8 Spring Flowering Shrubs

There are many spring flowering shrubs, but some types are particularly beautiful and garden worthy.

Spring flowering shrubs come in a wide range of colours and sizes.

We share eight of our favourite spring flowering shrubs.

All the shrubs selected are easy to grow and care for and will bloom in spring year-after-year.

1) Deutzia – This beautiful cottage garden shrub is not widely planted nowadays, which is a shame. It produces prolific sprays of pink or white flowers in late spring to early summer.  Some varieties also have a light, sweet scent. Although they have a short flowering period they are graceful shrubs that provide structure to a garden. This deciduous shrub prefers a moist, free draining soil in full sun or partial shade.

Deutzia x rosea ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’ – a compact, rounded form with pink petals with a white margin on the outside of the flower, and a white throat with a pink tint inside. Available from £16.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

Deutzia x hybrida ‘Strawberry Fields’ – another compact variety, reaching a mature height and spread of around 1.5 metres. It has a graceful, arching habit. The flowers are flushed with purple on the outside, with a pale pink interior. Available from £13.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

2) Philadelphus (or Mock Orange). The pure white flowers of this attractive shrub smell like orange blossom. Philadelphus requires a sunny position and well-drained soil.

Philadelphus ‘Belle Étoile’ is a compact, medium-sized deciduous shrub with a fabulous fragrance. The simple white flowers have a purple flush to their centre. Available from £15.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

3) Loropetalum chinensis (or Chinese Fringe Flower). This exotic shrub carries clusters of fragrant pink flowers against a backdrop of burgundy foliage. An evergreen bush that likes a sunny position with well-drained soil. A white flowered form with green leaves is also available.

Loropetalum chinensis ‘Black Pearl’ has dark green foliage with a purple hue. Its fringed flowers are dark pink and produced from late February to April. Available from £29.99 in a 9 litre-pot.

4) Japanese Azalea. These low growing evergreen shrubs produce masses of bell-shaped flowers in April-May. The flowers are often carried in such profusion that the branches turn into sheets of colour. Japanese Azaleas come in a variety of flower colours, including white, pink, orange, red and purple.

Expert Tip: Azaleas require acidic soil; this means they should be planted in ericaceous compost, and ideally watered with rainwater. Azaleas should not be allowed to dry out when the weather is dry.

Azalea ‘Sylvester’ – has buds just coming into colour now. It reaches just 75cm in height and 120 cm spread in 10 years. This shrub produces beautiful pink open flowers during April-May. Available at £13.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

5) Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ (red guelder rose or snowball tree). This hardy shrub carries creamy-white globes of fragrant white in April-May. Its neat green leaves are divided into 3-to-5 lobes, developing an attractive red hue in autumn. They reach around 2.5 metres height and 3 metres spread in 10 years.

Available from £15.99 in a 4.5 litre-pot.

6) Spirea japonica (Japanese spirea). Produces foamy clusters of small white or pink flowers. The ovate leaves turn shades of red and orange in autumn before they fall. This shrub is noted for its drought resistance.

Expert Tip: regular dead-heading of the fading flower clusters will extend the flowering season for several months.

Spirea ‘Merlo Green’ – the purple-red new leaves of this variety mature to a dark green, providing a perfect foil for the bunches of carmine-pink flowers. The foliage turns bronze in autumn before dropping. Available at £15.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

Spirea ‘Sparkling Champagne’ – a compact form with leaves that emerge red-orange in the spring, and then lighten to lime in the summer. The individual flowers have pale pink petals with a carmine centre, making the bunches appearing as effervescent as the bubbles in glass of champagne. Its autumn leaf colour is a symphony of yellow and reds. Available at £15.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

7) Exochorda x macrantha (or Pearl Bush). An easy-care deciduous shrub that makes a great plant for the mixed border. This shrub does well in sun or partial shade. Its arching branches carry an abundance of white flowers against soft green foliage during April-May. The foliage turns yellow-orange in autumn before dropping, giving a second burst of colour in the garden.

Exochorda x macrantha ‘Lotus Moon’. Available at £25.99 in a 3 litre-pot.

8) Choisya ternata. Mexican Orange Blossom. A white flowering evergreen shrub with attractive glossy green foliage. Choisya produces its main flush of flowers in April – May. However, they usually produce a second flush of flowers in autumn, and you will even see them producing flowers during winter. The white flowers have a powerful, sweet scent that resembles orange blossom, the leaves are also highly aromatic. Choisya will tolerate some shade.

The golden-leaved Choisya ‘Sundance’ is popular for its sunny foliage. The hybrid Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’ produces plentiful, larger flowers.

Choisya ‘White Dazzler’– a choice variety with slender dark green divided leaves, available at £15.99 in a 3-litre pot.

In conclusion: Spring-flowering shrubs are an excellent way of introducing drama and colour into your garden as it wakes up from its winter sleep. These woody plants also supply structure and height to the garden, making them a key part of you planting design.

To learn how to plant a shrub, follow the link:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/how-to-plant-a-shrub

Find out more about cottage gardens:

https://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/blog/cottage-garden-design-tips-and-key-plants/

To learn more about designing a low maintenance garden incorporating shrubs visit our blog:

https://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/blog/create-low-maintenance-garden-top-advice-city-dwellers/