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| I have a spot on the north-east corner of my house where I would like to plant a dark red or purple colored bush. I previously had a purple sand cherry that was beautiful at the start of Spring, but would go down hill very fast each year when the bugs go to it. So I finally decided to replace it.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a red/plum colored bush? If there is one that flowers and is fragrant, that would be a big plus. This bush will only get morning sun. Thanks for your help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, May 21, 10 at 13:23
| perhaps you should tell us how big????? is winter wind a problem in that corner ...??? what about sedum matrona.. dies back to the ground ... link below .... will ponder actual shrubs ... and report back ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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- Posted by christine_zone5 zone 5 MI (My Page) on Fri, May 21, 10 at 13:38
| Thanks for your response Ken. Winter wind will not be a problem. There is room for the shrub to grow about 7 feet tall and 5 or 6 feet wide. |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Fri, May 21, 10 at 16:18
| For your zone, one of the purple leaved cotinus - smoke bush - would be a good choice. There are also a number of purple leaved elders - sambucus - but they are not as adaptable to different climates. If they grow well in your area, great. There are some purple leaved ninebarks, but I've found this genus to be a pest attractor and pretty scraggly in appearance. |
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| Hmmm. The purple leafed ninebarks are spectacular here, but they would be too big for the space. |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sat, May 22, 10 at 10:15
| Ninebarks, Physocarpus, can be pruned very easily to maintain a smaller size. Smokebush (Cotinus), even if coppiced or pollarded each season, will get too large and there is no dwarf variety. Ditto with the elderberries. If not considered invasive in your area, Japanese barberries offer some of the most adaptable of the red or maroon leafed plants and come in a range of sizes......but there is that invasive issue in many areas. |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Sat, May 22, 10 at 12:04
| gardengal48: Just to satisfy my own curiosity, how does a cotinus (or sambucus) pruned back hard each year manage to grow too large for a a 7' x 5 or 6' space? While the mature height of most cotinus is probably 10 to 15 feet (8 to 10 for sambucus), it would take many, many years to achieve, especially in the OP's Z5 climate. The exuberant growth of almost all plants in the PNW climate is not duplicated in most other parts of the country. Besides,for cotinus (I'm not sure about the elders) the best leaf color generally appears on new shoots. That's why it's commonly cut back hard each year. |
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