Looking for some beautiful shrubs for your Minnesota yard? Check out these choices. Weigela, Viburnum, Fothergilla, and Honeysuckle are just a few of our favorites. If you want a more unusual shrub for your yard, try Artic Fire Dogwood. This plant’s fiery red branches stand out against the snow. It’s perfect for both summer and winter gardens.
Weigela
The weigela plant thrives in moist, slightly acidic soil. Mulch the plant to retain moisture, and fertilize it in spring with a slow-release fertilizer. Weigelas rarely need additional water, but they do need to be pruned after blooming. To avoid pruning, keep it moist in winter, but prune it after blooming. If you have a small yard, dwarf weigelas are great accent plants. For added color, try selecting variegated or dark leaf varieties.
Weigelas bloom on old growth. They bloom twice – once in mid-late spring, and then again in late summer or early fall. The flowers are tubular and five-lobed. The flowers are one to two inches long, and can be pink, white, or yellow. Hummingbirds love the nectar found in the flowers. Weigela shrubs are also a low-maintenance choice for small yards.
There are many different weigela shrubs for Minnesota gardens. There are many varieties to choose from based on size and desired height. The Wine Weigela is two to three feet tall and wide, and it grows well in zones four to eight. It has no significant disadvantages, and grows at a medium rate. It can live up to 30 years. And it doesn’t require facer plants to grow in the front.
While weigela plants are quite resistant to freezing temperatures, they may need pruning to promote healthy growth and flowering. To improve flowering, prune the plant in late winter, cutting away old, weak branches. This will encourage new growth and stronger buds. This will result in larger, more voluminous flower buds. So, if you’d like to enjoy the red-and-white flowers of weigela plants year after year, it’s time to prune.
Fothergilla
Fothergilla shrubs are ideal for landscapes with a sunny, acidic pH. They can tolerate partial shade or full sun. Full-sun locations are ideal for flower displays and fall foliage color. They do not have major insect or disease problems. They grow well in hardiness zones five to eight. If you are in the market for a new shrub, consider a Fothergilla.
A beautiful flowering shrub, fothergilla blooms in mid-spring before the leaves emerge. It grows to a height of two to three feet and has fragrant white flowers. In autumn, the foliage changes color to a reddish-purple. Fothergilla is deer resistant. They can withstand temperatures from zero to eight degrees Fahrenheit. They can live for 40 years or more in Minnesota.
Another excellent flowering shrub, ‘Sunshine Blue’, is popular in the state. This shrub is compact, mounding, and grows to about two feet tall and wide. Its foliage is silvery-blue in the summer and orange in the fall. Its blooms last for months, making it an excellent choice for a shady spot in your yard. It will also tolerate dry soil, but not perpetually moist areas.
Frost-tolerant and hardy in Minnesota, these shrubs are great additions to wooded areas and shade gardens. They have white flower spikes and a rangy, slender character. The shrub can be grown as a single specimen, or mixed with other native plants. It can be planted in full sun to partial shade and can grow to ten feet tall. It will need regular watering.
Viburnum
If you want a low-maintenance plant for your landscape, consider the low-maintenance Spirea. This flowering shrub does not need deadheading, requires little water, and can survive in full sun. While most of these shrubs are disease and pest-resistant, they do fall victim to mites and aphids. The longest-lasting blooms of any plant are characteristic of a Spirea. A Spirea shrub makes a great groundcover, hedge, or perennial border.
The common snowball viburnum is native to the lower Midwest. This variety is capable of growing to about 12 feet in height and a similar spread. It can tolerate a wide range of soil types, and it grows at a medium rate. It can live up to 40 years under ideal conditions. Besides being native to the Midwest, it also grows well in the Pacific Northwest and Maine. Listed below are some of the most popular Viburnum shrubs for Minnesota landscapes.
The Maple-leafed Viburnum is another native shrub. It grows only a few feet a year and matures to fifteen feet. It has foliage similar to that of the red maple, but is much less aggressive. It has white flowers in spring and red or blue berries in winter. Its bright fall color is a bonus for wildlife. Viburnum shrubs are often used as bird nesting sites, so they attract birds and other wildlife to your yard.
There are a few ways to tell if your Viburnum is infected with VLB. While adults look similar to other leaf beetles, the larvae are much more difficult to identify. If you notice “skeletonizing” defoliation on your Viburnum shrub, it may be a sign of the Japanese beetle. You can identify the larvae by egg pits on twigs or under leaves.
Honeysuckle
A common perennial, Honeysuckle has long been a favorite among gardeners. Native to the East, honeysuckle is highly prized for its cascading habit. The flowers are yellow trumpets that bloom in early summer and are accompanied by glossy green foliage with coppery-bronze tips. The plant grows quickly, preferring full sun to part shade, and is tolerant of urban pollution.
There are about 180 species of Lonicera in the Northern Hemisphere, including several cultivated and native species. They differ in their flower colour and leaf pubescence, and are often used as shelterbelts, background screens, and windbreaks. Non-native honeysuckle shrubs are not a good choice for Minnesota’s climate. Thankfully, several species are native to the state, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages restoration efforts.
When planning a landscape, consider where the Honeysuckle will grow. Dwarf Honeysuckle attracts hummingbirds, which will appreciate the sweet, nectar it produces. This invasive shrub also attracts rabbits and deer. Despite its beautiful foliage, honeysuckle bushes can become large, so you should plan accordingly. You should also consider the space in your yard.
The flower is pale yellow, and grows in clusters of three or four at the end of new growth branches. The stamens are hairy and rounded at the base. One petal is yellowish-red, and the flower is about a quarter to half an inch in diameter. The leaves are small, textured, and slender. The seeds are approximately 1/8 to half inch long and are dark green to gray.
The best way to reduce the height of the shrub is to head it. Remove any cane that grows higher than the previous one. Then, head it back to the lateral branch. This will encourage the lateral buds to form and increase the shrub’s density. While a lot of the shrubs in this list are hardy, many are susceptible to disease and pest infestations. If you want to have a beautiful flowering shrub, consider the Spirea.
Boxwood
If you’re looking for landscape plants that are hardy in Minnesota, boxwoods are the right choice. This plant family, which has a low growth rate, is one of the few that stay green throughout the winter. Boxwoods are a deciduous type of shrub, but newer varieties can handle frost and are hardy in growing zones five through nine. Many of these plants also tolerate heavy shade. If you’re thinking of adding a boxwood to your landscape, here are some tips to help you choose the right one.
In Minnesota, you can choose between two kinds of boxwood: the Korean and Japanese varieties. Korean boxwood is hardy in our region, and has broad, evergreen foliage that turns olive, yellowish, and purplish-green during the winter. Boxwood shrubs are generally three to four feet tall and have clusters of lavender flowers in early spring. Japanese yew grows to five feet and prefers partial to full shade. Japanese yew is a compact variety with dark green needles. It has red berries in fall, which are the most striking part of this plant.
Regardless of the size of your yard, boxwoods are hardy, versatile, and fuss-free. This hardy shrub looks great in hedges, accents, containers, and topiary. Among the many varieties available in Minnesota, the “Winter Gem” is considered the best Buxus microphylla japonica. They are both hardy and versatile and are suitable for planting in all kinds of areas.
Another option for planting a boxwood is the English variety. This plant is easy to maintain and has a rich, glossy green appearance. It is also resistant to pests, disease, and insects. Despite its name, this plant also thrives in cooler climates. If you’re looking for an ornamental shrub to add to your yard, a boxwood is a great option. A boxwood hedge will add a classic European touch to your landscape.