With the right landscape design, you can completely transform your outdoor space into the garden of your dreams. Planting vibrant shrubs with bright, eye-catching flowers can make your yard infinitely more aesthetically pleasing – and you’ll also be providing some much-needed sustenance and resting places for native animals in your area.
If you’re looking to add some natural beauty to your outdoor space, there are many native flowering shrubs to choose from. Pennsylvania’s climate and local soil can support a huge variety of flowering shrubs that feature blossoms in many colors and shapes, making it easy to customize your landscape to your liking.
Five Great Options for Pennsylvania Flowering Shrubs
Are you unsure where to start when it comes to adding flowering shrubs to your garden? Here are a few popular options that thrive in the Pennsylvania climate and can add some beauty to your space. Many of these flowering shrubs can coexist with one another and create an inviting mixture of colors in your garden.
1. Clethra Alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’
This versatile shrub, commonly referred to as Sweet Pepperbush, blooms in full to partial shade from July to August. Sweet pepperbush is native to Maryland and can be found along the coast from Maine to Florida.
Sweet Pepperbush, with its ruby-pink flower spikes and appealing smell, attracts butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators. It does, however, have natural defenses against pesky deer and rabbits.
2. Mountain Laurel
Mountain laurel, also known as kalmia, is a roughly 15-foot shrub that blooms pink flowers during the summer months. Mountain laurel tends to bloom the most fully when planted in partial shade, especially in moist, well-drained soil.
The lovely pink blossoms on mountain laurels are among the top reasons why Pennsylvania residents love to plant them in their yards. In fact, it’s Pennsylvania’s state flower.
Since every mountain laurel is several feet tall and wide, you’ll be able to enjoy many hundreds of blooms on each plant during the summertime. And bees and butterflies love to feed on the nectar found within mountain laurel blossoms.
3. Hydrangea Quercifolia
Hydrangea quercifolia shrubs (also known as Oakleaf hydrangea) are a great addition to any yard. Their leaves are reminiscent of oak trees in shape and color, which gives them a classic and inviting feel. Their blossoms transition between multiple colors during their lifespan, including green, white, and purple. Even their bark is a rich, lovely brown.
If color is what you’re after, planting some Oakleaf hydrangea shrubs in your yard is an easy way to brighten up the space. You can expect flowers to bloom on your hydrangea during spring and early summer, while the leaves will turn a rich mahogany color in the autumn season.
4. Physocarpus Opulifolius
Physocarpus opulifolius (commonly known as ninebark), is a popular flowering shrub that can be found all over the Pennsylvania area. This shrub is known for its fast-growing nature and its ability to spread quickly. It also grows straight upright, making it a great option to serve as a fence where you want to create some privacy.
Ninebark’s blossoms grow in small clusters throughout the plant, and each petal is creamy white with a slight pink tinge. Spring is the best time for its blossoms, although the plant is lovely throughout the year, with dense foliage and reddish-brown bark. Depending on the varieties you plan, leaf colors may be burgundy, green, or chartreuse.
5. Spirea
Spirea’s ability to thrive in many climates and soil types makes it an easy choice for homeowners all over Pennsylvania and beyond. This flowering shrub can outlast cold, weak soil, heat, drought, and many types of pollution. Plus, spirea is very low-maintenance and attracts desirable creatures like butterflies.
Spirea shrubs produce delicate flowers that cluster throughout the plant and vary in color, from light pink to white to bright red. Spirea leaves are also lovely to behold and can take on myriad colors, including deep green, gold, or even blue.
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