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Small and Medium Shrubs

Culture Key:
d - Plants that can withstand periodic drought.
w - Plants that can tolerate wet soils.  A + indicates plants that require consistently moist soils.
p - Plants that need a protected planting site - avoid exposed or windswept sites.

Small/Medium Shrubs (under 5' tall at maturity)

  1. Apache Plume - Fallugia paradoxa (d; attractive western native; white rose-like spring flowers)
  2. Butterfly Bush - Buddleia davidii (p; interesting  flowers that attract butterflies; treat as herbaceous sub-shrub)
  3. Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis (w+; native to e. Neb.; good for wet areas)
  4. Cherry, Sand - Prunus besseyi (d; native to w. Neb.; needs well-drained soil)
  5. Chokeberry, Black - Aronia melanocarpa (p; great shrub with nice fruit and fall color; avoid poor soils)
  6. Clematis, Tube - Clematis heraclifolia (p; prefers part shade; great flowers and seed heads)
  7. Coralberry - Symphoricarpos spp. (d; great red fruit set; spreading; Chenault a more refined cultivar)
  8. Cotoneaster - Cotoneaster spp. (d; nice glossy leaves; several types to choose from)
  9. Currant, Alpine - Ribes alpinum (d; nice small mounding shrub; great in mass)
  10. Currant, Clove - Ribes odoratum (d; great small  native; edible fruit; good fall color)
  11. Currant, Golden - Ribes aureum (d; very similar to clove currant)
  12. Dogwood, Redstem - Cornus sericea (nice red stems on this native shrub; good for wet areas)
  13. Hazelnut, American - Corylus americana (pw; native; very interesting shrub; worth a try)
  14. Honeysuckle, Emerald Mound – Lonicera xylosteum (d; a nice low-growing form less prone to aphid problems)
  15. Juniper - Juniperus spp. (d; lots of different junipers with lots of size ranges to choose from)
  16. Juniper, Common - Juniperus communis (d; great native; can tolerate some shade)
  17. Leadplant - Amorpha canescens (d; native sub-shrub;  should be pruned to ground occasionally; irregular form)
  18. Lilac, Manchurian - Syringa patula (d; Miss Kim is a nice compact form with later bloom time than most lilacs)
  19. Lilac, Meyer - Syringa meyeri (d; nice smaller lilac)
  20. Mahogany, Mountain - Cercocarpus montanus (d; upright  native with great seeds; needs to be used more)
  21. Mahonia, Creeping - Mahonia repens (p; native to Pine Ridge; understory evergreen; holly-like leaves)
  22. Ninebark - Physocarpus opulifolius (native: papery bark)
  23. Peashrub, Little Max - Caragana maximowicziana (d; nice small form proven at Cheyenne station)
  24. Potentilla - Potentilla fruticosa (very tough, small shrub; wide color range)
  25. Rabbitbrush - Chrysothamnus nauseosus (d; tough native with great late summer yellow flowers)
  26. Rose - Rosa spp.('Explorer' and 'Parkland' series and  R. rugosa types hold the most promise; 'Nearly Wild' is a great 2-3' plant that blooms throughout the summer)
  27. Sage - Artemisia spp. (d; nice silvery foliage;  native; several species worth trying including A. cana, frigida and tridentat; some can grow quite tall; should be treated as a herbaceous sub-shrub)
  28. Sage, Russian - Perovskia atriplicifolia (d;  herbaceous sub-shrub with great purple-blue flower spikes)
  29. Saltbush, Four Wing - Atriplex canescens (d; seldom used native; treat as herbaceous sub-shrub)
  30. Snowberry - Symphoricarpos albus (d; suckering native shrub with nice white fruit in fall)
  31. Spirea - Spiraea spp. (d; many types to choose from; Spiraea fritschiana is a great uncommon spirea)
  32. Sumac, Fragrant - Rhus aromatica (d; native to e. Nebraska; 'GroLow' is a great low growing form)
  33. Sumac, Skunkbush - Rhus trilobata (d; very tough native to W. Nebraska; similar to fragrant sumac)
  34. Viburnum, Compact American Cranberrybush - Viburnum trilobum var. compactum  (p; great flower and fruit)
  35. Viburnum, Arrowwood - Viburnum dentatum (pw; nice glossy leaves)
  36. Viburnum, Burkwood - Viburnum x burkwoodii (p; great fragrance on an open and arching shrub)
  37. Viburnum, Judd - Viburnum x juddii (p; wonderfully fragrant blooms on a 4-5' plant)
  38. Viburnum, Koreanspice - Viburnum carlesii (p; similar to Judd Viburnum)
  39. Yucca (Soapweed) - Yucca glauca (d; tough native with  arching evergreen leaves; interesting flower spikes)

Unproven and Experimental Shrubs (those for the daring)

  1. Bitterbrush, Antelope - Purshia tridentat (d; Colorado native; should be tough as nails)
  2. Buckeye, Bottlebrush - Aesculus parvifolia (pw; will  likely need extra protection)
  3. Hydrangea, Oakleaf - Hydrangea quercifolia (pw; great bark; will die back to ground most winters)
  4. Holly - Ilex spp. (pw; shaded and consistently moist locations)
  5. Dogwood, Corneliancherry - Cornus mas (pw; sulfur yellow flowers each spring)
  6. Dogwood, Pagoda - Cornus alternifolia (pw; beautiful layered small tree)
  7. Privet, New Mexican - Forestiera neo-mexicana (d;  interesting bark on this native to s. Rocky Mountains)
  8. St. Johnswort - Hypericum spp.  (pw; nice yellow flowers; compact shrub; needs consistent moisture)

 

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Updated April 9, 2007
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