Shrubs That Provide Color in Summer and Fall

While it is common to find a riot of color in most landscapes and gardens from April through June, the heat of July and August tends to quell the riot quickly. Blooms on many plants fade and foliage loses luster. This is the time to look around and see which plants are remaining attractive in the heat. There has been great progress in the past 10 years in developing annuals and perennials for summer and fall color. However, there are many old standby shrubs that hold their own in the heat and provide eye-catching color and texture during the summer and fall.

Some shrubs can be depended on to put on an impressive floral display even during the hottest weeks of July and August (some requiring a little irrigation). Here are a few examples:

Hibiscus syriacus - Good old Rose-of-Sharon never fails. Some of the cultivars released by the US National Arboretum, such as ‘Diana’ and ‘Minerva’ are impressive in flower from late June through July and are somewhat less rangy than many of the old fashioned cultivars. This utilitarian plant, with amazing toleration for heat and drought, is often used as a colorful hedge.

Hydrangea paniculata - Panicle hydrangea is another tough plant that puts on an impressive floral display in mid to late summer. There are many outstanding cultivars, such as ‘Tardiva’ with showy, white, cone-shaped inflorescences. This species tends to be floppy and requires considerable room, but can be cut back each year, since it blooms on new wood.

Rosa - Shrub Roses - With regular pruning, many roses can produce flowers all summer. ‘Knockout’ puts on a real show with its intensely red blooms and new growth in May and June and, if cut back, will re-bloom nicely. Rugosa and ‘Nearly Wild’ bloom periodically without pruning when the heat moderates a bit. ‘Topaz Jewel’, a recently introduced yellow flowering rugosa hybrid, is blooming well in my landscape this summer.

Lagerstroemia indica - Most of us consider crapemyrtle to be a southern plant. However, many of the semi-dwarf indica x fauriei hybrids introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum such as ‘Hopi’ and ‘Zuni’ are hardy enough to be dependable summer bloomers in Missouri. While they may die back during some winters, they generally persist for a number of years. As a bonus, crapemyrtles have attractive, glossy foliage, interesting bark and good fall color.

Perovskia atriplicifolia - Russian sage is an outstanding semi-woody shrub for summer bloom. It produces masses of airy looking, blue-violet terminal inflorescences during the hottest part of the summer. It is drought tolerant, but requires a well drained soil. Cutting back to live wood in the spring is the only maintenance required.

Some shrubs provide colorful summer foliage in addition to flowers and fruit. Examples include the following:

Hypericum androsaemium - ‘Albury Purple’ Tustan Hypericum is a semi-woody perennial forming a 2-foot mound of arching branches with purplish foliage. It also produces bright yellow, terminal flowers and ornamental reddish berries. It may die back some winters, but develops quickly when cut back to live wood in spring. This plant has been impressive in my garden so far, but I am reserving judgment for a few more winters.

Nandina domestica - While heavenly bamboo is considered a noxious weed by some of my friends in Alabama, it is a plant with graceful-looking blue green foliage with reddish tinges in summer. Its semi-evergreen foliage turns wine-colored in fall and, in protected locations, it can produce multitudes of attractive red berries that persist into early winter. Since the species spreads gradually by rhizomes, some of the dwarf cultivars such as ‘Harbor Dwarf’ show promise as ground cover for partial shade.

There are many notable examples of shrubs providing outstanding fall color:
Itea virginica - While Virginia sweetspire is generally planted for its white flowers, it is worth planting for its fall color alone. A mass of Itea with arching branches of burgundy foliage is a joy to behold.

Viburnums - In addition to their terrific flowers, interesting summer foliage and attractive fruit, many species of viburnums have terrific fall color. ‘Winterthur’ (Viburnum nudum), for example, is a rounded, 6-foot shrub with attractive white flowers in May, glossy leaves in summer, beautiful bluish fruit in fall and an outstanding purple fall color.

Look around this summer and make note of the plants that catch your eye. There are many good, low maintenance shrubs out there to provide interest in mid summer and fall when the annuals and perennials are struggling.

Chris Starbuck, Woody Ornamental Horticulture, UMC (573) 882-9630