The Best-Selling Landscape Plants

Shady Areas

• Shade-dominant areas can be a particularly tricky place to plant. Many perennials- especially flowers- require at least partial sunlight. Generally, these conditions create difficulties with competition for resources, poor air circulation and other issues. There are some popular plant types, however, that thrive when there is little or no sun available. The Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is a small shrub commonly used in shady landscape areas. It grows to be 9 to 10 feet tall and will thrive in zones 4 through 8. Additionally, hydrangea flowers, rhododendron and American holly all flourish in the shade. All of these plants are fairly easy to grow and care for, and they require little sunlight, moderate water and will do well in a variety of soil types.

Flowering Shrubs

• Flowering shrubs are one of the most useful landscaping tools available. They are versatile and offer color and diversity to most gardens. Flowering shrubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them popular as borders along gardens and walkways. Like other commonly used landscaping pieces, the most popular variety depends on the region of the country. Viburnums shrubs are especially popular. Their diverse color, easy propagation and minimal care required to grow them make them a favorite of landscapers in zones 4 through 8. For other areas of the country, weigela, forsythia and hydrangea shrubs are popular.

Trees

• Trees are a common part of landscaping a yard. Once established, they provide a fantastic focal point and shade for the yard. Unlike other plant types, several tree varieties are commonly found throughout the United States, making them the top-selling varieties for landscapers. Most types of maple, poplar, birch and pine are all top-selling tree varieties. These all provide relatively fast growth, lots of shade and are simple to care for. Each type varies on the amount of water and sun required, but most will do well no matter which region it is planted in. Care should be taken in any trees first year to protect it from extreme weather conditions, and they should be provided with ample water and soil.