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Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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Posted by plantman56 z6 PA (My Page) on Sat, Nov 15, 08 at 13:48
I am in zone 6 but please respond with any shrub. I would like to make a list of gardeners' favorite , easy to care for shrubs. No fuss.
I also posted in the shrub forum-
Mike
Mine are
Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana - Dwarf Hinoki Cypress - Grows slow, requires little or no pruning, and tolerates most soils except clay. Full sun or part sun.
Itea Little Henry - Itea - Grows in sun but also likes a little shade. Nice spring flowers , great fall color, Likes damp soil, but once established will grow in most conditions. I can prune easily with hand pruners every few years - Stays about 3 x 3ft.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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| Try black eye susans, coneflowers, bee balm, mexican hyssop, all great for honeybees,butterflies. Pretty much drought tolerant. Also use, calla lillies, lambs ears, shasta daises. You can also seprate most of these and have more to share and plant elsewhere. Near Phila. |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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My favorites for multiseason interest and low care are cornus sericea 'Baileyi' and cornus sericea 'Arctic Fire'. They produce cluters of small white flowers in spring followed by white berries in summer (taken by robins and a mockingbird); the leaves turn a burgundy red in autumn and then in winter - those bright red twigs. The summer foliage is lush medium green - a nice backdrop to summer annuals. I've had the 'Baileyi' for 4 years now and have no suckering issues. I prune 1/3 of the stems to the ground in late winter. They are in a bed that has a soaker laid. Other than the pruning and occasional water, they seem to thrive with no other care.
2 other favorites are micobiota and nandina domestica 'Firepower'. The micobiota does bronze in sun but in shade, stays greener; nandina looks good all year til about February, produces no flowers or berries but the leaves turn deep red when temps get cold and stay on the shrub. By February they look care-worn but after pruning in late winter, they are looking good again by April.
Grasses aren't shrubs so this is off-topic but Panicum 'Northwind' requires only an early spring pruning to look wonderful the rest of the year.
I hope others respond to your post with their favorites as I am trying to decrease the maintenance in our yard without sacrificing interest.
Pat |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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Thanks Pat
I also have Microbiota and agree it is easy to grow. I used it once on a bank that was growing in the shade. Looks like a green version of blue rug juniper.
Also tried knock out rose for the first time this year. I tried it in some afternoon shade and it did not grow well. So I moved to full sun and it is doing fine. Blooming late in October. I wanted to try to see how much shade i would take.
I have no problem including grasses in this discussion. Miscathus Morning Light is one of my favorite - it is very sturdy and the only thing I need to do to it is cut it down in the fall.
Mike |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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| I like the true dwarf boxwood 'suffricosa'. Also Weigelia 'My Monet' just to name a few. Also, Blue Star Juniper. |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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- Posted by rebow 6 Philly (My Page) on
Mon, Dec 15, 08 at 11:32
| I planted two variegated Hebe this fall and they are still looking nice. |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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- Posted by ajpa z6 (My Page) on
Mon, Dec 15, 08 at 14:21
| Not really a shrub but I planted some peony roots 7 years ago (I got them mail order from brecks) and basically neglected them and they come up with pretty flowers every year. |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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| Berberis vulgaris 'Royal Cloak' - Will remain dark purple until frost. Good with Artemisia 'Powis Castle' (silver) or Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon Yellow' (yellow). Ilex crenata - tough holly for any need. Looks like Buxus but for its alternate leaves. Perovskia atriplicifolia - excellent in winter snow. Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Flake' - tremendous flowers; morning sun, afternoon shade. Spiraea japonica 'Magic carpet' - tough, will reseed some. Diversity of colors according to the amount of sun. Virburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Shasta' - cut out any vertical shoots. Weigela florida 'Aureovariegata' - remove a third of the oldest shoots each year. Better with late afternoon shade. Many of the above shrubs will not look great in nursery pots, but once in the ground, become drought tolerant. |
RE: Easy to Grow and Care Shrubs
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Plant natives!
I suggest Viburnum dentatum (arrowwod viburnum). Beautiful flowers, nice fall color, and the mid-summer fruits are a magnet for birds. |
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