Pennsylvania Flowering Shrubs

Function

• Flowering shrubs serve many purposes in landscaping around a home or office. They can be planted to provide a main focal point in a yard, balance in a larger landscaped area, privacy around a patio or porch or to define a boundary along property lines.

Planting Zones

• The USDA Plant Hardiness zones for Pennsylvania are 5, 6 and 7. These numbers are assigned to regions based on the climate conditions in that area. Flowering shrubs that are hardy in those planting zones or below generally do well in Pennsylvania.

Types

• Many types of flowering shrubs can be planted and grown successfully in Pennsylvania. There are several types of azaleas to choose from. The smooth hydrangea and mapleleaf viburnum are flowering shrubs that are both hardy to Zone 4 and would do very well in Pennsylvania.

Features

• Some flowering bushes that are suited to Pennsylvania weather will also provide a lovely show of fall colors. The mapleleaf viburnum produces creamy white flowers in May and bright red or purple foliage in the fall. The Chenault coralberry bush has blue green foliage that develops a red or purple tint in the fall and produces pink flowers in mid-July.

Size

• Mapleleaf viburnum, azaleas, hydrangeas and Chenault coralberry bushes generally grow to a height of 3 to 5 feet. Some taller flowering bushes that do well in Pennsylvania are lilacs and Burkwood viburnum, which can grow to heights between 5 and 9 feet. Both of these types of bushes produce a lovely floral display in May. Lilacs are a great choice for a taller flowering bush with very aromatic flowers. There are also many varieties of low-growing flowering bushes that reach heights less than 3 feet tall. These shorter bushes work very well for ground cover underneath and around the taller bushes.

Considerations

• Read the plant requirement information tags on the shrubs or ask nursery help for information when purchasing plants for landscaping. Find out what the optimum growing conditions are for a particular plant. For example, find out if the plant requires full or partial sun exposure. Plant shrubs together that have similar soil and water requirements. Purchase bushes that are hardy in the Pennsylvania climate and soil conditions. Pennsylvania soil is predominately sandy and acid.