TOP TREES AND SHRUBS TO PLANT IN SPRING
Spring is here, and if you didn’t get a chance to add shrubs and trees to your landscape in the fall, now is your chance to get planting! Here are nine great trees and shrubs to complete your Indianapolis yard. Whether you want privacy, beautiful color, or multi-season interest, there’ll be something on this list that perfectly complements your landscape.
BEST TREES AND SHRUBS FOR COLOR
Eastern redbud is a highly underrated spring-blooming tree that looks like bright pink fireworks in the spring. Redbuds are a tough tree and will grow in almost any conditions. They don’t require much maintenance, and they’re pretty disease-resistant as well. They will bloom best in a full-sun area, should be watered regularly while they establish themselves, and will benefit from mulch over the root zone.
Spirea is a smaller shrub with pretty summer color, available with red, yellow, pink, or white blossoms. They can vary in size quite a lot, and you can prune them to keep them to whatever size you prefer. Some varieties have beautiful purple fall leaves. There are both spring and summer-blooming varieties of spirea, so look for whichever bloom time you desire.
Blackhaw viburnum has beautiful copper leaves in spring, followed by large clusters of delicate white flowers. In fall, this viburnum features purple-black berries that contrast beautifully with the pink-red fall leaves. Blackhaw viburnum can be grown as a shrub or as a tree, and as a native to the Illinois and Indiana regions, it’s virtually maintenance-free.
BEST TREES AND SHRUBS FOR PRIVACY
Arborvitae is one of the best trees for privacy. They have a balanced columnar shape. These magnificent trees are available in quite a few different varieties that can grow from 8-20 feet tall and up to 10-feet wide. They can be planted quite close, about 5-6 feet apart, and will create a very dense hedge over time. They’re pretty low-maintenance and don't require pruning. However, they do need regular watering while they establish themselves.
Evergreens trees and shrubs are often the best for privacy hedging, but they don’t have to be the classic needle evergreens. Boxwood is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that makes fantastic hedging. They’re very easy to shape, and you can keep them classic tightly clipped hedge shapes, prune them into elaborate topiaries, or let them keep their more natural soft form. There are many different cultivars and sizes available, ranging in height from 3-8 feet tall.
Japanese false cypress is another evergreen option that can be kept in either a tree or shrub form. It has a different texture than the classic evergreens but is excellent for adding privacy. It has a delicate and feathery soft texture and has a balanced pyramidal shape. They don’t require pruning and come in several different cultivars with blue, silver, or yellow tinted foliage. There are also a variety of different sizes, from dwarf to giant! ‘Blue Fuzzy Dwarf’ is a variety with pretty silvery foliage that matures to about 5-7 feet tall. ‘Spirited Hinoki’ is a variety with yellow-green foliage that grows to about 7 feet tall.
BEST TREES AND SHRUBS FOR MULTI-SEASON INTEREST
Red osier dogwood is a winner for multi-season interest. This deciduous shrub has pretty white flowers in spring, lovely green leaves in summer, reddish-purple green leaves in fall, and striking red-orange stems all through the winter.
Fothergilla is another gorgeous multi-season deciduous shrub. While it may not be one of the best shrubs for privacy, what it lacks in screening ability, it more than makes up for in multi-season beauty. It shows off beautiful fluffy white flowers on spikes in spring. The flowers are also sweetly aromatic when they bloom. The leaves are a pretty blueish-green shade in summer and turn a spellbinding variegated yellow, red, and orange in fall.
Winterberry adds depth to the landscape with glossy dark leaves in spring and summer. In fall, the leaves turn dark maroon-purple leaves, and the branches of female plants are loaded with bright red berries that add amazing color and attract wild birds in the winter landscape.
If you’re ready to add some beautiful shrubs and trees to your landscaping for privacy, color, or multi-season interest, visit our Indianapolis garden center! We’ve got a large selection of trees and shrubs, and we can help you decide what would be best suited for your property.