“Spring is when life’s alive in everything.” Christina Rossetti. “Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.” Margaret Elizabeth Sangster. “Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” Robin Williams. “The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” Harriet Ann Jacobs. “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare.

We are in the midst of enjoying all the spring colors; however, be reminded that it’s time to think about the colors of summer. Seasonal color is awesome! April is passing fast and May will soon be upon our doorsteps. While April showers bring May flowers, fix a cup of hot green tea or coffee, find a comfortable spot in your landscape, and simply relax in nature as the local wildlife orchestrates a presentation like no other.

The trees are leafed out, flowers are everywhere, birds are singing, and squirrels and rabbits run and hop all around. Bees are buzzing, an occasional hawk, Mississippi kite or eagle soars above in search of prey, a deer stops to listen, and a turkey’s gobble can be heard in the distance as a fox trots across the way. This time of the year offers such a favorable setting which can’t be resisted. Join in on the celebration of nature.

Summer-flowering shrubs certainly have an influence on color and curb appeal in our landscapes. Selecting the right plant and placing it in the right place are very critical in the survival and success of your landscape. Make your selections based upon the cultural and micro-environmental requirements of the plants, as well as personal choices. The following summer flowering shrubs offer great curb appeal throughout our landscapes.

Bluebeard Shrub (Caryopteris spp.) exhibits clusters of attractive blue blooms in late summer and is heat and drought tolerant. Often called blue mist spirea, bluebeard is not a true spirea. This low maintenance shrub attracts birds, butterflies, and bees. Reaching a height of 4-feet, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils. ‘Longwood Blue’ is a cultivar whose leaves smell of mint. 

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is a summer to fall flowering shrub offering fragrant blooms of purple, lavender, blue, pink, and white colors.  Reaching a height of 10-feet, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils. Common cultivars greater than 6-feet tall are ‘Attraction’, ‘Bicolor’, ‘Black Knight’, ‘Dartmoor’, ‘Guinevere’, ‘Honeycomb’, and ‘Lochinch’. Cultivars shorter than 6-feet include ‘Ellen’s Blue’, ‘Nanho Blue’, ‘Summer Beauty’, and ‘White Ball’.

Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus) brings attractive deep red flowers with a spicy fragrance to the landscape garden in the summer. Reaching a height of 8-feet, this low maintenance plant prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils.

Reblooming Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a hydrangea that produces flowers on current season’s growth throughout the summer. ‘Endless Summer’ is an awesome cultivar. Reaching a height of 5-feet, it prefers part shade and moist, well-drained soils.

Rock Rose (Cistus spp.) produces attractive rose-like flowers (pink, purple, lavender, and white) throughout the summer months. The rock rose is drought tolerant and easy to grow. Reaching a height of 5-feet, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils. 

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) was one of my mom’s most favorite plants. It provides color throughout the summer and into the fall with its tropical-looking blooms in pink, lavender-blue, and white. ‘Minerva’ is a sterile variety and does not produce the excessive seedlings (which can become weedy) so characteristic of the regular varieties. Reaching a height of 10-feet, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils.

Shrub Rose (Rosa spp.) exhibits attractive blooms (yellow, pink, red and white) all summer and into the fall on vegetative stock that is disease tolerant. Shrub roses take the best qualities of the hardiest rose species, and combine those traits with modern repeat blooming and diverse flower forms, colors and fragrances. Some shrub roses may grow tall while others stay compact. Recent rose breeding has focused on developing hardier shrub roses for landscaping that need little to no maintenance. These plants have thorns so plant them away from traffic flow situations for people-safety reasons. Reaching a height of 6-feet, the shrub rose prefers full sun and well-drained soils, and attracts birds. Cultivars such as ‘Ballerina’, ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’, ‘Bonica’, ‘Carefree Beauty’, ‘Carefree Wonder’, ‘DayDream’, ‘Hansa’, ‘Home Run’, John Cabot’, ‘Knock Out’, ‘Little Mischief’, ‘Pinktopia’, ‘Snowdrift’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Super Hero’, and ‘William Rafin’ are great choices.

Spirea (Spiraea japonica) is a low maintenance shrub that is grown in so many different settings with minimal effort. From home landscapes and commercial properties to public plantings and streetsides, the spirea grows quite well and offers clusters of raspberry-rose flowers for our personal enjoyment. ‘Goldmound’ is a cultivar exhibiting golden or lime-green foliage. Reaching a height of 4-feet, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils. 

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) offers fragrant flowers (pink and white) throughout the summer and golden leaf color in the fall. ‘Ruby Spice’ is a cultivar offering a longer blooming season. Reaching a height of 5-feet, it prefers part to full shade and moist, well-drained soils. There are several cultivars of summersweet clethra that are available at garden centers and through mail order catalogs. These cultivars are different from the wild form (white and tall) by either being more compact and floriferous (making more flowers) or by having pink buds and flowers. Cultivars include ‘Ruby Spice’ and ‘Pink Spires’ as regular sized, and ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Sixteen Candles’ in dwarf form.

Continue to think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape in your planning process, rather than those with invasive characteristics. Keep environmental stewardship and sustainability as the basic core in all your home landscape activities.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13. “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. “Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.” Proverbs 10:2. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20.

Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Verifier, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International) LLC, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.