If spring blooms are a symphony, they may be compared to the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth. They arrive with exclamation and quickly reach a swelling crescendo. Summer bloom is more like the second movement, quietly beautiful, with flourishes of majesty. Fortunately, we have a nice selection of summer-flowering plants, from beauty bush to hydrangea, that can keep the music playing all season long.
Beauty Bush
The earliest of the summer bloomers, flowering in late May and June, include beauty bush (Kolkwitzia), which is a relative of honeysuckle. Hailing from China, this large pink-flowered shrub has an arching habit and when in bloom, it looks like pink tracers falling from a fireworks display. The shrub suckers freely, much like honeysuckle, but is not invasive. Like most summer bloomers, you will want to give this old-fashioned shrub plenty of room to grow in order to preserve its natural habit and beauty.
A new cultivar of beauty bush, called Dream Catcher™, stays slightly smaller at 6-8 feet and has vivid yellow leaves on reddish stems throughout spring. The fall color is golden yellow and this lovely cascading foliage needs a little more protection from sun. Place it where it can brighten up a semi-shady corner of the mixed border.
A Trio of Natives
Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is the earliest and showiest as well. This shade lover forms a loose, airy clump of woody stems that give rise to long, wispy “candles” of white bloom. The more diminutive summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) also bears wispy white or pink flowers and has outstanding yellow fall color. Give it damp, slightly acidic soil and it will perform beautifully. If your soil tends more to drier alkalinity, consider the Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica). There are many cultivars of this plant, which is known more for its vibrant red and orange fall color than its small, brush-like white or pink flowers. All three of these natives attract bees and hummingbirds.
Rose of Sharon
Althea, or rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), is one of the very few summer-flowering shrubs to offer large, showy blooms at a time when most shrubs have become background notes. These outstanding beauties are under appreciated as they are very easy to grow and are now available in a color range that includes bubble gum pinks, bright whites and true blues. Keeping them deadheaded will prevent unwanted seedlings.
Hydrangeas for Every Situation
Hydrangeas are rightfully the most popular among the summer shrubs and the number of choices here can be staggering.
Quick Fire™ has a vibrant color with an intense red edge around the blooms. It is the earliest to bloom out of the paniculata hydrangeas.
Pinky Winky™ is a softer pink, less substantial bloom, and is not as strong and robust.
Vanilla Strawberry™ has a sort of cherry blossom effect, with a football-shaped inflorescence of white flowers fading to baby pink. The stems appear strong enough to hold the blooms upright as well.
‘Limelight’ is another great hydrangea, but can get fairly large. It needs room to grow and will have chartruse blooms. A smaller version of it is Little Lime™ if space is a concern
Incrediball® is a new selection of the old-fashioned ‘Annabelle’ in the H. arborescens group. The stems are sturdier than Annabelle and the blooms can grow to be the size of a basketball!
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a great larger hydrangea that has soft, natural blooms and very showy red foliage in the fall.
The key to having healthy hydrangeas is to give them the room they need as well as plenty of supplemental water. They will flourish in sun or part shade with plenty of water.
We’re always here with ideas to help you start your next project. Give us a call at 815.459.7926 to get started on incorporating one of these beauties into your landscape.
Article is from excerpts from Chicagoland Gardening – Summer High Fives by Deb Terrill • July/August 2011
