Flowering shrubs are a staple for New York gardens. Easy-care flowering shrubs will add texture and color to the landscape year-round. Flowering shrubs will dress up your garden from spring until frost. Forsythia, for example, will bloom in bright yellow in the spring. Before deciding on a plant, browse the neighborhood. Scott Aker, horticulturist at the U.S. National Arboretum, suggests looking around your neighborhood to find shrubs that will work best in your area.
Easy-care shrubs
The ‘Orange Rocket’ barberry is one of the easiest-care shrubs for New Yorkers. The plant starts out with vibrant coral new growth and matures to produce ruby-red foliage. In zones five through nine, this shrub is hardy and requires little care. It grows to four feet tall and one-and-a-half feet wide, depending on how much sun it receives. Its fragrant flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and it’s low-maintenance.
If you are short on time, there are plenty of easy-care shrubs to choose from. Junipers, for example, are a rugged option and are hardy in most climates. Junipers also produce beautiful berries from late fall into winter, so they are an excellent choice for your home’s yard. Choose low-growing varieties for front gardens, and taller ones for privacy. For added impact, consider the lilac shrubs. These shrubs produce small white flowers in the spring, which make them excellent cut-flowers. Azaleas, on the other hand, produce colorful bell-shaped blooms and are an excellent backdrop for landscapes.
The Azalea is the easiest shrub to care for in New York. Its leaves are disease-resistant and resistant to cold weather. Azaleas require less water than many shrubs, but they should be planted in an area that receives shade. While most of these plants are easy-care, they must be protected from harsh winds or the sun. Most of these shrubs are disease-resistant. If you want to plant some flowers for the spring and summer, you can plant a spirea or a hydrangea.
Another easy-care shrub is the dwarf summersweet. It has low growth, and it has a dense foliage. It grows to about four feet tall and is perfect for planting along a walkway. These shrubs are low-maintenance and will add formality to your landscape. They are also deer and pest-resistant. They grow in USDA zones six through ten. They’re also drought-tolerant, and they’re easy to transplant.
Weigela is another great choice for low-maintenance, easy-care shrub. It grows from two to three feet in height and spreads nine to twelve feet in height. Despite its slow growth, this shrub will bloom profusely every spring and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The flower clusters are about 12-18 inches long. Aside from blooms, the plant is also pest-free. Some varieties have a variegated foliage, and the mature shrub has an arching growth habit.
If you’re looking for a showy shrub that will keep looking beautiful all year round, look no further than the oakleaf hydrangea. Its large, cone-shaped blooms start blooming a few weeks ago and will remain in full flower throughout the summer. It’s drought-tolerant and can tolerate partial shade. Aside from blooming, it has great winter color. When the leaves die, the shrub will lose their leaves and will become stunted and/or shriveled.
Native plants
The native shrubs and trees of New York state make excellent accents to any landscape. These plants thrive in soil that is low in nutrients. They grow in sandy soils. In addition to their natural hardiness, these plants do not require additional water or pruning. You can also enjoy the variety of fall color and fruit litter prob. Many native plants have blue flowers or trumpet-like blooms. The following are some of the most commonly grown shrubs and trees in New York.
Red Maple Tree: This northern planting classic is ideal for shady or partial shade gardens. Its pyramidal foliage looks like classic pine trees, but it’s remarkably resilient to high temperatures and salt spray. In addition to being deer-resistant, Red Maple Trees attract pollinators and are ideal for beginners. The red maple tree also produces grayish green berries and requires little maintenance. For a shady backyard, plant a Red Maple Tree in the back yard or on the patio.
Many native plants can be purchased in your local nursery. These plants will grow best when planted in their natural habitat. When buying a native shrub or tree, remember to consider its size and shape. This will help you choose the right plant for your yard. You can also use the New York Flora Atlas to identify native plants. There are many resources online to help you identify different types of plants. If you’re not confident about your plant identification skills, you can use iNaturalist or GoBotany to learn more about the local plants. Alternatively, you can look for a book by Lawrence Newcomb.
In addition to being beautiful, native plants also improve the health of waterways. Their water-holding ability means that they can support the health of ecosystems that are important to the ecosystems of the area. They also provide shelter and food for birds, mammals, and insects. A few examples of native shrubs and trees are listed below. All are worth considering for your landscape. If you have any questions about how to identify native shrubs and trees, check out a guide by the National Audubon Society.
State parks in New York are the perfect places to plant native shrubs and trees. They are natural habitats with a diverse ecosystem that supports a variety of native plants. Choosing the right plants for your landscape is essential for achieving success. A well-manicured plant will add beauty to any landscape. You don’t want to risk destroying it or sacrificing its health. If you want to restore native vegetation, make sure that it is well-suited for the area you are working in.
Many native plants are already “weeds” that are friendly to birds. Some plants, like Pokeweed, serve as habitat features and provide food for local wildlife. Hummingbirds, for example, will love the nectar and seeds from Jewelweed. Hackberry and Black Cherry trees also provide lots of fruit for birds. They will also help the hummingbirds in the fall. There are even plants that are beneficial to the soil.
Azaleas
If you’re planning to plant azaleas in your garden, it’s important to know what their preferred planting conditions are. They do best in partial shade and well-drained soil. They will also grow better if you add a little fertilizer, though you won’t need it for the first couple of years. In addition to that, azaleas also like acidic soil. Soil that’s too dry and clay-rich can cause root rot.
If you have the space and the proper soil, azaleas are perfect for a New York garden. Besides their beautiful flowers, azaleas can be easily raised once planted in the ground. Once established, they’re also relatively easy to maintain. They are great for both flower beds and shrub beds, and once they’re established, you’ll enjoy their sweet fragrance for years to come.
Once planted, azaleas are easy to care for, but you should make sure to water them properly. Azaleas dislike strong direct sunlight but tolerate weak morning sun. Because their roots are shallow, you should water them using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Don’t overwater them, as they’ll suffer from root disease. Be sure to add mulch to the base to keep soil from drying out too much. If you’re unsure whether your soil needs supplemental fertilizer, you can do a soil test.
The azalea flower buds are formed on old wood and grow a few months after the plant has finished blooming. In early July, the plant will finish flowering and will start forming new flower buds. By September, the flower buds will be ready to blossom. This means that pruning after flowering will prevent flower buds from growing in the following year. This also allows wildlife to prune the azalea for you.
While azaleas are favored by gardeners, the plants do not tolerate cold weather well. The plants need four to six hours of direct sunlight each day. Make sure you plant them in a sunny location so they can receive the sun in the morning. Planting them on the east side of the house is especially important. However, if the azalea does get too much sun, it may not bloom.
The plants range in size from twelve inches to twelve feet. They are easy to maintain and can be pruned to fit the space where they’re planted. The most popular varieties are Encore Azaleas, which bloom in spring and fall. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the flowers all year round. And while azaleas are relatively low-maintenance, they still require extra care. Azaleas need a little extra water and protection from harsh winters.
Azaleas thrive in rich, acidic soil with a pH range of 4.5 to 6.0. Azaleas are best planted in a raised bed or container with soil that has been prepared with the appropriate fertilizer and topsoil. Azaleas prefer an acidic pH and need moderately fertile soil. If the soil is too acidic, use an organic mulch such as oak leaves. You can also add acidifying ingredients to the planting hole to make it more suitable for azaleas.
