Here in Illinois, we experience beautiful warm and sunny weather during summer months, but often the winter months bring harsh low temperatures, snow and ice. As a result, it’s important to bear in mind hardiness factors when choosing shrubs for your landscape beds. Fortunately, there are several great options with interesting foliage and beautiful flowers for you to choose from. Contact us today to get started adding unique beauty, privacy and interest to your yard.
Here are 5 of the very best choices for flowering shrubs to plant on your northern Illinois property. You’re sure to find at least one that will be the perfect option for you. Get in touch with us today, to begin your project and bring beauty to your outdoor living area.
1. Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)
This variety is largest-leaved of the many hardy midwestern hydrangeas, and is an excellent choice for mass plantings that create beauty on your property. This spreading shrub is 5- to 6-foot in size. Features include large, oaklike leaves that turn an attractive reddish purple in autumn, and huge conical flowers that bloom white then gradually turn pink during summer. It also features exfoliating rusty bark.
2. Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet)
Summersweet is a unique flowering shrub. It blooms even in shade and thrives in moist soil. Blooms appear in mid- to late summer with highly fragrant flowers of pink and white. This is an excellent choice for your landscaping beds here in northern Illinois.
3. Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)
This selection is known as a dieback shrub in our area. Branches die to the ground during severe winters, while its crown remains alive, prepared to produce up 3- to 6-foot new stems in late spring. Starting in July, unique cultivars showcase pink, red, purple, white and even yellow, conical blossoms that butterflies (and hummingbirds!) find irresistible. Ask us about varieties: ‘Pink Delight’, ‘Black Knight’, ‘Nanho Blue’, ‘Nanho Purple’,and ‘White Profusion’.
4. Aesculus parviflora (Bottlebrush Buckeye)
Bottlebrush Buckeye is a dense, spreading, 8- to 10-foot shrub with pinky white, brushlike flowers blooming on 1- to 2-foot upright stems in late summer. A great choice for planting in partial shade, it prefers moisture soil. Another great flowering shrub to include on your property.
5. Heptacodium miconioides (Seven-son-flower)
Seven-son-flower is the tallest flowering shrub of the group, and one with interesting and varied features. White fragrant blooms appear on this shrub during August. It has potential to grow up to 20 feet in a sheltered, sunny spot. It is a versatile choice to fit into a range of landscape designs. It also showcases purplish sepals that come to light as the flowers fade.During winter, exfoliating bark provides visual interest.
There’s a variety of flowering shrubs that produce sweet smelling blooms. Talk with us about which ones will suit your taste and flourish in the desired area. Keep in mind the need for sun and proper drainage. We’ll help you pick a selection of plants that will be sure to bring enjoyment for years to come. Here are just a few options to consider: Abelia, Buttonbush, Daphne, Honeysuckle, Korean Spice Viburnum, Lilac, Mock Orange, Roses, Peonies, and Evening Primrose.
About The NL Group
The NL Group is a premier landscaping and design firm dedicated to providing excellence in landscape management for homeowners in Barrington, Illinois, and throughout the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Let us turn your outdoor dream into reality. Contact us today!