Low-Maintenance Shrubs For Western New York

Spring Bloom

• Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 7, is a low-maintenance choice for the spring garden in western New York. Flower colors range from white, through pinks, blue purples and purples. A new reblooming cultivar, Bloomerang (Syringa "Penda" Bloomerang), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 7, is suitable for smaller gardens at only 3 to 4 feet tall. Another fragrant shrub, slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, blooms in April or May, with tiny, fragrant white flowers. Both lilac and deutzia require only light pruning after blooms fade.

Evergreens

• Gold-leafed cultivars of Japanese false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 7, provide four seasons of interest in sun or part shade and require almost no maintenance. At 3 to 5 feet tall, it is a good choice for small or larger garden settings in western New York. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a broadleaf evergreen that is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9 and is relatively unattractive to deer and rabbits. Reaching 5 to 15 feet tall, it bears white or pink, rounded blooms in May and needs little maintenance beyond occasional pruning.

Summer

• Hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, deciduous Japanese spirea (Spirea japonica) combines the benefits of easy care with pink flowerheads in early summer. It reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and can be used as a specimen shrub or as part of a foundation planting. The climate in western New York is also amenable to native oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. The shrub bears large flower panicles that age from white to pink. The plant needs little maintenance other than occasional pruning after the flowers fade.

Late Summer/Fall

• Hardy in western New York and USDA zones 5 through 9, blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis) provides clouds of butterfly-friendly blue flowers in late summer and early fall. At 2 to 4 feet tall, the plant boasts aromatic leaves and requires little maintenance. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a low-maintenance plant, hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. It features hollyhock-like flowers in shades ranging from white to blue-purple. Rose of Sharon can also be grown as small trees, reaching 8 to 12 feet tall. Prune hard after flowering to keep the plants bushy and blooming.