What Are Some Nice Shrubs to Put on Each Side of an Archway?

Dwarf Shrubs

• For a look that adds soft interest to the bottom of the arch without drawing too much attention away from the architecture, mass a group of shrubs less than 3 feet tall, suggests “This Old House.” Varieties include dwarf cultivars of the summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), a deciduous shrub with glossy, dark leaves. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 9, this low-maintenance shrub grows well in moist, acidic soils. The dwarf cultivar “Sixteen Candles” grows to 3 feet tall and blooms with aromatic white summer flowers. For year-round foliage, summer flowers and fall-to-winter berries, plant a “Moon Bay” nandina (Nandina domestica “Moon Bay.”) This evergreen grows to 32 inches tall and has light-green foliage that turns red in winter. It’s hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9 and tolerates a range of site conditions.

Small Shrubs

• Shrubs that grow to 4 feet tall include the black chokecherry (Aronia melanocarpa), a North American native with lustrous, dark foliage. This 5-foot-tall deciduous shrub blooms with white-pink spring flowers, followed by black-purple berries and burgundy fall leaves. It’s hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and thrives in a variety of site conditions. For eye-catching flowers, plant an “Annabelle” hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens “Annabelle”). A 4-foot-tall deciduous shrub, “Annabelle” blooms in spring with showy, 12-inch-wide clusters of white flowers. This fast-growing shrub is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and grows best in moist, well-draining soil.

Medium Shrubs

• Shrubs that grow from 4 to 8 feet tall work well to frame an archway’s focal point. For year-round color and texture, plant an Indian hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis indica). This glossy-leaved evergreen grows to 5 feet tall and blooms through the winter with white-pink blossoms that add fragrance to the landscape. Hardy in USDA zones 8 to 9, the Indian hawthorne grows best in sites with moist, well-draining soil. For red fall color, plant a compact winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus “Compactus”). This deciduous shrub grows to 8 feet tall and bears red, bird-attracting fruits in fall. It tolerates severe pruning and drought, and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8.

Tall Shrubs

• For a dramatic effect, plant single shrubs that reach heights of more than 8 feet. With its pink buds and fragrant white flowers, the Burkwood virburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii) is one of the first shrubs to bloom. This deciduous shrub grows to 10 feet tall and has lustrous, dark leaves, offset by red and black fruits. It’s hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8 and grows well in hot sites. If your planting site has clay soil, plant a loropetalum (Loropetalum chinensis). This evergreen grows to 10 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 7b to 9. Its glossy, dark foliage contrasts with the aromatic white blossoms it produces in spring. Loropetalum grows best in acidic, moist soil.