Readers Respond: What Are the Best Bushes to Grow?

Responses: 25

By David Beaulieu, About.com Guide

See More About

(Continued from Page 1)

I'd purchased an Autumn Magic Black Chokecherry on the recommendation it was a year-round interest plant. Flowers in spring, autumn color foliage, berries that last deep into winter. True! I love it. But I had no idea how much rabbits in the winter loved every part of it. Before I knew it, I looked out in early December to find what was once a broad, 4' tall, 4' wide beauty was chomped down to few nubs by the neighborhoods rabbit infestation. Not much left but I rushed out to put wire around the remainder. In the weeks after the rabbits moved on to my Helmand Pillar barberry (winter interest also eaten clean down to the ground), then to my gray twig dogwood (two branches left), and two blue muffin arrowwood viburnums (once 4 foot tall now stand 1 foot tall). So I can say the rabbit infestation has taught me that winter interest is not only pretty to a human's sense of aesthetic, but often also of interest to scurrying rodents hungry for a snack. Those pretty shrubs better be caged up.
—Guest Eric Anondson

I have several favorites: Butterfly Bush for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, mophead hydrangea and lilac for the wonderful scent of the flowers in spring.
—Guest GardengalinCaif

My two favourite lavenders are French and English, but I also like Cotton lavender. Admittedly, lavenders can become woody and leggy if neglected but if they are being fed, groomed and manicured the result can be very pleasing. They have style, texture, fragrance and colour all going for them.
—Hedgecutter

I love Fothergillas...beautiful blue/green leaves, then changing to gold/orange in the fall
—Guest Bonnie

My favorite bush is the butterfly bush. I can grow them from seed making adding more very affordable, they flower all year and attract a lot of butterflies to my garden.
—Guest GardenLady39

I have three viburnums I love, one v. carlesii with deliciously scented early, waxy white flowers, and a taller one with corrugated leaves. I don't remember its name. The leaves are very handsome and turn burgundy in fall. The flowers aren't fragrant but the berries are held on with red stems that are colorful. The third is v. opulus aurea with sunny yellow foliage with a rosy tint in spring. Bush lilacs are great, smoke bush, clethra- fragrant chains of white or pink flowers in August. The dwarf conifers with multi color needles are beautiful.I could go on!
—chunkycrone

Fruit bearing ones of course, whether it is human or bird food. Examples abound like blueberries, gooseberries, flowering currents, flowering quince, purple beautyberry bush, chilean guava, etc. We have or will by spring have all of these.
—Guest Charlie

Planted it in Nov '07, and this summer it bloomed for 1st time. Very sweet smelling flowers! I plan on planting more and different varieties.
—heli_av8er

The small Fothergilla, Nana I believe. It gets about 4 ft tall and wide and has great blooms in the spring and colorful leaves in the fall plus a nice tidy shape all year. Also love the variegated weigela with its pretty pink flowers that grow in a cascading manner.
—Guest Onalee Crocker

I'm partial to the bushes with variegated leaves, myself. If I had to pick one, it's hard to go wrong with variegated dogwood (Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'), since you get the nice leaves during the warm months and then the crimson twigs in winter. But I also like the variegated weigela and Emerald Gaiety euonymus.
—Guest Ellsworth Toohey

Previous16-25 of 25

David Beaulieu
Landscaping Guide