vast range of colors, sizes, and bloom times. Common types include French hybrids, dwarf shrubs, and tree lilacs, with flowers ranging from white to deep purple, magenta, and blue. Most people think of the color lilac (pinkish-purple) when they think of this flower.

• Bloom: Late Spring
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Growth: Common Lilac Best for large hedges, privacy screens, specimen plants. Examples: ‘Common Purple’ Syringa vulgaris 10-15 feet tall and slightly less wide; ‘Charles Joly’ 8-12 feet tall. Dwarf Best for small gardens, container planting, and borders. Examples: ‘Dwarf Korean’ 4-6 feet tall, ‘Bloomerang series’ 4-6 feet tall. Largest variety is the ‘Japanese Tree Lilac’ Syringa reticulata growing 20–30 feet tall.
• Pruning: Annually immediately after they finish blooming in late spring to remove spent flowers and dead wood to encourage new growth. Focus on cutting back the oldest, thickest stems to the ground to open the center, improve air circulation, and maximize blooms for the following year.
• Other: Lilacs have relatively shallow roots and need consistent moisture during dry spells.
• Zone: 3-7

Historical Facts and Festivals of the Lilac

5. Viburnum

There are several native and over a hundred cultivars of Viburnum shrubs that grow in all US zones with cultivars tailored for both small spaces 2-4 feet tall and large, screen worthy, or tree like specimens growing up to 20-30 feet (6-9 m)tall. They are popular for their versatile foliage, white flowers, and berry production, adapting to different garden needs.

Two of my favorites are the ‘Snowball’ and ‘Summer Snowflake’ varieties. Another favorite seems to be taking over the edges of woods in my Michigan region, the ‘American Cranberry’ shown below after the ‘Summer Snowflake’ Viburnum.

The gorgeous ‘Summer Snowflake’ Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum) is a well known carefree variety displaying layers of slender upright branches strung with rows of multiple pure-white flowers on each branch; they continue to enhance the landscape with fall foliage becoming reddish purple.

Viburnum ‘Summer Snowflake’

• Bloom: Mid to Late Spring
• Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Growth: 6-10 Feet (1.8 – 3 Meters) tall and wide
• Pruning: Maintains naturally tiered upright shape without heavy pruning, only occasional dead branches or shaping needs pruning.
• Zone: 5-8

Viburnum ‘American Cranberry’ shrub (Viburnum trilobum) is a cold-hardy, deciduous shrub native to Canada and the northern United States. They are known for white or pinkish flower clusters, often with a sweet fragrance, and frequently bear red to black berries. Berries persist in winter as birds prefer them after they have fermented and softened. They taste sour but make great jams and syrups.

• The American Cranberry goes by several names, including High Bush Cranberry, Mooseberry, Squashberry and more.
• They grow naturally along forest edges in the Northern US Regions, but can also be purchased at landscape nurseries.

Viburnum ‘American Cranberry’

• Bloom: Mid to Late Spring
• Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Growth: 12 feet (4 meters) with similar spread
• Pruning: Generally needs little pruning, but it benefits from light, annual pruning immediately after spring flowering to maintain shape.
• Zone: 2 to 7

6. Spirea

Spirea is a genus of about 80 to 100 species of shrubs in the family Rosaceae. I love the fragrant of ‘Reeves Bridal Spirea’ (Spiraea cantoniensis) with its dangling tiny white blooms that literally cover the entire plant in spring. This fast-growing shrub is known for its cascading, arching branches and pompom-like double white flower clusters; and the ‘Little Princess’ Spirea shrub (Spiraea japonica) is darling in pink known for a compact mounding habit. The rather small leaves of Spirea shrubs turn red or bronz-orange in the fall, and in warmer regions they can remain evergreen.

Spirea Flowering Shrub ‘Reeves Bridal’ Flowers

• Spirea shrubs are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia.
• Spirea spread from the Northeast U.S. and is naturalized in much of the Southeast and Midwest U.S.

Spirea Flowering Shrub ‘Little Princess’ Pink Flowers

• Bloom: Reeves Bridal – early to late spring; Little Princess – late spring to early summer
• Exposure: At least 6 Hours of Full Sun
• Growth: Reeves Bridal 4-6 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide; Little Princess 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
• Pruning: Benefits from regular pruning to maintain a healthy, dense, and desired shape, though they can survive without it.
• Zone: 3-8

7. Peonies

With their attractive shiny leaves and huge fluffy blooms, Peonies are a bride’s choice, a gardners dream and a photographer’s desired subject. If a peony shrub, like my Sarah Bernhard (Paeonia lactiflora) is well situated and happy, it may bloom for 100 years or more with little or no attention. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.

• Peonies are extremely fragrant and make excellent cut flowers.
• There are 150 or so floppy herbaceous peonies and nearly 5,000 strong woody upright types, but most nurseries carry the floppy “herbaceous” types. I found a website from the Laidback Gardner that lists both floppy and the sturdier hybrids you can use as a guidline when shopping for peonies.
• For floppy varieties, use peony rings or stakes to prevent heavy blooms from bowing to the ground.

• Bloom: Mid to Late Spring
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Growth: ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ (Paeonia lactiflora) 3-4 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide; Common floppy “herbaceous” peonies grow 2–3 feet tall, while sturdy “woody” tree peonies can grow 4–7 feet tall.
• Pruning: Cut back to the ground before the first snowfall or when the leavaes turn brown in the fall. This prevents disease and pests from overwintering.
• Zone: 3-8

8. Redtwig Dogwood

Fiery red stems of the Red Twig Dogwood blaze out from winter’s white snow. They’re not particularly showy in summer displaying creamy white, highly fragrant flowers which appear after the leaves sprout and later produce darling white berries when ripe. The birds have a feast with the berries and can deplete them before summer’s end.

Red twig dogwood is in the same genus ‘Cornus’ as the infamous dogwood tree, but never grows to a tree. Red Twig Dogwood, also known as ‘Red Osier Dogwood’ (Cornus sericea or Cornus stolonifera) can become invasive because of the dense underground stems and rapid growth rate. They are the most widespread native USA species, occurring over most of the continent except for the southern Great Plains and the Southeast.

There are many varieties of redtwig dogwood available in nurseries offering different sizes and bark intensities. Popular cultivars include Arctic Fire (dwarf), Baileyi (hardy), Cardinal (bright red), and Ivory Halo (variegated).

Redtwig Dogwood Flower Leaves and Berries

• Bloom: Early to Late Spring
• Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun (Make sure well watered if in full sun)
• Growth: Dwarf grow 2-5 feet tall, but most average growth is 5-9 feet tall and wide; some large varieties including the native (Cornus sericea or Cornus stolonifera) grow 9-12 feet tall and wide; fast growing
• Pruning: Needs regular pruning to maintain vibrant winter color, as only new growth produces the brightest red stems. Prune in late winter or early spring before buds break, focusing on removing old, woody stems, deadwood, and branches to promote a dense, colorful shrub.
• Zone: 2-8

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