shrubs
Shrubs serve many functions in the landscape. In our Georgia southern gardens, there are many traditional shrubs that are a must-have including Camellia, Hydrangea, Azalea and Viburnum.
Many shrubs provide food for birds and butterflies while those that bloom from spring until fall make a beautiful focal point. Shrubs are the “furniture” of the garden, a necessary element to any good landscape design. Evergreen shrubs (those that don’t lose their leaves in the winter) provide winter interest and they’re not just green anymore.
Thanks to the breeding efforts of growers all over the world, you can now choose evergreen shrubs with colorful foliage. The "green beach balls" landscaping of the past is being replaced with exciting new varieties that provide color, texture and year-round interest. The photo above is a good example of a more modern design using color and texture for eye appeal.
The shrubs that we stock here at the nursery grow very well in our zone 7 climate. We do not carry plants that aren’t suited for our weather or soil. Some varieties that we carry are seasonal due to market availability. Click on pictures below for descriptions of a sampling of our shrubs.
Low maintenance shrub that turns fiery red-orange in winter
A variegated Tea Olive shrub, best suited in shade to part sun. 'Goshiki' means Five Colors in Japanese, very fitting for this colorful shrub that changes from pink to creamy white with various shades of green mottled in.
This Tiger Swallowtail butterfly visits the many tiny tubular flowers that make up a butterfly bush bloom spike.
This native shrub develops a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from gold to orange, maroon, scarlet red and purple. In April & May, white spikes of bottlebrush blooms smother the plant. UGA's professor of horticulture Michael Dirr says of this shrub "I can think of no other plant that gives so much yet asks for so little in return".
Abelia grandiflora- Glossy Abelia
Kaleidoscope
Mardis Gras
Rose Creek
Aucuba japonica- Japanese Aucuba
Azalea- (see Rhododendron)
Buddleia davidii- Butterfly Bush
Bi-Color- two tone orange/purple
Black Knight- deep purple
Buzz Purple- dwarf size
Buzz Sky Blue- dwarf size
Buzz Velvet- dwarf size
Honeycomb- yellow
Pink Delight- true pink
White Profusion- white with yellow eye
Buxus microphylla- Boxwood
Callicarpa americana- American Beautyberry *
Calycanthus floridus- Sweetshrub or Carolina Allspice *
Camellia japonica- Japanese Camellia (blooms in early spring)
Camellia sasanqua- (blooms in late fall/winter)
Cephalotaxus harringtonia- Japanese Plum Yew
Chamaecyparis obtusa- Hinoki Falsecypress
Crippsii
Slender Hinoki
Tempelhof
Chamaecyparis pisifera- Japanese Falsecypress
Gold Mop
King's Gold Dwarf Gold Mop
Vintage Gold
Chionanthus virginicus- Grancy Gray-beard or White Fringetree *
Chionanthus retusus- Chinese Fringetree
Clethra alnifolia- Summersweet Clethra *
Cleyera japonica- Japanese Cleyera
Cotinus coggygria- Smoketree or Smokebush
Cotoneaster dammeri- Bearberry Cotoneaster
Moon Creeper
Tom Thumb
Cryptomeria japonica- Japanese Cryptomeria
Black Dragon
Globosa Nana
Radicans
Yoshino- tree form
Eleagnus pungens- Eleagnus
Euonymous compacta- Dwarf Burning Bush
Forsythia x intermedia- Yellow Bells
Fothergilla gardenii- Mt Airy Dwarf Fothergilla *
Gardenia jasminoides- Gardenia
August Beauty
Frost Proof
Radicans or Creeping Gardenia
Hydrangea arborescens- Smooth Hydrangea
Annabelle
Hydrangea macropylla- Bigleaf or Mophead Hydrangea
Charm
Dooley
Endless Summer
Nikko Blue
Penny Mac
Preziosa
Rave
Hydrangea paniculata- Panicle Hydrangea
Bobo- dwarf
Limelight
Pinky Winky
Strawberry Sundae
Vanilla Strawberry
Hydrangea quercifolia- Oakleaf Hydrangea *
Alice
Pee Wee
Snow Queen
Ilex cornuta- Chinese Holly
Dwarf Burford
Needlepoint
Ilex crenata- Japanese Holly
Helleri
Sky Pencil
Soft Touch
Ilex vomitoria- Yaupon Holly *
Pendula or Weeping Yaupon
Schillings or Dwarf Yaupon
Illicium floridanum- Florida Anise *
Illicium parviflorum- Yellow Anise *
Itea virginica- Sweetspire *
Henry’s Garnet
Merlot
Juniperus chinensis- Chinese Juniper
Gold Lace
Old Gold
Sea Green
Juniperus conferta- Shore Juniper
Blue Pacific
Juniperus horizontalis- Creeping Juniper
Andorra
Blue Rug
Juniperus procumbens- Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper
Nana
Juniperus virginiana
Grey Owl
Ligustrum japonicum- Japanese Ligustrum
Howardi
Recurve
Wax Leaf
Lorapetalum chinense- Chinese Fringe-flower
Cerise Charm- NEW dwarf size
Crimson Fire- dwarf size
Red Chocolate- NEW vivid red flowers
Ruby
Nandina domestica- Heavenly Bamboo
Compacta
Firepower
Gulfstream
Harbor Belle
Osmanthus
Fragrant Tea Olive
Goshiki variegated Tea Olive
Orange Flowering Tea Olive
Pieris japonica- Japanese Pieris
Cavatine
Compacta
Rhododendron (all Azaleas are now included in the Rhododendron genus). It is critical that the evergreen Rhododendrons be planted in loose soil that drains well. Carving out a hole in wet, sticky clay means death for Rhododendrons! A good technique is to till the area to loosen compacted clay, add organic matter, then leave about 1/3 of the root ball exposed above the existing soil line. Mound up good quality composted bark (like Nature’s Helper) around the root ball, creating a “raised bed” effect. Afternoon shade is a must in the South.
Rhododendron catawbiense- Evergreen Rhododendron hybrids *
Chionoides- white with yellow center, dwarf to 4 ft.
English Roseum- rosy pink, 6 ft.
Nova Zembla- vibrant red, 5 ft.
Roseum Elegans- lilac, 6 ft.
Scintillation- lavender pink with gold throat, 6 ft.
Vulcan’s Flame- bright red, 5 ft.
Rhododendron austrinum, R. canescens, and hybrids- (deciduous Azaleas)-
Flame Azalea or Wild Azalea *
Admiral Semmes- fragrant yellow
Lisa’s Gold- fragrant gold, 10-12 ft.
Stonewall Jackson- orange
Tallulah Sunrise- orange/yellow
Rhododendron hybrids- Evergreen azalea
Assorted Encore Azaleas- repeat blooming
Conversation Piece- pink flowers have splotches of dark pink, red and white
Fashion- orange red
Flame Creeper- orange red groundcover type
Formosa- purple
G.G. Gerbing- pure white
George L. Taber- two-tone orchid pink
Girard Crimson- purplish red
Hilda Niblett- pink with red blotches, dwarf
Midnight Flare- the deepest red of any azalea
Pink Ruffle- coral pink
Red Ruffle- vivid red
Wakaebisu- salmon pink with deep pink blotch, dwarf
Roses- see Rose page
Sarcococca confusa- Fragrant Sweetbox
Spirea x bumalda (cross between S. albiflora and S. japonica)
Anthony Waterer
Candy Corn
Goldmound
Spirea prunifolia- Bridalwreath Spirea
Syringa patula- Fragrant Lilac
Miss Kim
Palabin
Thuja occidentalis- Eastern Arborvitae (a good conifer for the South)
Emerald Green
Fire Chief
Woodward Globe
Yellow Ribbon
Thuja plicita- Giant Arborvitae
Green Giant- Excellent Leyland Cypress replacement
Viburnum macrocephalum- Chinese Snowball Viburnum
Viburnum opulus- Snowball Bush
Viburnum x Burkwoodii- Mohawk Viburnum (fragrant)
Viburnum plicatum- Doublefile Viburnum
Shasta
Summer Snowflake
Vitex agnus-castus- Chastetree
Shoal Creek
Weigela florida- Old Fashioned Weigela
Sonic bloom- NEW repeat bloomer
Wine and Roses