Outdoor Landscape Plants

Trees

• Medium to large shade trees include oaks, maples, birches and sycamores, along with ash, elm and chestnut. Smaller trees, especially those that display spring or summer flowers, are more often planted for ornamental purposes. Dogwood, magnolia, cherry and hawthorn trees fall into this category. Evergreen trees have the advantage of year-round color, and they vary greatly in size. Pines, spruces, firs and hemlocks are some of the most common; there are many varieties of each.

Shrubs

• You can plant shrubs as hedges, along walkways, as individual specimen plants, or for a variety of other purposes. Flowering shrubs include azaleas, hydrangea, forsythia and Virginia sweetspire. Other shrubs such as Japanese barberry, American beautyberry and Northern bayberry are grown for their berries, which are ornamental and generally inedible. Also consider evergreen shrubs, including mugo pine, dwarf Norway spruce and arborvitae.

Vines and Groundcovers

• Vines climb 30 to 40 feet in some cases and scale walls, fences, trellises and trees. Some vines like honeysuckle, wisteria, clematis and trumpet creeper display showy flowers, while others such as English ivy, Virginia creeper and Japanese creeper are valued for their dense foliage. Many vines grow along the ground without support, becoming effective ground covers. Ground covers other than vines include wild ginger, purple rock cress, lady's mantle and wormwood.

Considerations

• Many landscape plants adapt well to a range of climates and conditions. But no matter where you live, limiting factors will prevent you from growing certain plants. Find your location on a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and consult with a local expert to help you choose plants perfectly suited to the conditions in your backyard.