Shrubs: Design Characteristics
Showy Flowers, by Color
The following shrubs display showy flowers. Flower color has been categorized into five basic color groups:
white, yellow, pink/rose, orange/red, and blue/lavender/purple (blue/purple). The primary flower color(s) is
indicated for each species or genus. Variations of flower color will exist in certain cultivars or varieties of a
plant, and flowers can often be ornamented with stripes or blotches of a different color.
SHRUB                                                                                COLOR                                 COMMENTS
                                                              WHITE  YELLOW  PINK  ORANGE  BLUE
Abeliophyllum distichum                                 *                                                                  Faintly pink tinged
Aesculus parvifolra                                         *
Amorpha                                                                                                                *
Aronia arbutifolia                                            *
Aronia melanocarpa                                       *
Berberis                                                                        *
Buddleia alternifolia                                                                                                *
Buddleia davidii                                              *                          *             *              *          Variation in cultivars
Buddleia xweyeriana 'Sun Gold'                                    *                         *
Calluna vulgaris                                                                         *                                       Variation in cultivars  
Calycanthus floridus                                                                                *
Calycanthus floridus 'Athens'                                        *
Caragana                                                                      *
Caryopteris xclandonensis                                                                                      *
Ceanothus americanus                                  *
Cephalanthus occidentalis                             *
Cercis chinensis                                                                        *
Chaenomeles japonica                                                                             *
Chaenomeles speciosa                                  *                          *              *
Clerodendrum trichotomum                            *
Clethra acuminata                                          *
Clethra alnifolia                                              *
Colutea arborescens                                                     *
Cornus alba                                                    *
Cornus amomum                                            *
Cornus racemosa                                           *
Cornus sanguinea                                          *
Cornus sericea                                               *
Corylopsis                                                                      *
Cotoneaster adpressus                                                             *
Cotoneaster apiculatus                                                              *
Cotoneaster dammeri                                     *
Cotoneaster divaricatus                                                             *
Cotoneaster horizontalis                                                            *
Cotoneaster lucidus                                        *
Cotoneaster multiflorus                                   *
Cotoneaster salicifolius                                   *
Cytisis scoparius                                             *              *          *              *                        Variation in cultivars
Daphne xburkwoodii                                       *                                                                  Pink buds
Daphne caucasica                                          *
Daphne cneorum                                                                       *
Daphne mezereum                                                                                                  *
Daphne mezereum var. alba                           *
Deutzia gracilis                                               *
Deutzia xkalmiiflora                                                                    *
Deutzia xlemoinei                                            *
Deutzia scabra                                                *
Diervilla sessilifolia                                                          *
Dirca palustris                                                                 *
Elaeagnus                                                       *              *
Elsholtzia stauntonii                                                                   *
Enkianthus campanulatus                                              *                         *                        Veined with red
Enkianthus cernuus                                        *
Enkianthus perulatus                                      *
Erica carnea                                                   *                          *
Exochorda racemosa                                      *
Forsythia                                                                        *
Fothergilla                                                      *
Franklinia alatamaha                                      *
Genista                                                                          *
Hamamelis xintermedia                                                  *                         *                         Variation in cultivars
Hamamelis japonica                                                       *                                                   Purple calyx cup
Hamamelis mollis                                                           *                                                   Reddish brown calyx cup
Hamamelis vernalis                                                        *                         *
Hamamelis virginiana                                                     *
Heptacodium miconioides                               *
Hibiscus syriacus                                            *                          *             *              *         Variation in cultivars
Hydrangea arborescens                                 *
Hydrangea macrophylla                                  *                          *                            *         Variation in cultivars
Hydrangea paniculata                                    *
Hydrangea quercifloia                                    *
Hypericum                                                                     *
Indigofera kirilowii                                                                      *
Indigofera kiriowii var. alba                             *
Itea virginica                                                   *
Kalmia latifolia                                                *                           *             *
Kerria japonica                                                              *
Kolkwitzia amabilis                                                                     *
Leiophyllum buxifolium                                   *
Leucothoe                                                      *
Ligustrum                                                       *
Lonicera fragrantissima                                  *
Lonicera korolkowii                                                                    *
Lonicera maackii                                            *
Lonicera tatarica                                             *                         *                                       Variation in cultivars
Lonicera xylosteum                                         *             *
Mahonia aquifolium                                                       *
Neillia sinensis                                                                           *
Neviusia alabamensis                                     *
Philadelphus coronarius                                 *
Philadelphus Hybrids                                      *
Photinia villosa                                                *
Physocarpus opulifolius                                  *
Pieris floribunda                                              *
Pieris japonica                                                 *                         *                                       Variation in cultivars
Poncirus trifoliata                                             *
Potentilla fruticosa                                           *             *           *             *                        Variation in cultivars
Prinsepia sinensis                                           *              *
Prinsepia uniflora                                            *
Prunus besseyi                                               *
Prunus glandulosa                                                                     *
Prunus 'Hally Jolivette'                                                                *
Prunus maritima                                              *
Prunus tenella                                                                                          *
Prunus tomentosa                                           *
Prunus troloba var. multiplex                                                      *
Pseudocydonia sinensis                                                            *
Pyracantha coccinea                                      *
Rhododendron atlanticum                               *
Rhododendron calendulaceum                                      *                          *
Rhododendron carolinianum                                                      *
Rhododendron catawbiense                                                                                    *
Rhododendron maximum                                *                                                                  Pink Buds
Rhododendron mucronulatum                                                                                 *
Rhododendron periclymenoides                     *                          *                            *
Rhododendron 'PJM'                                                                  *                            *
Rhododendron prinophyllum                                                      *
Rhododendron schlippenbachii                                                 *
Rhododendron vaseyi                                                                *
Rhododendron viscosum                                 *                         *
Rhododendron yakushimanum                       *                                                                 Pink or red buds
Rhododendron yedoense                                                          *                             *
Rhodotypos scandens                                    *
Rhus aromatica                                                              *
Rhus chinensis                                               *
Rhus copallina                                                               *
Rhus glabra                                                                   *
Rhus typhina                                                                  *
Ribes odoratum                                                             *
Robinia hispida                                                                         *
Robinia pseudoacacia                                    *
Rosa                                                                                         *               *              *
Salix caprea                                                    *                                                                  Grayish male catkins
Salix gracilistyla                                               *                                                                 Grayish male catkins,
                                                                                                                                               pinkish tinged
Salix sachalinensis                                          *                                                                  Grayish male catkins
Sambucus                                                       *
Shepherdia argentea                                                     *
Shepherdia canadensis                                                 *
Skimmia japonica                                            *                                                                  Red buds
Sorbaria                                                          *
Spiraea albiflora                                              *
Spiraea xbumalda                                                                     *
Spiraea cantoniensis                                       *
Spiraea japonica                                             *                         *
Spiraea nipponica                                           *
Spiraea prunifolia                                            *
Spiraea thunbergii                                          *
Spiraea xvanhouttei                                        *
Stephanandra incisa                                       *
Styrax americanus                                          *
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus                                           *
Syringa xchinensis                                                                                                   *
Syringa laciniata                                                                                                      *
Syringa meyeri                                                                          *
Syringa microphylla                                                                   *                             *
Syringa oblata                                                                                                         *
Syringa patula                                                                                                         *
Syringa xpersica                                                                                                      *
Syringa reticulata                                            *
Syringa villosa                                                 *                                                       *
Syringa vulgaris                                                                                                       *
Tamarix ramosissima                                                                 *
Vaccinium angustifolium                                                            *
Vaccinium corymbosum                                  *
Vaccinium vitis-idaea                                      *                          *
Viburnum                                                        *                                                                  Often pink in bud
Viburnum farreri                                                                        *
Vitex agnus-castus                                                                                                  *         White forms available
Vitex negundo                                                                                                         *
Weigela middendorffiana                                               *
Yucca                                                              *
Zenobia pulverulenta                                      *