Blue-Mist Shrub

Use for color accent

Low shrub

Massing

Areas where snow piles up

Blue flower

Grey-green foliage

Mildly scented flowers and foliage

Marginal hardiness

Often treated as a perennial

Blooms on currnet years growth

Blooms during summer

Forsythia

Zone 4(5)

Size - 8-12'

Fast growing, large, deciduous shrub

Wide range of soil and cultural requirements

Prized for excellent show of yellow flowers in early spring

Use for islands, large borders or mass plantings

Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon

Old-time favorite not used as much today

Many different cultivars

Very attractive single flowers in a variety of colors that are produced late in the season

Very soil and water adaptable makes it a good plant for many sites

Best used in mass plantings, borders, screening, etc...

Hardy to zone 5 but seems to do well in zone 4

Size can be a limiting factor; up to 10' tall and just about as wide

Tatarian Honeysuckle

Zone 3 - Hardy

Large deciduous shrub; 5-10+ feet

Old-time favorite; Now heavily affected by Russian aphid which causes witches broom type growth

Popular for pink to white flowers that are edible; Red fruit

Tough adaptable shrub that has some weedy tendencies

Dirr calls it the Edsel of Deciduous shrubs; other better choices!?

Should use dwarf or hybrid forms

Mock Orange

Zone - 4-8

Large deciduous shrub - 12+'

Fragrant white double and single blooms

Tough, tolerant shrub

Old time favorite; one of most fragrant shrubs, but limited use in modern landscape except for dwarf forms

Highly hybridized

Ninebark

Tough, durable shrub

Very adapted to a wide range of conditions

Grows 5-8 ft.

Very cold hardy

Foliage comes in green, yellow, and wine red

Bush Cinquefoil

Zone 2-7; HARDY

Small 2-4', deciduous shrub

Small pinnately compound leaves

Late spring and summer blooming; Long season of bloom

Mostly yellow, but some white, pink and red/orange

Very easy to grow

Can look straggly in the winter

Fairly drought tolerant after establishment

Very soil and climate tolerant

Many, many cultivars (Over 60)

Bumald Spirea

Zone 3-8

Small deciduous shrub - 2-4'

Can be cut back each winter as it blooms on current years growth; easy to maintain

They offer excellent white to deep pink flowers in mid-summer

Tolerant of most soils except wet which causes chlorosis

Very popular shrub, easy to propagate; with many hybrids and cultivars

Use as accent, small foundation, mass, ...

Vanhoutte Spirea

Zone 3-8

Medium, 6-8', deciduous shrub

Loaded with white flowers in late spring (May to June)

Durable, adaptable shrub; probably most planted spirea of past century

No problem with chlorosis

Old time favorite

Can be a little large and un-kempt looking as it matures

Japanese Spirea

Zone 3-8

Small 1.5-4' deciduous shrub

Similar to bumalda; but many cultivars are smaller

Common Lilac

Large deciduous shrub

Fragrant purple (plus many other colors) flowers

Old-time favorite; but too large and leggy for most modern landscapes

French Hybrids and dwarf forms are best
Many pest problems, but usually outgrows them

As many as 800 to 900 clones

European Cranberrybush

Zone 3-8

Medium size deciduous shrub

Popular for showy rounded, white flower inflorescence that looks like a snowball

Has problems with aphids causing leaves to curl

More flowers and berries than V. trilobum

Will tolerate partial shade

Dwarf form is most popular

American Cranberrybush Viburnum

Zone 2-8;

Hardiest of the Viburnmums

Medium deciduous shrub

Dwarf forms make up 95% of all trilobums

Have nice flowers (but fewer than opulus) with good (red) fall color

The bright red berries are ornamental and edible

Very tough and tolerant shrub

Little to no problem with aphids