A Guide to Training Shrubs into Beautiful Hedges

Carolina Allspice

Carolina Allspice blooms delight the senses, emitting a sweet and spicy fragrance reminiscent of ripe strawberries, which adds a delightful ambiance to any outdoor space. The maroon to brown blooms are eye-catching and long-lasting, ensuring a beautiful display throughout the growing season. It is a captivating and versatile plant with numerous landscaping benefits. Native to the southeastern United States, it is cherished for its unique characteristics and aesthetic appeal, making it a famous choice landscape. Carolina Allspice, formally named Calycanthus floridus, is a rounded deciduous shrub that grows in the eastern United States. It's often called sweetshrub in honor of its fragrant deep-red blooms, which are said to carry the scents of strawberry, pineapple, and banana. The shrub adapts to various settings and grows taller in shady areas. Habitat Of The Carolina Allspice It is native to the Southeast. In the wild, it grows along streambanks, shady woodlands, and mixed deciduous forests. When you find this understory shrub on hillsides, clearings, and by woodland edges, its structure will likely be open and sparse. Appearance Of The Carolina Allspice it grows six to nine feet tall and equally wide in cultivated settings. From April to May, the plant produces a bountiful supply of large, solitary, magnolia-like blooms at the ends of its branches. These clustered, maroon to reddish-brown flowers will continue to appear less frequently in June and July. As the weather warms, the blossoms become quite fragrant. The plant itself is aromatic and dense. Its dark, oval-shaped green leaves and smooth grayish-brown bark emit a pleasant scent when scratched or bruised. The plant's glossy foliage will turn yellow to yellow-green in the fall as the flowers yield to form leathery, brown, urn-shaped seed capsules. These pods ripen in September and October and last through the winter, emitting a lovely fragrance when crushed. Transform Your Garden With Carolina Allspice  They make beautiful all-season additions to various garden settings. They are wonderful when planted near outdoor living spaces, walkways, patios, and entrances, where they can serve as privacy screens. The shrub also does well in naturalistic settings, like woodland gardens, and it makes a lovely cutting plant for flower arrangements. Its closely packed branches provide nesting habitat and protective cover for songbirds and small mammals. They also host moths, such as the double-banded zale and the oblique-banded leafroller moth. During the spring and summer, beetles pollinate the shrubs in a process called cantharophily. If you're looking for fragrant, floral shrubs that add richness and depth to your garden, consider planting Carolina Allspice. With their gorgeous blossoms and lush green leaves, you will surely be delighted by their presence.

Northern Spice Bush

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. It brings many benefits when thoughtfully integrated into landscaping designs, making it a valuable and ecologically significant addition to outdoor spaces. The Northern Spice Bush is popular with gardeners and landscapers because of its pleasant scent. It's often referred to as the spicebush or 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. Best Spots to Plant Northern Spice Bush in Your Yard Northern Spice Bush can grow up to 15 feet high and wide; it's best to plant it in open areas. It looks best as the focal point of a shade or rain garden or along the perimeter of front and backyards. 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.

Witch Hazel

The Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub known for its spidery, fragrant yellow to orange-red flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring, often before its leaves emerge. This makes it a unique and welcome sight in gardens. It is a versatile shrub that offers numerous landscaping benefits beyond its well-known medicinal uses. Native to North America and parts of Asia, these deciduous shrubs are prized for their unique appearance, vibrant foliage, and striking winter blooms. When incorporated into landscape designs, this plant can enhance outdoor spaces with a range of aesthetic and functional advantages. Witch Hazel adds Interest Throughout The Year Four-Season Interest: In late winter or early spring, the shrub bursts into bloom, displaying fragrant, spidery flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. This early flowering period provides a much-needed splash of color when most other plants are still dormant. Additionally, Autumn's foliage turns vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red, creating a stunning autumnal display. Natural Privacy Screen: This shrub, with its dense branching and arching habit, can be an effective natural privacy screen. Planted strategically along property borders or in groupings, it can shield outdoor spaces from prying eyes and create a sense of seclusion. Pollinator-Friendly: The flowers are a valuable nectar source for early-emerging pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. By attracting these beneficial insects, this shrub contributes to the overall health and biodiversity of the landscape, promoting a balanced ecosystem. Tolerance to Shade: It thrives in partial shade to full sun, making it an excellent option for landscapes with varying light conditions. Its adaptability allows for planting in different locations, from under the canopy of more giant trees to sunnier spots in the garden. Erosion Control: The extensive root system helps stabilize the soil and prevent soil erosion, prevention on slopes, or areas prone to water runoff. Low Maintenance: Once established, this shrub is relatively low-maintenance. It is resistant to pests and diseases and requires minimal intervention. Wildlife Attraction: Apart from pollinators, this shrub attracts other wildlife, such as birds, which feed on the seeds and seek shelter within the shrub's branches. This feature contributes to the overall biodiversity and liveliness of the landscape. Winter Interest: Distinctive, ribbon-like flowers appear in winter, adding a unique touch to the landscape during an otherwise less colorful season. These spidery blooms can withstand light frosts, offering an enchanting sight in colder climates. Versatile Uses: Beyond standalone plantings, this shrub can be incorporated into mixed borders, woodland gardens, or naturalized areas. Its adaptability allows it to blend seamlessly with other plants and design elements. In conclusion, Witch Hazel is valuable to any landscape design, offering four-season interest, privacy screening, pollinator support, erosion control, and low maintenance. Its unique beauty and ecological contributions make it a sought-after shrub for enhancing outdoor spaces. By incorporating this shrub into landscaping plans, homeowners and landscape designers can create visually appealing and ecologically friendly gardens that stand out every season. Witch Hazel Has Bright Golden Blooms This green-leafed shrub blooms with bright yellow flowers between October and December. The ribbon-like yellow petals usually appear after the leaves have fallen but sometimes will appear while the oval-shaped yellow autumn leaves still cling to the branches. It also has fruits that will form from fertilized flowers. They first appear as green capsules but then turn brown over time. Its scientific name is because this shrub’s flowers, fruits, and leaves can all appear on its branches simultaneously. Hamamelis loosely translates as “together with fruit.” Its hardy nature makes it an easy-to-grow shrub. Because of this, it is trendy amongst gardeners as a shrub hedge or screen. Its fragrant flowers often lead to it being grown in an area where its pleasant scent is noticeable. It is usually the last bit of color in a garden due to its late bloom. Witch Hazel Thrives In Most U.S. Zones This shrub can be planted successfully in U.S.D.A. zones 3 to 9. It requires a lot of sunlight and does best in full sun or partial shade. Flowering will peak in full sun. It does well in moist, acidic soil and can handle heavy clay soil. The height increases by 13 to 24 inches yearly, giving it a slow to medium growth rate. If preferred, pruning can be done in early spring to keep the shrub from growing too large. This plant requires little maintenance to flourish and rarely has insect or disease problems. Witch hazel has a broad, rounded leaf arranged in an alternating pattern along the branches. The flowers are also noteworthy in appearance, with slender petals. Some bloom in spring while others counter that, and the plant can showcase its cycle between seeding and blooming, such as the snapping type with seeds that split in a manner that ejects the seeds to a sufficient distance of nearly 30 feet. The sunny yellow flowers of this shrub add a glow of happiness to yards and gardens. The delightful fragrance of those flowers creates an even more cheerful atmosphere. It is so easy to care for and an excellent fit for even the hands-off gardeners.