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For big impact in the garden, choose a shrub that blooms in summer. “And it doesn’t have to be a hydrangea,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle
There are plenty of other interesting options, both native and non-native, to invite pollinating insects and bring color and fragrance to the yard when you’re most likely to be spending time outdoors
Here are some suggestions for shrubs that flower in late June, July and August. Research them now at mortonarb.org/search-plants, and plan to purchase and plant them in September or next spring to bloom next summer. All are winter-hardy at the Arboretum in the western suburbs of Chicago
Carolina allspicez (Calycanthus floridus): Also called sweetshrub, this medium to large shrub has big, deep red flowers and its waxy leaves have a spicy fragrance when crushed. It is native to the southeastern United States. There’s also a yellow-blooming cultivar, Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis): Native to the edges of marshes and wetlands in the Chicago area, this large, rangy shrub does well in wet sites. It has glossy green leaves and fragrant, small, ball-shaped clusters of white flowers in July
Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora): This very large shrub starts blooming around the Fourth of July. The name comes from the footlong, fluffy white flower clusters at the ends of arching stems
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica): Sweetspire is a medium to large shrub that offers fragrant white flowers in sausagelike clusters and red fall leaf color. Also native to the Southeast, it grows well in both sun and shade. Scarlet Beauty sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Morton’) is especially hardy with beautiful fall color, and does better in alkaline soils than the straight species of Itea. Little Henry sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Sprich’) is a compact version suitable for a city garden.
Japanese spirea (Spirea japonica): This Asian shrub fits easily into gardens, with a dense, compact habit and clusters of tiny pink or white flowers in late spring or summer
Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus): Large, showy flowers, often pink or blue, appear on this tall, vase-shaped shrub for a long period in the summer. Many cultivars of this Asian shrub are available. It can spread aggressively by seeds and is considered an invasive plant in some areas. “To avoid that problem, look for double-flowered cultivars, which are usually sterile,” Yiesla said
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus): Relatively compact and dense in its habit, this native shrub has rounded puffs of white flowers. It prefers well-drained soil but is tolerant of drought
For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum
