7 Charming Shrubs You’ve Never Heard Of (But Should Plant This Fall)
Classic shrubs such as hydrangeas , lilacs , forsythia, and boxwood offer tradition and beauty to the garden, and I love every one of these old-fashioned plants our grandparents grew. Yet I admit that I also adore lesser-known shrubs that you'll seldom find at the big-box retailers.
Many of these shrubs you've probably never even heard of, yet they're worthwhile additions for your garden. If you're looking for something a little different, they check all the boxes: They're pretty, tough, and support native wildlife and beneficial insects . Because they're not the same shrubs you'll see in front of every home, they help you build a garden that's uniquely yours.
If you can't find these locally, many online nurseries carry these shrubs. Just be sure they'll survive winters in your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here) . Then plant them where they get the right sun exposure because shrubs that prefer sun will stretch and get leggy in the shade, while shade lovers will fry in the heat of summer.
Ahead, here are my favorite shrubs you've probably never heard of:
1) Doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana)
USDA zones 5 to 8
Native to North America, this broadleaf evergreen has tiny fragrant flowers that pollinators love in late spring. 'Paisley Pup' is a variety I love for its stunning variegated foliage of pink, green, cream, and bronze. It's also shade tolerant.
2) Diervilla (Diervilla spp.)
USDA zones 4 to 7
This native shrub, also known as bush honeysuckle, is as tough as nails. Deer and bunnies in my garden leave it alone, yet it's covered in tiny pollinator-friendly flowers from early summer, then sporadically the rest of the season. I have these planted in both shade and sunny sites, and they thrive in either place. Some varieties also have nearly black foliage.
3) Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.)
USDA zones 5 to 8
Beautyberry has white spring blooms and gorgeous purple berries in fall. Look for newer varieties, such as 'Pearl Glam,' which stay more compact and also boast pretty purple foliage year-round. For a native selection, look for Callicarpa americana —it's native to much of the South and Southeastern United States.
4) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
USDA zones 5 to 11
This fast-growing North American native shrub typically prefers wetlands, making it a great plant for low-lying areas or rain gardens. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love the cute ball-shaped flowers, while the leaves provide food for the larval (caterpillar) stages of some moths. It's also deer resistant. I like the variety 'Sugar Shack' because it stays more compact at 4 feet tall and wide. Buttonbush needs full sun.
5) Clethra (Clethra alnifolia)
USDA zones 3 to 9
Also called summersweet or pepper bush, this native shrub has gorgeous spikes of fragrant flowers and yellow fall color. Hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators love it, but deer leave it alone. It will tolerate part shade conditions.
6) Sweetshrub (Calycanthus spp.)
This shrub also goes by the common names of Carolina allspice, sweetshrub, strawberry shrub, or pineapple shrub because of its scented flowers that smell like anything from bananas to bubble gum, depending on who's describing them. It has glossy foliage and red or white flowers from late spring through summer. 'Aphrodite' is a variety with beautiful burgundy flowers.
7) Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
USDA zones 5 to 9
This native shrub has sweetly scented flower spikes in summer, followed by brilliant red and orange fall color. Look for cultivars such as 'Little Henry,' 'Fizzy Mizzy,' or Scentlandia that stay around 2 to 3 feet tall and wide in a mounded shape. It tolerates part shade.
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