This shrub will be planted behind the driveway, where it turns into the garage. Full, blazing sun all day. Slight south-facing slope. Clay soil. Very slightly acid pH. I do mulch everything and can water pretty easily there. So drought tolerance is a plus, but not a requirement.

I've thought of winterberry holly and red twig dogwood. But they don't do much in the fall, so far as I know. A viburnum might be good - but there are so many kinds, I kind of got overwhelmed!

Thoughts please? Thanks!

For a viburnum, I'd recommend V. purnifolium.

I have to say I love the course texture of the witchhazel foilage though.

whaas - Malus is lovely when it blooms in the spring. However, by the end of summer here, it's looking really ratty. Spots on the leaves and all. And while I've enjoyed photos of their fruits on the forum here, I've never seen them looking that good around here. So I'd rather not do that here. In other areas, I think it could be a very good option.

Even for my area, I feel like so many look...lets say crabby. But others maintain good clean foilage all year.

For example my 'Coralburst' looks great all growing season.

Red twig dogwood winter flame, great yellow, orange, and red coloration on the stems. One of the few newer plants to live up to it's marketing hype. Just put one in last year, and it's really impressive so far. Winter flame fall color kind of a light bronze color, but it goes with the other fall plants quite nicely.

Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia, now Photinia pyrifolia) has attractive summer leaves, nice fall color and winter fruit. Look for the cultivar 'Brilliantissima'.

I do like the look of the nandina with berries, but if those types are invasive here, I may have to pass on nandina. The red twig dogwood is a nice option, though, and I'm glad to hear the winter flame has a reasonably good fall color.

Chokeberry is another good option - my husband happens to be interested in the health benefits of the fruit. We haven't tasted them - but if they're terrible, the birds could eat them. :- ) Would they make a terrible mess near a driveway (the bush, not the birds)? Should I plan a different position for one of those? I had a different place in mind for one in future anyway.

I would definitely like to have the Ilex verticillata somewhere, though placement of a pollinator has to be considered, of course. And I'm liking the idea of a malus that looks good through the summer and fall, with lovely fruits in the fall and winter. I will have to do more research.

Of course, I may place some of these suggested shrubs in other spots on the property. Our lot was cow pasture before we built on it, so we are slowly putting in trees and shrubs. I want to carefully research so that I get what I really want for these long-term plantings. It's not like a perennial that you can easily dig up and replace if you don't care for it!

So - I have some great suggestions so far: Malus, Ilex verticillata, Aronia/photinia, Red twig dogwood, witch hazel, and viburnums prunifolium and bodnant. This is a very visible spot year-round. Which one(s) do you all think have the best spring and summer interest, along with the fall/winter that are my top priority here? I can find other places for the other shrubs, but may as well have the showiest here where we'll see it twice a day.

Thanks!

For all seasons - Hydrangea quercifolia and Cornus alternifolia

I like the quercifolia suggestion...but that will not like full all day blazing sun on a slope.

In the end, I'd chose the Malus cultivar since fall/winter interest is your top priority...there are several cultivars with persistant fruit.

If you want something that is more drought tolerant, v. prunifolium. 'Summer Magic' is a nice cultivar.

Whaas - I am looking further into the malus cultivars. That may be the winner for this spot in the end. We'll see. Why not the aronia here? Messy?

I think the 'Summer Magic' viburnum is lovely, too - but it may not have the winter interest I'm looking for. Do the berries persist long? The web seems to indicate no, but that could be incorrect. (Heaven knows, it's been wrong before!)

These all seem to be shrubs I want to have on the property - just a matter of figuring out what to put where! You guys are great - I'm really appreciating all the input.

All slow growers, rabbits eat em up, not very dense, suckers. But the white flowers, black berries and fall color keep me from removing them.

FWIW, rabbits are not an issue for me at present. Our yard is too wide open and there are too many dogs in the neighborhood. The bunnies stay closer to woods and brush, of which there are several neighborhood areas. Of course, as I plant more shrubs and trees, that may change!

If you plant junipers, the rabbits will come.

In my area, all the builders plant junipers - of every conceivable variety. So they're overplanted, and usually badly pruned (as they get too large for the space). As a result, I'm avoiding them in favor of other types of evergreens, both needled and broadleaf. Bad associations, you know.

If we were going to try to eat or cook with the chokeberries, do you know if red or black is better? Sounds like I need to see both types before planting anything. I definitely wanted a chokeberry somewhere.

Aronia arbutifolia is prefered over Aronia melanocarpa.

In my opinion Aronia is good for naturalizing in groups not planting as a speciman...although not sure how you planned on using this plant.

Have you considered a smaller scale Amelanchier?

You get a very silvery colored (actually a white variegation on green) shrub in the spring/summer with a light blooming in the early spring. The shrub is not at it’s best in late summer (for about a month), as it typically is afflicted with a fungus which spots the now pink-tinged foliage. And you may have to de-leaf the shrub yourself, after the leaves wither. However, beyond this period, the stems of the shrub turn to their red winter color, and the shrub will look good for the rest of the winter.

I’ve also got a variety of Winterberries. Winterberries are nice, but they are notoriously slow growers. Fortunately, my first Winterberry (a Winter Red) was pretty good size when I got it (about 2 ft tall X 1 1/2 ft wide), but in 5 years, it’s only about doubled its size. The most impressive Winterberries I’ve seen are about double the size of my Winterberry now. So, although I do get a nice display of berries from early September to late January usually (it depends on the timing of the winter ripening of the berries), I’m still hoping to see the shrub achieve a larger size.

A side point is that the Winter Red variety has good fall color, particulary when juxtaposed against the ripening berry color. My Winter Red turns a nice golden color in the fall, and keeps that color for a good while.

Unfortunately, the shrub is quite delectable to rabbits foraging in the winter, and because of its slow growth, it’s easy to lose size over the winter that you don’t recover int the following year. I like the plant, but I’ve learned that I have to protect it in the winter.

I’ve got additional Winterberries that I’ve planted in the last 4 years or so. Unfortunately, I didn’t get large specimens of these plants, so I’m not seeing anything that’s very impressive yet.

If you use Winterberries, make sure that you get large plants (at a local nursey, for example).

tj

This area that I'm considering right now will be more of a specimen area, though I will plant around the "specimen" with some smaller shrubs/bulbs/perennials as well. I will pick them once I figure out what the specimen will be - so as to play off both the specimen's showiest seasons and to hopefully make up for any times of year the specimen isn't doing much.

Thanks again, for all the info - it's hard picking things I've never grown before. I have to find time to visit more botanical gardens in the area, too, because there aren't that many people who plant unusual things nearby. So it's sometimes hard to see things actually growing really near me. My next-door neighbor has put in some of the less usual trees and shrubs in the last year or so, so I can see hers, but most other homes in our area seem to stick with the standbys.

For broad-leafed evergreen shrubs and small trees in full sun, consider some of the Hollies and evergreen viburnums such as 'Chindo', maybe even Carolina Cherrylaurel.

Dave, you are right - winter interest does mean different things. I am flexible to some extent because I don't have much of any kind of winter interest at present. I have recently been putting in various types of evergreens in another area, though.

For this particular area, I am looking more for something with good fall foliage color and winter color of some kind. I guess my preference would be berries or brightly colored bark. Berries, of course, may not persist all winter. Around the end of January, though, I start hankering after flowers! So I do like the idea of winter blooming plants as well.

In the end, positioning of different plants may be based on what needs to be enjoyed close up (like fragrance) and what can be seen from inside on cold days. I do have other areas of the yard still to plant, with things that may not end up being right for this spot.

It's beginning to sound like this particular spot may be well suited by the variegated red-twig dogwoods that have been mentioned, but I'm not sure yet. And I will certainly be researching (and planting) alot of the other suggestions in other parts of the yard!

So many wonderful plants, so little time (and space and money...)!

Ilex verticillata "Berry Heavy" and "Jim Dandy"
Lindera benzoin
Itea virginica "Henry's Garnet"
Cornus alba
Cornus stolonifera
Acer palmatum "Osakazuki"
Acer japonica "Maikujaku"
Vib. burkwoodii

Other shrubs/trees that are my favorites for all-season qualities are pieris, bamboo, paperbark maple, and evergreen barberry.

They take one or two years to start to really thicken up and get great peely bark, although it's well worth the wait.

There are also a few other cultivars, for ex. 'Coppertina', with an orange leaf.

I brought some cut stems to a local florist to use in their arrangements, with mixed results reported as far as vase life. That could all be due to my handling, since I don't have a cooler.

Have you considered a willow? Salix Flame may suit your requirements.

Miscanthus looks great in the fall and winter, though not colorful.

Thanks!