Ornamental Weeping Shrubs

Yellow Flowering Shrubs

• Forsythia species are easy to grow, exhibit a gentle weeping growth habit, and produce attractive yellow flowers. Border forsythia is a bit more upright, grows up to 15 feet tall and 7 feet wide, with an erect spreading habit and arching branches that turn downward. Weeping forsythia (Forsythia suspensa) reaches 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide and has thin, drooping branches. These shrubs offer gentle shapes and function ideally as ornamental shrubs or landscape specimens.

Pink Flowering Shrubs

• The Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis) produces a show of springtime flowers and an attractive, flowing growth habit. The long stems grow upright and arch downward, producing a fountain or vase-like shape. It can become leggy with age, so occasional pruning is appropriate. Reaching 12 feet wide and 12 feet tall, this specimen is ideal as an ornamental specimen. Flowers are bell-shaped, white or pink and appear in spring and summer.

  Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a large shrub that shows off spectacular rose pink blossoms in winter and early spring. It has a rounded, multi-stemmed crown. A weeping form of this species is ssp. texensis, "Traveler," which has a mounding shape reaching up to 8 feet in height. Plant this tree in lawns, patios, in groups or as an ornamental specimen.

Red-Flowering Shrubs

• Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) is a large shrub or tree that grows a weeping crown of branches. The bright red flowers sway in the breeze, hanging from the end of branches. These plants are attractive even when they are not showing off their scarlet flowers. Reaching 7 to 10 feet wide and more than 25 feet tall, pruning may be required to control the shape for use as an ornamental specimen.

White Flowering Shrubs

• Coast leucothoe (Leucothoe axillaris) is a graceful shrub with dark green leaves and an arching, weeping habit. White bell-shaped flowers appear in May, while foliage turns red or bronze in cold seasons. These slow-growing plants rarely need pruning. Heather-like flowers and a delicate shape make this an ideal ornamental specimen. Plant in open, well-draining soil.