Flowering shrubs that thrive in the afternoon sun are great for many reasons. The bright afternoon sun is perfect for attracting bees and butterflies, and the shrubs also make good shade plants. The flowers that do well in this situation include foxglove, black lace elderberry, and weigela. Listed below are some more flowering shrubs that will thrive in the afternoon sun. Here are some tips to choose the best flowering shrub for your garden.
Weigela
Weigela flowering shrubs like full sun but will also thrive in partial shade. These shrubs have moderate water requirements and need one to two inches of rainfall per week. Areas with insufficient rainfall may require supplemental watering. If you are growing the weigela in its native habitat, it will grow well in your climate zone. Weigelas are best grown in containers as they can be moved easily.
When planting your Weigela flowering shrub in the garden, ensure that its crown is level with the soil. Then, add soil around the roots. Fertilize once a year with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Light fertilizing helps your Weigela produce more flowers. You should fertilize your Weigela shrub only once a year. A springtime application of a flowering shrub fertilizer is sufficient.
You can prune your Weigela shrub once it has bloomed. It’s best to prune it after the flowering season, as pruning it too early will inhibit the plant’s blooms next year. Moreover, it’s better to prune the larger mature specimens in the early spring than the dwarf variety. Performing pruning regularly will ensure that your Weigela flowering shrub remains in the shape you desire.
Black Lace Elderberry
If you’re looking for a beautiful flowering shrub, the Black Lace Elderberry is a great choice. This shrub is suitable for both sunny gardens and shaded areas. Black Lace Elderberry grows to about six feet at maturity. These plants are delicious and versatile, and their berries are excellent for making wine. The shrub can also be grown as a potted plant in a container. The leaves are dark lacy, and the flowers are pink. Black Lace Elderberry is a self-pollinating plant, but you may want to space it a few feet apart from another cultivar.
This shrub’s lacy foliage has a distinctive dark purple hue. Young stems are purple, becoming gray-brown with age. The flowers on the black-hued branches are light pink and a beautiful contrast to the dark leaves. The flowers of Black Lace Elderberry will produce berries in the fall. It’s a great addition to a mixed perennial border, and it can also serve as a foundation plant.
When planting “Black Lace Elderberry,” be sure to choose a sunny location with good drainage. Plant it in a bed that drains well, and mulch it thoroughly with a 3-inch layer of acidic compost in spring and early summer. Then, water the shrub to a depth of three inches once a week for seven to ten days. If the soil is too wet, “Black Lace Elderberry” will struggle to grow.
Mock orange
Mock orange is a flowering shrub that blooms in the spring and early summer. Mock oranges are hardy from zones four through eight. The best place for these shrubs is a well-drained soil that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. They prefer well-drained soil with good drainage, so if yours is lacking in that aspect, consider adding some compost to the ground. Mock oranges grow well in a variety of soil conditions, so be sure to add enough compost to your planting area. Plant them 20 to 24 inches apart so that they can reach full sunlight without being overly exposed to a hard freeze.
Mock oranges are easy to care for and require little maintenance. They do not need winter protection and produce masses of attractive blooms. However, weeds can quickly take over your garden, stealing water and nutrients from your shrubs. For best results, keep your garden free of weeds with the use of a weed-control tool. If you don’t have the time to maintain your garden with weeds, you can purchase a mock orange from a specialist nursery. These nurseries generally operate online and deliver plants to their customers.
Foxglove
Once established, foxglove is a low-maintenance flowering shrub that produces a profusion of pink blooms from late spring to early summer. This plant is easily propagated from seed, so be sure to sow seeds in early summer or fall. The seeds mature on the stalk before they burst. Remove seeds with gloves and store them in a dry location. Once mature, the seeds should be visible.
In addition to good soil conditions, foxgloves need slightly acidic soil to produce flowers. Too much nitrogen can promote excessive foliage growth and produce fewer healthy blooms. In order to maximize flower production, fertilize foxgloves once they begin to show flowers. This plant requires four to six weeks of vernalization, which can occur in many outdoor garden conditions. In addition, planting foxgloves after the last frosts will promote flowering in the autumn.
Plant foxgloves in full sun or partial shade. They will thrive in full sunlight but tolerate light shade. Foxgloves need an acidic soil with some organic matter. If planting in a container, dig a hole twice as large as the container’s current soil and fill it with soil. Once rooted, foxgloves will sprout the following spring. You will have a blooming, fragrant foxglove in your garden.
Mock orange attracts bees
Mock orange is a beautiful evergreen native to Mexico, Guatemala, and the U.S. Its fragrant blossoms and fruits attract a variety of pollinators, including bees. Mock orange trees and shrubs attract honeybees, hummingbirds, butterflies, quail, juncos, finches, and even mule deer. Its leaves are toxic to human beings, but are good for providing food and cover for large animals.
The Mock orange tree is hardy within its growing zone, so it is not likely to require winter protection. In addition to water, mock orange flowering shrubs don’t require any extra fertilizer, and do best in a sunny location with some protection from harsh afternoon sun. Mock orange trees are compact, growing five to six feet tall and wide and bearing fragrant double flowers. Bees love the sweet fragrance of the blossoms, but it does require some care.
Mock orange is a versatile plant with numerous varieties. Some varieties have variegated leaves or larger flowers than others. Choose a variety that complements your landscape. The Minnesota snowflake Mock Orange, for example, is a beautiful double flowering shrub with a strong citrus scent. The belle etoile Mock orange has a longer bloom time, large white flowers with bold yellow stamens.
Mock orange blooms in May to June
A beautiful, fragrant, and disease-resistant plant, the Mock Orange grows best in medium moisture and average soil. It can tolerate light shade and full sun. Its leaves are medium green and are oval. Pruning is required after flowering. Mock orange is a great choice for containers, hedging, or naturalizing. If you don’t want to prune your plant after blooming, try propagating a tree or shrub instead.
Mock oranges are a hardy, undemanding shrub native to the Mediterranean region. They grow quickly in USDA plant hardiness zones three to eight and are a good choice for small gardens or landscapes. Dwarf varieties have a compact habit, while larger ones develop a large, free-flowering hedge. However, the most common use for mock orange in the landscape is as a decorative hedge.
The Mock orange is an antique garden plant with its white blooms. Its fragrance fills the garden and makes the plant an attractive choice. While the Mock orange requires minimal maintenance, the plant can become sparse and may need pruning occasionally. The sweet fragrance of the flowers makes up most of its appeal, but it’s worth it to avoid excessive pruning. Moreover, mock orange plants are disease and fungus-resistant. Although they can be attacked by some insects, such as aphids, mealybugs, and scales, they usually don’t require deadheading.
Foxglove attracts bees
Foxglove flowering shrubs are excellent choices for garden areas that receive partial to full shade. They prefer rich, slightly acidic soil, but can tolerate light shade. In the summer, the flower stalks can become unruly. Trim the flower stalks back to the basal rosette for a second flush of blooms, which appears as the weather cools down. Adding a mulch to the shrubs’ base will improve air circulation and prevent fungal diseases.
Choosing a suitable location for your foxgloves is essential for attracting bees and other pollinators. Ideally, the shrubs should be grown in a sunny, sheltered location, and be kept evenly moist. In mid to late summer, the flowers fade and seed capsules form. Harvest the seedlings in early summer before the seed capsules burst. Cover seedlings with mulch and allow them to grow in a sheltered spot until they are ready to transplant outdoors.
Digitalis is a biennial perennial with large leaves and flower spires that are at least two meters tall. The flowers range in color from white to deep purple. The plants grow best in groups of five or more. Unlike many flowers, Digitalis is not edible to humans. They are toxic if consumed. A biennial foxglove, however, will bloom this summer.
