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.

Camellia japonica 'Tri-Color'

Gulfstream Nandina

Low maintenance shrub that turns fiery red-orange in winter

'Goshiki' Tea Olive

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.

Butterfly Bush bloom

This Tiger Swallowtail butterfly visits the many tiny tubular flowers that make up a butterfly bush bloom spike.

Mt Airy Fothergilla

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".

Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom

Burning Bush

Mophead Hydrangea

Kaleidoscope Abelia

Deer-resistant plants- NC State Publication

Landscape Plants for Georgia Southern Gardens- UGA Publication

Shade Garden Plants

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