Low-Maintenance Shrubs for a Retaining Wall

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• The blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis) is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9 and grows to 3 feet tall with a similar spread. This deciduous shrub thrives in sunny sites with well-drained, loose soil and tolerates drought. It attracts butterflies with its bright-blue, late-summer blossoms and is more attractive when left unfertilized. Hardy in zones 6 to 7, Chinese witch hazel (Corylopsis sinensis) grows well in sunny sites with light, well-drained soil. It has dark, deciduous foliage and blooms with aromatic yellow flowers in spring. Chinese witch hazel grows to 12 feet tall with a 12-foot spread.

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• The dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenia) is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. Native to the southeastern U.S., this slow-growing reaches heights of 5 feet. It blooms with fragrant, white flowers in spring and thrives in sun to partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. This dense shrub grows in a rounded mound. Also hardy in zones 5 to 8, the Holger juniper (Juniperus squamata “Holger”) grows to 5 feet tall with an equal spread. This evergreen has dense foliage that turns from gold to blue-green to gray-green as it ages. Junipers prefer sun and well-draining soil.

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• The Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and grows to 6 feet tall with a 9-foot spread. This upright deciduous shrub produces a profusion of bright-yellow flowers in spring and has bright, serrated foliage. It grows well in partial to full shade and a variety of soils. The smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) grows to 15 feet tall with a similar spread. This drought-tolerant plant has deciduous foliage that turns purple, red and yellow in fall. It blooms with pink-gray flowers and grows well in a variety of sunny soils. Smokebushes are hardy in zones 4 to 9.

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• The Eastern ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is hardy in zones 3 to 8. This native shrub tolerates dry to wet soil and sun to partial shade. It grows to 8 feet tall with a 10-foot spread and has a dense branching habit. Eastern ninebarks have deciduous foliage that turns yellow-green in fall. They bloom with white-pink flowers in spring. Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) is hardy in zones 3 to 9 and grows to 6 feet tall with a 10-foot spread. This deciduous shrub has lustrous foliage that turns yellow, red, orange and purple in fall. Male plant bloom with long-lasting, yellow flowers in spring. This drought-tolerant shrub prefers well-draining, acidic soil and sunny to partially shaded sites. The Grow Low cultivar is especially low maintenance.