Popularity, clearly labeled

The Most Popular Flowering Shrubs

Among plants cataloged as flowering shrubs, these are the genera Sow gardeners save most. The order reflects popularity, not a universal judgment about form or garden fit.

Ranked by gardener savesOne representative per genus
  1. Hydrangea

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 106 varieties. Generous flower heads and long-lasting structure carry a border from summer onward.

  2. Butterfly Bush

    Butterfly Bush

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 80 varieties. Long, fragrant flower panicles become busy landing strips for butterflies.

  3. Rose

    Rose

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 292 varieties. No other shrub matches roses for range of habit, fragrance, color, and repeat bloom.

  4. Pawpaw

    Pawpaw

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  5. Rue

    Rue

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 2 varieties. Its representative is notable for being dry-spell tolerant and usually passed over by deer.

  6. Virginia Sweetspire

    Virginia Sweetspire

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 10 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  7. Russian Sage

    Russian Sage

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 12 varieties. Silver stems and a long blue haze bring cool color to hot, dry beds.

  8. Lavender

    Lavender

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 38 varieties. Fragrant silver foliage and purple flower wands make dry borders sensory and useful.

  9. Redbud

    Redbud

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 25 varieties. Redbud flowers open directly on bare branches before heart-shaped leaves emerge.

  10. Honeysuckle

    Honeysuckle

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 19 varieties. Tubular, often fragrant flowers turn fences into nectar-rich habitat.

  11. Willow

    Willow

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 17 varieties. Rapid growth and flexible stems bring movement and fast screening to moist ground.

  12. Holly

    Holly

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 89 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  13. Hibiscus

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 89 varieties. Oversized, tropical-looking flowers create a dramatic focal point in summer.

  14. Rhododendron / Azalea

    Rhododendron / Azalea

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 114 varieties. Evergreen mass and generous spring trusses make a shaded border feel established.

  15. Lindera

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  16. Dogwood

    Dogwood

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 58 varieties. Dogwoods layer flowers or bracts, berries, fall color, and elegant branching.

  17. Lantana

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 25 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.

  18. Blueberry / Cranberry

    Blueberry / Cranberry

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 24 varieties. Blueberries combine delicate spring bells, edible fruit, and vivid fall foliage.

  19. Smokebush

    Smokebush

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 7 varieties. Cloudlike flower panicles and richly colored leaves give smoke bush its theatrical depth.

  20. Serviceberry

    Serviceberry

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 11 varieties. Spring blossom, summer fruit, and fall color earn serviceberry three seasons of interest.

About this list

How was this the most popular flowering shrubs list ranked?

A plant must first match the catalog filters named in the title. Each genus is represented and ranked by its most-saved matching variety, so genera with many cultivars do not receive an automatic advantage.

When do I prune flowering shrubs?

It depends on where they bloom: old-wood bloomers (lilac, oakleaf hydrangea) get pruned right after flowering; new-wood bloomers (panicle hydrangea, butterfly bush) in late winter. Pruning at the wrong time is the #1 reason shrubs skip a year of bloom.

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