Flowering Shrubs in Zone 3

Black Chokeberry

• Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a versatile flowering shrub for USDA zone 3, growing in damp and dry areas and sunny or shady sites and with attractive aspects. Black chokeberry grows between 3 and 6 feet on average, with many stems. The shrub flowers for a short time in May; the white flowers have five petals that last only about a week, according to the University of Connecticut Plant Database. The flowers turn in time to black fruits with a very bitter taste, but they remain on the deciduous shrub until December in many instances. Fall foliage on this species is usually brilliant, with the leaves changing to orange and purple.

Shrubby Cinquefoil

• USDA zone 3 is a perfect setting for the shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), a shrub that actually does better in cold climates than in warm ones. Shrubby cinquefoil grows to 4 feet, has many branches and possesses compound leaves. The shrub's major selling point is its long blooming period -- from June through September -- during which it produces yellow flowers resembling buttercups. Shrubby cinquefoil grows in full sun, tolerates drought and comes in cultivars such as Gold Drop and Abbotswood.

Siberian Pea Tree

• Use the Siberian pea tree (Caragana arborescens) in the areas of USDA zone 3 landscapes where other shrubs struggle to establish themselves. This 15- to 20-foot shrub works as a hedge, screen or windbreak. The compound leaves consist of as many as 12 separate leaflets on a single stem. The shrub flowers during May and the flowers are yellow, similar to those of peas. The Siberian pea tree's flowers bear green-yellow seed pods about 3 inches in length that turn brown before opening in autumn.

Honeyberry

• Honeyberry (Lonicera kamtschatica) is a native plant from eastern sections of Siberia that has value for its edible berries. Honeyberry grows from 3 to 4 feet high and is an early bloomer, turning out its aromatic, white flowers in March. These flowers yield an edible berry early in the growing season, with the fruit ripened by May. Honeyberry prefers damp but well-draining sites in the shade, but in colder parts of USDA zone 3, it handles a full sun location.