Tough, Drought-Resistant, Fragrant Flowering Shrubs

I love the spring season when the plants and shrubs bloom. Some flowers are fragrant, while others are just a bright spot in your landscape. Here is a list of some spring blooming shrubs that will grow in zone 4. Here is a list of easy to care for blooming spring shrubs that require little if no care.

Lilac

The most common color of the lilac flower is lilac, but you can find them in varying shades of purple, rose, pink, cream, or white.

Lilacs originated in Europe and Asia. There are over 1,000 different varieties of lilacs and depending on the variety, they are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 2 through 7.

Depending on the variety, lilac will grow from 5 to 30 feet in height.

The scent of lilac flowers can fill your backyard. I love to pick a bouquet, bringing that wonderful fragrance inside my home. I love this shrub. You don’t need to do much with this bush to keep it looking nice. They can grow for years without pruning. Many times, they are growing on deserted landscapes where people haven’t lived for decades. To help encourage more blooms to set on each year, snip off the blooms after the flowers have died. If you are one that feels they have to prune, thin out the old stems at the base.

If you want maximum flowering, plant your lilac in a location that receives the full sun exposure. If you don’t have an area of full sun, they will also grow in part shade. Lilacs are not too particular about the soil they grow in and can withstand drought conditions.

Few pests bother this bush, although you may find aphids or borers. These are easily treated with an insecticidal soap spray. If the winter has been especially hard, you may find mice or voles have caused some damage or they may have actually killed your lilacs. To discourage them from lunching on your bushes during the winter, do not mulch around your plant. These pests will hide under the mulch, because it gives them protection to survive. If the weather has been hot and humid, lilacs are susceptible to powdery mildew disease. If your lilacs are growing in close proximity to tender fruits, and vegetables, treat with a general-purpose fungicide as soon as possible. Follow thedirections for proper amounts and treatment times.

Spirea or Bridal Wreath

I have a spirea growing in my landscape that has been there for over 60 years. It stays small, although some varieties can grow quite large. Each spring, clusters of small white flowers appear. Mine is growing next to a smoke tree and a large spruce tree.

Spirea, also known as meadowsweet or bridal wreath is a deciduous bush that is drought resistant and grows in most soils. They are native plants to the Northern Hemisphere. This shrub prefers to grow in an area that receives the full sun exposure, but it can grow in areas that receive part shade. The flower colors are white, crimson, pink, and magenta. They look spectacular among the blue to green leaves. Depending on the variety you pick, the shrubs range in height from 1 to 8 feet tall.

Spirea is grown sd a foundation shrub, a living fence, or as part of your perennial garden or landscape. They are hardy in U.S, Department of Agriculture zones 4 through 9. Many times, you will find this shrub growing on old deserted farms or houses. They bloom in the late spring, or early summer. The height of this shrub depends on the variety grown, but it ranges from 2 to 10 feet with an equal spread. You can choose from a variety of colors like pink, white, or crimson.

Once the spirea is growing in the ground, it needs very little care. If you want to prune the spirea, do so after the flowers have faded. Remove some of the older stems of the spirea to ground level and cut away any dead or diseased branches. This shrub will sometimes bloom twice in the season. To encourage this remove the spent flowers. The only other care that this shrub may require is to remove the spent flowers.

Although spirea requires little care, you can add a 2-inch layer of mulch over the soil to help conserve moisture and control weeds. For the most part, it is pest and disease-free. Occasionally it can get fire-blight leaf spot and powdery mildew disease which you can treat with a general-purpose fungicide.

Mock Orange

Mock orange is another shrub that will survive neglect. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 though 8. Depending on the variety growing, they can grow 3 to 8 feet with a spread of 3 to 5 feet. When you smell the flowers of this shrub, it will remind you of oranges. Not all varieties smell the same though, so if you are deciding on which one to grow in your yard, perhaps wait until they are blooming.

Grow the mock orange in a number of landscape places such as along walkways or as a living fence. Plant it in a place near a window, so when you open the window the breeze can carry the delightful scent into your home. If you have a porch, patio or deck, plant some there as well.

Mock orange shrubs grow in areas with full sun, part sun, or shade. It can grow in just about any kind of soil. Pruning is not necessary, but if you feel you have to, only prune when the shrub is established. Remove the old growth by a third after the shrub finishes flowering. Cut out diseased or dead stems.

We have all three of these shrubs growing in our landscape. The only time we have pruned any of them is when they become scraggly.

Sources:

The Gardeners Net: Lilac Bushes

Nature Hills: Nursery: Spirea Shrubs

Hume Seeds: Mock Orange