Hardy Flowering Shrubs
A gardener or landscaper has plenty of choices available for growing flowering shrubs in zone 5. Starting with the classic hardy flowering shrubs, zone 5 gardeners can choose from many varieties of hydrangea, viburnum, lilac, spirea, rhododendron, azalea, dogwood, ninebark, and roses. Hydrangeas bloom for long periods in midsummer; some varieties even have fall colored foliage. Viburnums are a favorite of birds because of their berries which can persist well into winter. Viburnums have spring or summer flowers depending on the variety, which then turn into berries, and many varieties also display beautiful fall foliage. Lilacs are much loved for their extremely fragrant spring flowers and many new varieties are reblooming and cold hardy. Spirea is a classic, low maintenance landscape shrub with many varieties offering colorful foliage throughout the summer. Rhododendrons put on a beautiful display of flowers in spring and are also broadleaf evergreens, giving the landscape winter interest. Dogwood flowers in spring, then most varieties produce berries, but their real charm comes from their bright red or yellow stems that stand out against the winter snow. Ninebark shrubs provide the landscape with an array of colorful foliage throughout the growing season. This colorful foliage makes their white spring flower clusters really stand out. Rose shrubs can make excellent choices when growing flowering shrubs in zone 5 gardens. Easy Elegance and Knock Out shrub roses bloom from spring to fall frost. Below is a list of some less common flowering shrubs for zone 5 landscapes.
Flowering Almond Alpine Currant Bush Honeysuckle Butterfly Bush Caryopteris Elderberry Forsythia Fothergilla Kerria Mock Orange Mountain Laurel Potentilla Purpleleaf Sandcherry Rose of Sharon Smokebush
