Flowering Shrubs in Maryland

Sweet Pepperbush

• A sweet pepperbush can be anywhere from three to eight feet tall with a spread between three and five feet. The shrub can do well in both sunny and shaded places and can thus be planted in most areas. However, sweet pepperbush does require quite a bit of water, so make sure that the initial soil you plant the shrub in is moist.

  Sweet pepperbush can be used for a property line border as its branches are relatively dense, and in the summer the shrub yields clusters of pretty white flowers that attract butterflies.

Swamp Azalea

• Another shrub that yields pretty white flowers in the summer is the swamp azalea. It grows anywhere from four to six feet and prefers moist soil, though the shrub should be planted several inches higher than the water line. Along with the white flowers, the shrub has small, shiny leaves that sometimes change from green to a shade of red. The swamp azalea is a particularly attractive shrub but has little to offer in terms of its contribution to the subsistence of wildlife and thus will not attract butterflies or songbirds for your viewing pleasure.

Arrowwood Viburnum

• Arrowwood Viburnum is a shrub that prefers sun but can still do well in partial shade. With a height ranging between five and six feet and a spread of anywhere between six and 15 feet you’ll need to allot a fairly large space for this shrub or plan on pruning as necessary. Spring will bring creamy white flowers, while June will bring clusters of dark berries. The berries are favorites of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, cedar waxwings, grouse and brown thrashers.