Small or Dwarf Flowering Shrubs With Pictures For Easy Identification

Dwarf or small flowering shrubs are ideal for compact gardens, colorful foundation planting, or to enhance larger flowering bushes. Some varieties of miniature flowering shrubs are evergreen plants. So, apart from producing flowers in spring and summer, these small shrubs stay green all year long. Combinations of low-growing flowering shrubs and evergreen bushes at the front of the house can significantly enhance curb appeal.

Some of the best small flowering bushes are dwarf rhododendrons, small honeysuckle shrubs, miniature spirea plants, compact hydrangea shrubs, and small flowering potentilla shrubs.

Small or dwarf shrubs can have flowers in different colors such as shades of pinks, lilac, yellow, blue, orange, white, and red. If you plant small colorful shrubs in flower beds and along borders and driveways, you can have a colorful garden throughout the year.

This article is a guide for choosing the best ornamental small or dwarf flowering shrubs for your front or backyard. Descriptions of small bushes with their picture and name can help you determine the best ones for your garden landscape.

What Are Dwarf Flowering Shrubs?

Dwarf flowering shrubs and low-growing bushes are plants that grow to between one and three feet (up to one meter) tall. Some varieties of bushy garden plants don’t grow very tall and are ideal for planting under windows. For other species of colorful dwarf shrubs, you must find small or miniature cultivars of larger varieties.

Small blooming shrubs are larger and more compact than ground cover plants. Dwarf shrub varieties have upright growth rather than spreading across the ground. Most ground cover plant species grow less than 1 ft. (30 cm) tall. However, the flowering shrubs on this list grow to between 2 and 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) high.

Related reading: The best ground cover plants for shade.

The Benefits of Small Shrubs

Growing small colorful shrubs in your garden landscape usually requires little care. Low-maintenance, compact shrubs don’t require regular pruning to control their growth. Generally, you don’t need to bother with deadheading, trimming, or spending time caring for small flowering bushes.

Miniature shrubs are the perfect landscaping solution for small residential gardens. You can plant short bushes along borders, in mixed flower beds, or as colorful foundation plants. You can even plant small shrubs that flower in containers to brighten up a patio, deck area, or balcony.

Another benefit of small ornamental shrubs is that they add year-long seasonal interest to your landscape.

How to Pick the Best Small Flowering Shrub for Your Garden

Picking the perfect small flowering shrub for your front or backyard enhances your garden’s aesthetics. To choose the right types of low-growing shrubs, consider how much sun the plants need and your USDA hardiness zone. It would be best if you also think about each shrub’s soil requirements and watering needs.

It’s good to remember that your growing zone significantly affects your choice of dwarf shrubs. Some low-growing flowering perennial shrubs only grow as annuals in cold climates. Also, certain small flowering shrub varieties need full sun or partial shade to thrive, whereas other miniature shrubs grow well in full shade.

Most small flowering shrubs grow to between 1 and 3 ft. (0.3 – 1 m). So, it’s also a good idea to consider the other plants growing nearby. For example, large trees or bushes could create constant shade for a sun-loving dwarf shrub.

Small or Dwarf Flowering Shrubs With Their Picture and Name – Identification Guide

Here are some of the best dwarf or small flowering shrubs for the front of your house or backyard.

Dwarf Japanese Pieris Shrub (Pieris japonica ‘Cavatine’)

The Japanese Pieris ‘Cavatine’ is a compact evergreen flowering shrub with pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers. This short evergreen shrub doesn’t grow taller than 2 ft. (0.6 m) tall which makes it an excellent choice for small gardens and landscape. The Japanese Pieris ‘Cavatine’ is a low maintenance small shrub that produces spectacular displays of creamy-white clusters of flowers in drooping panicles. The small rounded bush has dark-green leathery leaves.

Other common names for the small Japanese Pieris shrub are Japanese andromeda and dwarf lily-of-the-valley shrub.

You can grow the compact shrubby Japanese Pieris plant in full sun or partial shade in USDA zones 5 to 8. Dwarf Japanese Pieris shrubs are ideal for flower beds, informal rock gardens, low-growing hedges, and flowering borders.

Dwarf Rhododendron Flowering Shrubs

Miniature rhododendron shrubs produce masses of spectacular pastel-colored flowers every spring. Rhododendrons are hardy, low maintenance woody shrubs, and the dwarf cultivars don’t grow higher than 3 ft. (1 m). The small, compact rhododendron shrubs are perfect flowering plants for the front yard, small gardens, containers, mixed beds, foundation plants, and driveway borders.

Evergreen flowering rhododendron shrubs thrive in full sun or partial shade. Small flowering shrubs in the Rhododendron family thrive in zones 5 to 8.

Here are some excellent flowering dwarf rhododendron shrubs for your front or backyard:

• Rhododendron ‘Ginny Gee’. A miniature flowering shrub that grows between 1 and 2 ft. (0.3 – 0.6 m) tall. Pink and rose-colored blooms appear in spring and cover the whole shrub in beautiful flowers.
• Rhododendron ‘Hino Crimson’. Magnificent small flowering shrub that is not growing taller than 3 ft. (1 m). The low-growing colorful bush is ideal for planting at the front of the house or as a small flowering hedgerow.
• Rhododendron ‘Ramapo’. Beautiful cold-hardy small shrub that produces stunning clusters of purple or lilac flowers. Grow this evergreen flowering shrub in full sun in zones 4 to 8. The ‘Ramapo’ cultivar has more compact growth in small shaded gardens.

Small Cotoneaster Flowering Shrubs

Dwarf cotoneaster shrubs are woody plants with small oval leaves with pink or white flowers. Small varieties of cotoneaster shrubs grow to between 1 and 3 ft. (0.3 – 1 m) and have stiff branches that create sprays of foliage. The small pink or white flowers give way to red berries that look attractive against the green foliage in the fall.

Most species of cotoneaster—dwarf and full-grown—thrive in full sun or partial shade. These hardy landscaping bushes are ideal for compact gardens to provide low-growing edging, ground cover for full sun, or growing in beds or borders.

Most cotoneaster shrub varieties are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7 or 8.

Small Flowering Potentilla Shrubs (Potentilla fruticosa)

Potentilla bushes produce masses of colorful flowers that bloom for a long time. Potentilla is a deciduous shrub species with many cultivars not growing taller than 3 ft. (1 m). The dainty pastel-colored flowers bloom throughout the summer from spring until frost. The small shrubby plants are best growing in full or partial sun.

Grow potentilla bushes in beds or borders or plant as a low-growing flowering hedge. The masses of yellow, white, pink, red, and orange flowers contrast to the dark-green foliage of small oval leaves. Small potentilla flowering shrubs are perfect for beds and borders or as colorful foundation shrubs under your windows.

Dwarf potentilla shrubs flower and thrive in zone 3 to 7.

Dwarf Spirea Shrubs

Spirea (botanical name Spiraea) shrubs are easy-care small flowering shrubs with clusters of flowers and stunning foliage. Spirea flowers can be red, rosy-pink, white, and blue. Many spirea species are low-growing shrubby plants that thrive in full sun. Spirea deciduous shrubs have foliage that turns spectacular oranges, reds, yellows, and purples in the fall.

Dwarf spirea shrubs grow up to 3 ft. (1 m) tall. The small flowering bushes grow best as foundation plantings, borders plants, or flowering pathway edging. You can also plant the shrubs in containers for growing on porches or balconies. Spirea shrubs thrive in zones 3 to 8.

Japanese Skimmias (Skimmia Japonica)

Japanese Skimmia is an evergreen dwarf flowering shrub that thrives in the shade. This low-growing flower bed shrub grows to 4 ft. (1.2 m) with a domed shape. Japanese skimmia shrubs are known for their fragrant, star-shaped flowers, evergreen foliage with lanceolate leaves, and bright red berries.

It’s best to grow short Japanese Skimmias in flowering shrub borders, as low maintenance foundation plantings, blooming hedges, or patio containers. Grow these shade-loving evergreen flowering bushes in zones 6 to 8 for best results.

Japanese Skimmia is on the list of the best small or dwarf evergreen shrubs.

Winter Heath (Erica carnea)

Winter heath is a stunning low-growing flowering plant that flowers in early spring. The spectacular feature of winter heath is its masses of flowers that can have colors such as purple, pink, and magenta. Winter heath has flowers that bloom for many weeks during winter and early spring. Grow the short shrub as a flowering ground cover plant, container plant, or adding winter color to mixed beds.

Winter heath grows up to 1 ft. (0.3 m) tall. The colorful miniature bushes need to grow in full sun in zones 5 to 8 to thrive. Other names for the compact spreading wither heath shrub are December Red, winter-flowering heath, and alpine heath.

Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis)

Bluebeard is one of the few small flowering shrubs that start blooming late in the season. The flowers on this small deciduous shrub are blue or purple color. Some varieties of bluebeard have dark to light-green foliage, and others have variegated ovate-shaped leaves. Bluebeard is an easy-care shrub that grows best in perennial borders or flower beds.

Small bluebeard bushy shrubs grow to between 2 and 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) in zones 5 – 9. The shrub stems grow upward and outward to give the plant a rounded shape. Bluebeard is an ornamental plant that is ideal for compact residential landscapes.

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)

Also called the Virginia willow, some varieties of sweetspire are dwarf shrubs with white flowers growing in spikes. When in bloom, the bottlebrush flowers almost cover the short rounded shrub. This sun-loving landscaping shrub grows up to 3 ft. (1 m) tall and doesn’t require any maintenance.

The dwarf sweetspire cultivars are called ‘Little Henry.’ The low-growing shrubby plant is ideal for the front of the house to boost curb appeal. And it grows just as well in full sun as it does in the shade. Grow Virginia sweetspire as flowering ground cover, blooming hedges, or to brighten up a shrub border.

Sweetspire shrubs are hardy in USDA zones 5-9.

Japanese Skimmia is on the list of the best low maintenance plants.

Hummingbird Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

The summersweet cultivar ‘Hummingbird’ is a small flowering bush with bottlebrush-like fragrant, white flowers. Summersweet shrubs flower from mid to late summer and the blossoms can last for up to six weeks. This shrub is a compact cultivar ideal for shaded gardens, mixed beds, or flowering shrub borders.

Summersweet shrubs have year-long interest. Beautiful blooms appear in summer that develop into brown fruits that last until winter. In the fall, the glossy dark-green foliage turns a warm yellow. Summersweet is an ideal flowering shrub for growing in the shade or full sun.

Grow summersweet in zones 3 to 9.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja)

The fragrant flowers on low-growing butterfly bushes do as their name suggests—attract butterflies. Butterfly bush flowers are long colorful panicles that come in shades of purple, lilac, orange, pink, white, and magenta. The stunning ornamental flower spikes last from summer through to the first frost.

The dwarf butterfly bush varieties grow between 1 and 3 ft. (0.3 – 1 m) tall. The small shrubs have a rounded growth habit and have lance-shaped green leaves. Butterfly bush’s compact growth makes it ideal for growing in small gardens with limited space.

Butterfly bushes thrive in zones 5 to 9.

Dwarf Blue Honeysuckle Shrubs (Lonicera caerulea, Lonicera xylosteum)

A few honeysuckle shrubs are flowering dwarf plants with compact growth. The ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Borealis’ honeyberry or blue honeysuckle are cold-hardy deciduous shrubs that grow up to 3 ft. (1 m) tall. The blue honeysuckle shrub has yellowish-white flowers that develop into edible blue, blueberry-like fruits.

The honeysuckle species Lonicera xylosteum is a type of compact dwarf honeysuckle that more resembles climbing perennial honeysuckles with their scented flowers. Unlike blue honeysuckle, you shouldn’t eat the fruits of regular honeysuckle plants.

Small Hydrangea Shrubs (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Several species of hydrangea have a compact, short growth that makes them ideal flowers for small gardens. Hydrangeas are deciduous landscaping shrubs with a rounded shape and clusters of large globular flowers. Hydrangea flowers appear in summer and bloom for many weeks. The dwarf shrub varieties are ideal for growing where yard space is limited.

Flowering dwarf hydrangeas grow best as low hedges, low maintenance foundation plants, accent plants, or container plantings. Planting a few short hydrangea shrubs at the front of your house will add bright red, pink, and white flowers to your front yard landscape.

Small hydrangeas flower profusely in summer in zones 6 to 9, with some cultivars also cold hardy to zone 5.

Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii)

Dwarf fothergilla is an ornamental bushy flowering shrub with dense, compact growth. The low-growing shrub transforms in spring when white bottlebrush-like flowers appear. The spiky shrub flowers have sweet honey scents and appear before the green leaves appear. In the fall, dwarf fothergilla becomes a compact shrub of warm yellow, red, and orange hues.

Dwarf fothergilla grows to between 2 and 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall. The short flowering shrub grows best in shrub borders, compact gardens, along foundations, or to line a path or driveway. This slow-growing small shrub thrives in zones 5 to 8.

Another common name for dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) is dwarf witch alder.

Wine Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Ninebark is a tiny flowering shrub that has showy white or pink flowers. The blooms on ninebark dwarf shrubs grow as clusters of dense flowers that form a flat rounded flowerhead. The white flowers in springtime contrast with the round leaves that have three to five lobes.

The ninebark cultivar ‘Nanus’ is the dwarf variety of this deciduous shrub. The small, compact shrub has dense branches, but foliage and flowers similar to the larger species. Grow this little shrub in flowering borders, as a small hedge or to add showy flowers to a rock garden.

Ninebark ‘Nanus’ is cold-hardy in zones 2 to 8.

Lavender (Lavandula)

Lavender is an attractive low-growing shrubby plant with scented purple flowers. Lavender shrubs grow to between 1 and 3 ft. (0.3 – 1 m) tall. The small shrub has spikes of purple or lilac flowers with the easily recognizable ‘lavender’ scent. Lavender shrubs bloom throughout the summer and thrive in zones 5 to 9.

Lavender is an ideal dwarf flowering shrub for borders, informal edging, herb gardens, or mixed flower beds. Plant lavender flowers in full sun and well-drained soil for best results.

Dwarf Blooming Lilac (Syringa)

Dwarf lilac bushes are ideal flowering plants for compact spaces. Although many lilac species are large shrubs or small trees, a few cultivars only grow up to 3 ft. (1 m) high. The small shrubs have a compact rounded growth, and they produce sweetly scented clusters of pink flowers in spring.

Small lilac shrubs are ideal for front-of-house planting, mixed shrub borders, or perennial flower beds. The showy flowers and dense foliage add plenty of color and greenery to small gardens. Grow small lilac shrubs in full sun where they thrive in zones 3 to 7.

Small Azalea Shrubs for Full Sun (Rhododendron spp.)

Dwarf azaleas are small flowering shrubs, blossoming with yellow, red, purple, and pink flowers. Small azalea shrubs are ideal for adding a splash of color to compact garden landscapes. The ornamental shrubs grow 2 to 6 ft. (0.6 – 1.8 m) tall and wide. The shrubs have an attractive rounded shape, showy flowers, and deep red fall color.

Azalea shrubs are identified by their beautiful funnel-shaped or cup-shaped flowers. The star-shaped blooms can measure 2” to 3” (5 – 7.5 cm) long and are characterized by long protruding stamens. The shrub’s leaves are thick and leathery with a deep green glossy sheen.

Depending on the species, azaleas thrive well in full sun in USDA zones 3 to 9. The compact, bushy plants are easy to grow and require little maintenance. If you choose the dwarf varieties, they will retain their short stature and spread without pruning or maintenance.

Forsythia

Forsythia is a yellow-flowering, sun-loving shrub that doesn’t grow more than a few feet tall. The masses of brightly colored yellow flowers help to brighten small gardens in late winter and early spring. In late spring and summer, dense foliage of dark green oval leaves creates an attractive bush.

The best forsythia shrub for gardens with limited space is the Forsythia ‘Happy Centennial.’ This miniature flowering shrub grows 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall and up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide.

Forsythia shrubs have enormous value in a landscape due to their three-season interest. The flowering shrub is ideal for foundation planting, a decorative hedge, or specimen planting. Grow in full or partial sun in USDA zones 5 to 9.

Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica)

Indian hawthorn is a flowering evergreen shrub that blooms with masses of white and pink flowers. Not growing taller or wider than 4 to 6 ft. (1.2 – 1.8 m), this bushy plant adds a pop of year-round color in small to medium-sized yards with pinkish-white spring flowers and dark evergreen foliage.

Clusters of small, fragrant flowers are the most appealing quality of Indian hawthorn. And its leathery lance-shaped leaves stay on the plant throughout the year. These landscaping features make the shrub ideal for planting as a privacy screen, shrub border, foundation planting, or container plant.

Grow Indian hawthorn in full sun and well-drained soil. The plant is drought tolerant once established and is cold hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11.

Small Viburnum Shrubs for Full Sun

Small viburnum shrubs produce ball-like clusters of small cup-shaped or star-shaped white flowers. Dwarf viburnums grow between 1 and 5 ft. (0.3 – 1.5 m) tall and wide, making them perfect if space is limited in a garden landscape. The decorative deciduous shrubs produce sweet cinnamon fragrances as they bloom in spring and summer.

Viburnum shrubs also have broadly ovate leaves that emerge bronze, turn dark green, and then turn maroon in the fall. In fall, clusters of bright red berries appear, giving the shrub more landscaping value.

Small viburnum shrubs thrive in USDA zones 4 through 7 and perform best in full sun. You can plant the compact shrubs in perennial borders or grow them as a flowering hedge, foundation planting, or specimen plant.

Shrub Roses (Rosa)

Shrub roses are low-growing bushy plants that add beautiful colors and aromas to a summer landscape. Many varieties of shrub roses grow between 1 and 4 ft. (0.3 – 1.2 m) tall and have a compact growth, ideal for small gardens. The showy rosette flowers contrast with dark green glossy foliage.

The colorful, fragrant flowers typically have double blooms with ruffled petals in shades of white, peach, yellow, pink, red, and purple. In addition, the beautiful rose flowers have a long blooming season, from late spring until fall.

Most varieties of shrub roses thrive in USDA zones 5 through 9. The shrubby plants perform best in full sun, growing in moist, well-drained soils. Summer pruning helps to maintain the shrub’s compact growth and encourages repeat blooming.

Dwarf Chenille (Acalypha Reptans)

Dwarf chenille is a spreading evergreen shrub with spectacular fuzzy red flowering spikes. The low-growing shrub is identified by its heart-shaped leaves and arching bright red flowers. In compact gardens, you can plant dwarf chenille in containers or hanging baskets to add vibrant colors to a patio, decking area, or container garden.

Dwarf chenille is a heat-loving small shrub that thrives in USDA zones 9 to 11. This flowering plant only grows up to 1.5 ft. (0.45 m) tall and wide. In cooler climates, you can grow the shrub in small gardens as an annual to cover ground or grow it in a planter.

Dwarf Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’)

Dwarf bottlebrush is a delightful small flowering shrub ideal for compact garden landscapes. The ornamental value of this shrubby plant comes from its red puffs of fuzzy flowers, evergreen bluish-green slender leaves, and its compact size. Dwarf bottlebrush grows 3 ft. (1 m) tall and 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide.

Slow-growing dwarf bottlebrush is suitable as a foundation plant or low-growing hedge in warm regions. The red-flowering shrub performs best in USDA zones 8 to 12, and prolific blooming requires full sun. However, its attractive rounded habit with densely growing evergreen foliage and bottlebrush flowers give it all-year landscaping value.

Dwarf Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

If you want to fill a small garden with stunning pink and red colors, then dwarf crape myrtle shrubs are ideal. Growing 3 to 4 ft. (1 – 1.2 m) tall and wide, these compact shrubs bloom with masses of ruffled flowers growing in large clusters.

The attractive feature of crape myrtle bushes is how the pink or red blossoms stand out against the glossy green foliage. The leaves emerge bronze in spring and turn burgundy-red in the fall. Through winter, the shrub holds visual appeal with its grayish-tan bark.

Dwarf crape myrtle shrubs perform best in full sun in USDA zones 6 through 9. Its small growth habit means that the shrub is perfect for small, compact gardens or growing on a balcony or patio in planters.

Garland Flower (Daphne cneorum)

Garland flower is a stunning low-growing shrub that blooms with masses of star-shaped pink flowers. Perfect for growing in small spaces, the small flowering shrub grows 1 ft. (0.3 m) tall and 3 ft. (1 m) wide. The bright pink flowers blossom on long branches covered with narrow, glossy green leaves.

Garland flower is an excellent choice of shrub to add a pop of color to beds, borders, pathways, or to accent taller shrubs. In addition, its spreading nature means you can grow the shrub as flowering ground cover for full sun.

Also called sweet-scented daphne, garland flower performs best in USDA zones 5 through 8 and full sun.

Minuet Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’)

‘Minuet’ mountain laurel is an eye-catching evergreen shrub that blooms with red and white bell-shaped flowers. The dense and bushy rounded shrub has glossy green, leathery leaves. However, the real beauty of the shrub appears in spring and summer when umbrella-shaped clusters of showy flowers cover the shrub.

This dwarf mountain laurel shrub grows 3 ft. (1 m) tall and wide. The flowers are shaped like an open cup with a maroon band around the edges and a star shape in the center. You can plant the shrub along a foundation line, as a shrub border, or in a container on a patio.

Mountain laurel ‘Minuet’ is suitable for growing in USDA zones 4 through 9.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum x hidcoteense ‘Hidcote’)

St. John’s wort is a yellow-flowering shrub with golden-yellow blossoms and bushy foliage consisting of narrowly ovate leaves. Only growing around 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 m) tall and wide, St John’s wort is an ideal shrub for adding color to a small garden landscape. Use as a colorful hedge, specimen plant, or foundation planting.

St John’s wort, with its bright golden flowers, looks spectacular when in bloom from early summer through fall. The large yellow flowers measure 3” (7.5 cm) wide, and the star-shaped flowers have a ring of deep yellow stamens in the center.

Grow this miniature rounded shrub in USDA zones 6 through 9 in full to partial sun for best results.

Fuchsia

Fuchsias are low-growing shrubby plants that bloom with stunning bell-shaped drooping red, purple, pink, or white flowers. The small compact deciduous shrubs are perfect for small gardens in warm climates. The woody shrubs have olive-green foliage, and their flowers dangle from stems.

The most eye-catching feature of fuchsia shrubs is the exotic flowers. Color combinations can be red and purple, red and pink, purple and pink or red and white. Some varieties have pure white drooping flowers that contrast nicely with the glossy green foliage.

Fuchsia shrubs grow 1 to 3 ft. (0.3 – 1 m) tall in USDA zones 9 and 10. In cooler regions, the shrubs require winter protection.

Basil-Leaved Rockrose (Halimium ocymoides)

Basil-leaved rockrose is a dwarf, evergreen shrub with eye-catching five-petaled yellow flowers. The saucer-shaped yellow flowers measure 1.2” (3 cm) and have a contrasting deep purple center. Blooming in late spring and early summer, the bushy shrub also has small evergreen leaves. The sun-loving compact shrub thrives in USDA zones 8 through 10.

Basil-leaved rockrose is perfect if you have a small garden and want to brighten it with yellow flowers. The mounding shrub grows up to 1.6” (0.5 m) tall and 3 ft. (1 m) wide. The yellow-flowering shrub can be planted in flower beds, along borders, on banks and slopes, or in containers.

Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)

Bush honeysuckle is a small shrubby plant with trumpet-shaped yellow and orange flowers. The tubular flowers look like honeysuckle blossoms, growing in small clusters on delicate stems. The yellow flowers contrast with the oblong, pointed, glossy green leaves that turn yellowish-orange in the fall.

Bush honeysuckle grows 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall and up to 4 ft. (1.2 m) wide. You can plant this cold-hardy shrub in USDA zones 3 to 7. It’s ideal for growing as a small hedge or shrub border in compact landscapes when space is limited.

Dwarf Flowering Camellia Shrubs

Dwarf camellia shrubs are perfect for growing in small gardens that have partial to full shade. Camellia shrubs are known for their showy rosette or cup-shaped flowers with semi-double or double blooms. These spectacular flowers bloom on the small shrubs for several months. Low-growing camellia shrubs grow 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 m) tall.

The two most popular varieties of dwarf camellia shrubs for gardens with limited space are Camellia sasanqua and Camellia japonica. Most varieties thrive in full shade and require little maintenance. In addition, the evergreen foliage and spectacular summer flowers provide outstanding landscaping value.

Dwarf camellia shrubs perform best in USDA zones 7 to 9. Despite being a shade-loving flowering shrub, some compact varieties grow well in full sun if they get enough water during warm summers.

Serviceberry ‘Regent’ (Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Regent’)

Serviceberry ‘Regent’ is a compact flowering shrub blooming with masses of fragrant white flowers. The showy flowers grow in clusters and cover the small bush in spring. After blooming, the flowers give way to dark purple berries, and the small green leaves turn burgundy and yellow in the fall.

Cold-hardy serviceberry performs well in USDA zones 2 through 7. The low-growing, compact shrub requires little maintenance to retain its rounded habit. Once established, the ornamental shrub is tolerant of drought and harsh, dry conditions.

Serviceberry ‘Regent’ is ideal for compact landscapes or small yards. You can grow the bushy shrub as a specimen plant, deciduous hedge, foundation planting, or a windbreak.

Coastal Doghobble (Leucothoe axillaris)

Coastal doghobble is a small flowering shrub that thrives in part shade to deep shade. This shrub is characterized by its cup-shaped pinkish-white flowers growing in drooping conical clusters. The evergreen shrubby plant has curled lance-shaped leaves that turn red in the fall and purple in winter.

Coastal doghobble has a year-long landscaping interest for small, shaded gardens. Thriving in USDA zones 5 through 9, the shrub grows 3 to 4 ft. (1 – 1.2 m) tall and 6 ft. (1.8 m) wide. The low-maintenance ornamental shrub is ideal as a front yard foundation plant, specimen plant, or container plant on a small patio.

Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)

Tree peony is a small mounding shrub that produces large, showy flowers measuring up to 10” (25 cm) across. Peony flowers are ruffled double blooms in shades of red, pink, white, and multicolored petals. The fragrant, colorful flowers stand out against the lush green foliage, giving the small woody shrub tremendous landscaping value.

Tree peonies are suitable for compact front or backyards in USDA zones 4 through 7. The shrubs perform well in full sun or partial shade. You can grow the flowering shrubs as a specimen plant, to decorate a mixed border, or as a foundation planting.

Tree peony shrubs grow 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 ft.) tall and up to 4 ft. (1.2 m) wide. These hardy landscaping shrubs don’t require pruning unless the woody stems become leggy.

Creeping Mahonia (Berberis repens)

Creeping mahonia is perfect for growing in a small, compact landscape due to its short height and spread. The evergreen shrub blooms with golden yellow flowers and has year-long bluish-green foliage and clusters of waxy-blue berries. This small broadleaf shrub grows up to 1.5 ft. (0.45 m) tall and 3 ft. (1 m) wide.

Sun-loving creeping mahonia is tolerant of drought and resistant to deer and rabbits. This low-growing shrub is suitable for planting in small gardens in USDA zones 5 to 8.

Creeping mahonia is a perfect small flowering shrub for sunny landscapes. Due to its low growth, you can plant it as ground cover or planting under larger shrubs. Additionally, the compact shrub grows well in borders and containers.

Lydian Broom (Genista lydia)

Lydian broom is a yellow-flowering deciduous dwarf shrub that blooms with masses of pea-like yellow flowers in spring and early summer. The small mounding shrub has delicate arching stems with small green leaves. It grows 1 to 2 ft. (0.3 – 0.6 m) tall and wide in full sun.

Lydian broom is ideal for brightening a small front or backyard. The trailing branches look attractive cascading over the edges of containers, hanging baskets, or low walls. Additionally, you can plant the shrub in beds and borders, use it as a bushy ground cover, or plant along a foundation line.

Lydian broom is suitable for planting in USDA zones 4 through 9.

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• Small Flowering Shrubs for Shade