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Need suggestions on a shrub

ccmarks
15 years ago

I live in Nashville and am trying to pick out a new shrub for my front garden. I'm looking for something evergreen, flowers in the summer, good in part to full sun (sun from noon on).

So far I have on my list :

Spirea - specifically LIttle Princess

Dwarf Butterfly Bush

Petit Bleu Bluebeard

Any other suggestions that are easy to purchase locally?

Thanks so much for any ideas!

Comments (6)

  • ccmarks
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Forgot to mention I need it to be dwarf, 3 foot tall max. Thanks!

  • conniemcghee
    15 years ago

    Are you looking for just one bush?

    Some azaleas are evergreen. They flower in spring, and I don't think they'll do as much sun as you have.

    Camellias are evergreen, but I think they like more shade too. And they flower in fall/winter. They get bigger than three feet, but I think they are very slow-growing. Mine were anyway, until they eventually died. :(

    Evergreen + summer flowering is going to be tough, I think. You know the ones you listed above will drop their leaves in fall/winter, right?

    My new favorite summer-flowering three foot shrub is the Razzle-Dazzle Crape Myrtles. :) These, too, drop their leaves in the fall. I bought three Cherry RD's this year.

  • ccmarks
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    No, I didn't know they'll drop their leaves. Bummer! I was wondering if those would I'm not as familiar with them.
    I have some azaleas in back that I love, but I think they'll burn up in the front gardens. I'll have to check out some camellias. Maybe there's a more sun tolerant/dwarfish variety out there. I was having a hard time finding possibilities. Thanks for the tips!

  • thurston
    15 years ago

    How about a burning bush - but you'd have to keep it trimmed. It does lose its leaves in winter, though.

    Here is a link that might be useful: burning bush

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    15 years ago

    Before purchasing whatever you decide on, check to see if there are any significant problems with that variety. Disease and pest problems, difficult cultural requirements, and invasiveness are three of the most important things. The disease and cultural problems can often be found by googling the scientific name along with the words "pest" and "disease". For instance, you could put "Euonymus alata pest disease" (don't add the quotation marks; they are shown here for clarity) into google to find that it has problems with scale, powdery mildew, crown gall, Cercospora leaf spot, anthracnose, and scab. Cultural needs can also be found on numerous data sheets on the web. Finally, invasive potential should be checked. The Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council (TN-EPPC) is probably your best resource here. I would never consider planting a rank 1 invasive and would be highly unlikely to consider a rank 2. Plants in these categories are particularly harmful to the environment. Euonymus alata (Burning Bush) is listed as a rank 2 invasive. Doing your homework before making a decision will save you huge headaches later. If you really want a particular plant but are worried about a specific problem, sometimes you can find a cultivar that avoids some problem that plagues the plain species.

    Here is a link that might be useful: TN-EPPC Invasive Plant List

  • Soeur
    15 years ago

    Check out Abelia 'Little Richard'. Evergreen unless the winter is really cold, blooms in summer, nice compact rounded shape, stays under three feet. It's fairly new to the market, but I know Riverbend Nursery carries it (Thompsons Station).

    Marty

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