What are the Fastest Growing Shrubs?

Blue Hydrangea

Blue Hydrangea - Hydrangea Macrophylla Blue hydrangeas are your go-to choice for elegant flowering shrubs. When shopping for a shrub with old-fashioned charm, this is one of the most elegant. They are easy to cultivate, grow in almost any soil, and produce abundant dinnerplate-size blue snowball blooms throughout the warm season and into autumn. How to Grow Blue Hydrangeas These bushes are drought-resistant and can grow out in direct sunlight or in filtered shade. They grow quickly and mature to 15 feet high and 10 feet wide. The blooms are in Spring and Summer, even into Fall, and are dinner plates in size. These shrubs do exceptionally well in zones 5-9, making them versatile and a great choice for even cooler winter zones. Blue Hydrangea Planting Season Since hydrangeas are relatively large shrubs, giving them enough time to develop a healthy root is essential. This is why it is best to plant hydrangeas in spring or fall.  They can also be planted anytime in the Spring or Fall season. Where to Plant These shrubs are versitle and do best when planted along a fence, near home, or as a border. They can be grown in direct and open sunlight or filtered shade, making them a favorite for many homeowners who do not have the "perfect" solution for many flowering shrubs. Growing them along the fence clears them from the harsh afternoon heat. They are perennials that often thrive in hardiness zones 5-9. Soil Recommendations   As revealed above, they can withstand almost any soil type. They thrive in soil rich in organic materials, and the ground should also have good drainage since the hydrangeas grow well in moist soil. However, the shrubs are intolerant to waterlogged soil because the roots tend to rot quickly. To improve soil quality, prepare your soil using a mixture of abundant compost before planting.  Blooming Season  They have varied blooming seasons, depending on the planting zone and the cultivar. Most bud from mid-spring to early summer. In hot regions, these shrubs stop budding in summer due to the heat intensity and bloom again in the fall.  How to Control the Blooming Color  are unique plants in that you can control their colors. However, not all hydrangeas can withstand color adjustments. If you want to increase the strength of the color of your shrubs, you need to lower your soil’s pH levels. By reducing the soil’s pH, the hydrangeas can absorb enough aluminum from the ground, thus giving them a beautiful blue color. Fertilizer and Care Adding peat moss or sulfur to the soil can lower the PH level. You can add aluminum sulfate throughout the growing season to make them shinier. Indoor Cultivation: If you want to grow them inside your house in a pot, choose a non-porous container about 18 inches wide to accommodate the plants’ maturity size.  A non-porous container or pot helps retain the moisture needed for the Blue Hydrangea to mature. It would be best if you also created drainage holes to allow the proper drainage of the excess water.

Northern Spice Bush

Northern Spice Bush - Lindera benzoin Northern Spice Bush is a deciduous shrub with aromatic green leaves, clusters of small yellow flowers, and red berries. It often attracts wildlife and provides a splash of color in woodland areas. When thoughtfully integrated into landscaping designs, it brings many benefits, making it a valuable and ecologically significant addition to outdoor spaces. It is popular with gardeners and landscapers because of its pleasant scent. It's often referred to as the wild allspice. Its botanical name is Lindera Benzoin, and it's part of the Laural or Lauraceae family, which includes the bay laurel, California laurel, cassia, and avocado plants. It's native to eastern North America and can be found in Maine and New York. However, it can also be seen as far south as Florida and southwest into Texas and Arkansas. The Looks of Northern Spice Bush  Gardeners revere it for its aromatic leaves and flowers, which have a distinct scent when crushed. This deciduous shrub typically grows up to 15 feet tall and wide but can sometimes reach 20 feet. Gardeners can expect it to develop flowers from March through May and produce red berries from late summer through October. The leaves are green in the summer and change color in the fall. The leaves typically reach lengths of between two and six inches. Attracting Wildlife with Northern Spice Bush Gardeners looking to spice up their wildlife viewing opportunities will love planting them. This shrub attracts all birds, bees, and small mammals. The bees are attracted to the flowers, and birds, especially the very wood thrush, are drawn to its berries. This shrub also attracts squirrels and butterflies. It can grow up to 15 feet high and wide; planting it in open areas is best. It looks best as the focal point of a shade or rain garden or along the perimeter of front and backyards. Planting and Characteristics of the native shrub The shrub can be planted next to several perennials, including grape hyacinth and monkshood. Gardeners can plant blue spruce and deep green hemlock next to Lindera Benzoin, and the shrub does well around dogwood and red vein dianthus. The shrub is an excellent plant for most gardens. It thrives next to other trees and shrubs and makes a statement with its signature scent. It is cultivated for its yellow flowers that bloom early in the spring when most garden plants are still dormant. A plant with red berries and yellow foliage can be used year-round in a garden.  Height and Uses  This shrub generally can reach 6 to 12 feet in height and width, so it's perfect for small gardens. It does not require much pruning, which is great for the time-poor. Yes, it does. Birds love it because of the red berries. It is also a plant taken up by butterflies, particularly the Swallowtail, who feed on its larvae. It is ideal for any gardener or wildlife lover looking to establish a pollinator or wild place.  It is home on moist, well-drained soils and will grow in full sun and partial shade. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9.  Northern Spice Bush is very easy to grow and doesn't require water in the dry season. It also doesn't harbor too many insects or pests, which is great for the beginner gardener.

California Privet

California Privet - Ligustrum Ovalifolium California Privet is a popular evergreen shrub frequently used in landscaping due to its numerous benefits and aesthetic appeal. When incorporated into gardens and outdoor spaces, it brings forth its unique attributes, contributing to the overall beauty and functionality of the landscape.  California Privet an Evergreen Privacy Hedge  It grows exceptionally fast. Within a matter of weeks every spring, it'll grow into trees roughly 15 feet in height and just as wide, making it quite effective as a wind barrier and privacy hedge. It's an attractive tree that sports many white blossoms that contrast nicely with the green leaves and reddish-green petioles. The underside of the leaves turns from forest green to greenish-yellow, creating attractive flashes of color throughout the hedgerow. The Flower Cycle In early spring, hedges of this type sprout white, strong-smelling blooms. The blooms have an earthy, rustic smell that fits with country gardens. The flowers themselves can grow to more than 4 inches in diameter. The hedge also produces smooth, nearly black berries, contrasting the green oval leaves, greenish-red petioles, and white flowers.  Unique Foliage  California Privets grow together to form a veritable wall, the thick branches and stems intertwining beneath the lovely oval leaves. The hedge can also be cut into various shapes in the garden to create eye-catching sculptures to accent various patches of colorful flowers. It's a hardy plant, too, so it will retain its good looks in almost any climate or weather. There are variants of this hedge, too, and they provide pleasing looks through two-toned leaves and flowers of different shades of white. Most often, the secondary leaf color is yellow, while sure of these hedges have greyish-white berries rather than black. Transform Your Landscape  Pollinating insects, such as bees and many species of butterflies, visit the flowers all spring. The butterflies provide more color to the mien of any of these hedges. The leaves are also essential in the life cycle of certain butterfly species because the shade they provide is helpful for the caterpillar form of these species. All in all, these hedges are an attractive and influential member of any garden, either as a barrier or after being decoratively sculpted.

Red Swamp Rose Mallow

Red Swamp Rose Mallow - Hibiscus moscheutos Red Swamp Rose Mallow has deep scarlet flowers that serve as eye-catching focal points, adding a splash of vibrant color that instantly draws attention and adds vibrancy to any garden or landscape design. The lush, evergreen foliage provides a lush backdrop that enhances the contrast and highlights the beauty of the flowers. Their beauty can be enjoyed throughout much of the year, making them a lovely option to incorporate into your landscape design. This plant, which is also known as the rose of Sharon, is native to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates. Because of this, it is well-suited for your yard's warmer and moister areas. What are some top reasons to update your landscaping with this flowering plant? It blooms in the latter half of the summer, while many other flowering plants bloom in the spring and early summer. Because of its late blooming period, the plant is the perfect way to enjoy color in your yard for a more extended period each year. The rose petals are dainty and well-defined, with a beautiful yellow stamen. The distinctive look makes them a gorgeous focal point of your space. Red Swamp Rose Mallow Has Stunning Fall Foliage After the crimson blooms fade at the end of the summer season, the green leaves turn stunning shades of yellow and orange. While many flowering plants turn brown when cold weather arrives, this plant continues to dress up your space through autumn. The foliage will fall to the ground and return in early spring to provide your landscape a fresh, green color. Red Swamp Rose Mallow Will Help You Attract Pollinators  The flowers draw hummingbirds and pollinating insects to your yard, benefiting other plants. In addition, these insects are natural predators of some damaging and unwanted pests that otherwise would thrive in the yard, providing you with natural insect control. They Get Fairly Large Red Swamp Rose Mallow is a large plant that can grow seven feet or more in height and four feet wide. From a small plant, the rose of Sharon can reach full maturity in only two to three years with minimal care. It does best in damp soil and direct sunlight. The distinctive look of them makes them a gorgeous focal point of your space.

Pink Spiraea

Pink Spiraea - Spiraea Japonica Pink Spiraea is known for its profuse clusters of small, rosy, deep rose-colored flowers appearing in late spring to early summer. These blooms add color to your landscape and attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. This beautiful ornamental plant has a long blooming cycle and is hardy in zones 4-9. Featuring rust-resistant foliage and an extended blooming period, the bush is a reliable addition to any landscape in zones 4-9. When you're looking for a charming floral plant, it is an excellent choice. The mid-sized flowering shrubs work well in a variety of settings. They release a dense cluster of upright steps coated in tiny leaves and flowers. Each plant grows to a tidy, rounded clump 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. They feature small, teardrop-shaped leaves with serrated edges.  Gorgeous Foliage Color  This attractive plant is made more notable due to its shifting leaf colors. In spring and summer, this shrub's leaves are medium green. As the leaves mature, they get darker and more colorful. They develop burgundy and purple hues that compliment the flowers' pastel colors. In fall, the plant's leaves brighten to shades of gold and orange. This wide range of colors allows the plant to brighten your landscape outside its blooming season. They are stunning landscapes. Pink Spiraea Offers Large Boquets Of Flowers This plant produces large bunches of flowers throughout spring. At the tip of each stem, a cluster of blooms around three to five inches in width develops. The bunch contains several petite flowers, five petals, and long, delicate stamens. The flowers are a dramatic rose shade that usually lightens at the tip of the petal and is darker near the center. The flowers bloom intermittently, so while some clusters are reaching the end of their lifespan, others are just starting. This ensures you get months of beautiful flowers. This Shrub Charm To Any Garden The cheerful pastel colors of them add charm to any garden. Its size and shape make it a favorite addition to flowerbeds because it can easily fill spaces. Since it creates such thick clusters of flowers and leaves, it can add color and attract many butterflies to decorative borders. This plant also does very well in containers, so some people like to use it to fill a pot, planter, or window box. How Do You Care For Them They do not need much attention; they only need to be watered during dry seasons and can be pruned once a year. The area around the stem should be mulched to conserve moisture and minimize weed growth, and removal of the faded flower promotes further flowering. Where is the best place to plant them? It needs full sun but can cope in partially shaded locations. It grows best in well-draining soil and is well-suited to borders, garden beds, or even low hedging. How long does it bloom? It is an early summer flowering shrub that can feature fuchsia flowers which last for between four to six weeks. It may bloom at any time, but with the right maintenance and deadheading, it may bloom during the summer. What is the best fertilizer for it? It prefers a balanced, slow-release fertilizer best provided through a 10-10-10 formulation. Use it at the beginning of spring to enhance the plant's health and flowering throughout the year. What Is The Lifespan Of Them  If grown correctly, Pink Spiralea may live for an average of 15-20 years or even longer. However, without proper pruning and fertilizing, it is likely to have a short life span and dull color.