Readers Respond: What Are the Best Bushes to Grow?

Many a landscaping need is best met by growing bushes (shrubs) Why? Because bushes are the Goldilocks of the plant world. Trees can be too tall to grow in a certain area in the yard where you need color; they can also be high maintenance, as when trimming them requires the use of pole pruners. Conversely, many perennials lack the height to make a statement from afar.

Enter bushes, those versatile plants of an intermediate size. What bushes would you list as your favorites? Fill in the boxes below to let others know your choices for the best bushes to grow -- and why you've chosen those particular bushes.

My Favorite Bush

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

Best Bushes to Grow: Lavender

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

Fothergillas Best Bushes to Grow

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

—Guest Bonnie

My Favorite Bush is Butterfly Bush

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

Best Bushes to Grow

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

Fruiting Bushes Best Ones to Grow

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

Clethra Ruby Spice

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

Favorite Bushes to Grow

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

Variegated Bushes Tops on My List

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