Landscapers and gardeners may love all their flowers, vines, trees, and bushes but it can’t be helped that there will be always favorites they use for their landscape designs. Whether it is for hardiness, color or profusion of blooms, scent, function, or decorative value, these following shrubs make it to the all-time favorite category of landscaping shrubs.

Bluebeard Shrub

This late summer bloomer is not only a favorite of landscapers and gardeners but also of butterflies and birds. Its delicate blue bloom clusters are lovely to look at with its favorite factor being that the plant easily shrugs off extremely warm weather and blooms on. Who wouldn’t want to include the Bluebeard in any landscaping design? Hardiness zones: 5-9

Red-Tip Photinia

If a heart-shaped pattern is called for in a landscaping design, the Red-Tip Photinia is the ideal shrub to fill it in. It’s red foliage with small white flowers that show up in spring and red berries that come out in autumn attract birds and onlookers alike. Definitely, an excellent natural hedge. Hardiness zones: 2-9

Hydrangea paniculata

This shrub earned its all time favorite place by virtue of being the easiest hydrangea to grow. It’s the superb choice when your landscape design requires a fast-growing shrub. What’s more, its blooms are easy eye-candy on any landscape, garden or lawn. And after being appreciated on its branches, the profusion of small flowers makes an attractive centerpiece on a vase. Hardiness zones: 4-8

Holly

Is the shrub that makes it to the all-time favorite category because of the all-zones hardiness of its evergreen varieties. A landscape design that demands a shrub that displays great color contrasts has a sure win with the red berries against a backdrop of green leaves. Another favorite factor for this Christmasy plant is its prickled leaves that make an excellent natural fence to keep out lawn trespassers. Hardiness zones: 3-9

Potentilla

This is another easy-growing shrub that features orange, red, white and most commonly, yellow flowers with nicely spaced foliage. One of the things that make it an all time favorite for a landscape design is its natural ability to bloom late in spring and well throughout autumn. Hardiness zones: 3-7

 

 

Lilac

Obviously, this shrub is a favorite because of the lovely scent of its delicate blooms. Another plus is its sweeping branches that make it spectacular as a screen for a landscape design or a stand-alone statement piece of a garden. Especially now that new varieties with white and red flowers have been introduced. Hardiness zones: 3-7

Smoke Bush

This is another colorful bush from its lush foliage to its colorful blooms. It commonly starts out with dark purple leaves that burst into a profusion of varying shades of yellow, orange, and red in autumn. If your landscape design needs plant drama, the Smoke bush is your answer. Hardiness zones: 5-8

Summersweet

This shade-loving shrub makes the all-time favorite list with its white or pink flowers that carry a very nice fragrance. Its golden foliage is also a plus factor for any landscape design or pergola plans. There’s everything to like with the Summersweet shrub. Hardiness zones: 3-9

Boxwood

Most often grown as a hedge, Boxwood is the most popular shrub for landscape designs. Excellent as formal hedgerows, it can also be easily pruned into customized shapes. It’s slow-growing and loves the shade more. Hardiness zones: 5-9

Carolina Allspice

It’s a favorite because of its lovely red summer flowers that release a powerful spicy fragrance reaching throughout the corners of the garden. Ideal beside a pergola design or gazebo It’s also low-care and withstands extreme weather. Hardiness zones: 5-9

There are other favorite shrubs gardeners and landscape contractors plant and recommend but those mentioned here are on the top of the list.