Shrubs That Can Grow in average Conditions
Below you will find a list of evergreen and flowering shrubs from our plant database that can grow in average climates. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a shrub can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a groundcover, broadleaf evergreen, bush or tree.
Many evergreens and shrubs that flower can flourish in years of average temperatures, average rainfall, or an overall average climate although many of these plants can also do quite well in years with below average and above average temperatures, below and above average rainfall.
Some of these bushes are native plants and have evolved to handle a fairly wide range of weather extremes for short periods of time, have a wider tolerance for diseases, are more salt tolerant and are generally more insect resistant. As long as they aren't invasive, introduced or non-native perennials add so much to the landscape and would be missed if they weren't included.
Less well-known plants can be fun to try and enjoy their differences. Suggestions include: American Red Plum, August Plum or Prunus americana, a easily grown, naturalizing that forms large colonies; American Snowbell (Styrax americanus) and Bigleaf Snowbell (S. grandifolius); Buckwheat-tree or Titi (Cliftonia monophylla); Chinese Witchhazel (Hamamelis mollis); in a mixed shrub border Common Pearlbush (Exochorda racemosa) flowering effect can be appreciated; Crystal Tea or Wild Rosemary (Ledum palustre); Cutleaf Stephanandra (S. incisa); Dusty Zenobia (Z. pulverulenta) likes wetter areas; Florida Anise-tree or Star Anise (Illicium floridanum); Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum); Roseshell Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum) and Royal Azalea (R. schlippenbachii) which are superior azalea species.
Gardeners have tended to think of roses differently and put the plants in a separate category. These Virtual Plant Tags have a section devoted exclusively to roses, because of the enormous number of selected cultivars to chose from. You should know that an industry focus is continuing to bring pest-free and disease-free shrub roses for wider use in the home garden. Incredible free-flowering and fragrant roses have been introduced that flower from spring all the way through frost, showing no black spot or aphid problems during the year, so the glossy leaves are a pretty background for the flowers to contrast with.
