Flowering trees are the main actors in the picturesque summer garden. Once spring bloomers have finished their blossom festival, they seamlessly pass the floral baton on to shrubs and bushes that thrive in summer blooming. Dwarf shrubs lie at our feet as a sea of flowers or inspire as a distinctive bed border. Man-high magnificent specimens spoil us with floral opulence at eye level. Large shrubs stage a summery blossom fairy tale with a colorful crown. Welcome to a foray into 15 summer flowering shrubs and bushes with pictures.
Table of Contents
sunbathers
garden marshmallow, hibiscus (Hibiscus)
When a hibiscus puts on its blossoms in summer, the gardener is guaranteed envious looks over the garden fence. With voluminous cup-shaped flowers of up to 12 centimeters in diameter, a garden marshmallow celebrates its summer flowering period from July to September. Stiffly upright, compact growth and shapely, jagged foliage recommend the shrub as an ideal candidate for the flowering hedge with privacy factor.
- Height of growth: 150 to 200 cm, rarely higher
- Flower colors: blue to violet, white to pink-red or multicolored
- Soil requirements: rich in nutrients, humic, well-drained
Rispenhortensie (Hydrangea paniculata)
The summer blossoms of a panicle hydrangea start in July. Lush panicles of flowers adorn the garden and large tubs until early autumn. Do you want a shrub that flowers in summer, tolerates pruning and is hardy? Then you cannot ignore the diverse varieties of a panicle hydrangea. Incidentally, the pure species Hydrangea paniculata was the inspiration for the furious premium varieties of popular series such as ‘Limelight’ and ‘Pinky-Winky’ as well as ‘Magical’.
- Growth height: 200 to 250 cm
- Flower colors: creamy white to greenish-white, blooming pink or two-tone white-pink
- Soil requirements: moist, well-drained, normal to slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 7.5
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)
Arching overhanging shoots with large flower spikes intensify the elegant charm of summer lilac. The public’s favorite among the ornamental trees is not only summer flowering, but also very easy to care for. Compact dwarf varieties are available for the small garden and the representative balcony, which are in no way inferior to their big brothers. A vigorous pruning in early spring is enough for a never-ending flowering period into early autumn.
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm (dwarf varieties 120 to 150 cm)
- Flower colors: white, blue-violet, pink, pastel purple, crimson
- Soil requirements: normal garden soil, undemanding
Sommertamariske (Tamarix ramosissima)
With a furious blossom symphony, the summer tamarisk lives up to its reputation as a painterly revelation. Full of sun is an important prerequisite for the shrub to present its fragrant clouds of flowers blooming in summer. Scorching heat and drought leave the robust ornamental tree untouched. With dense branching, loose growth and gracefully overhanging branches, a summer tamarisk spreads a Mediterranean ambience in the rock garden and gravel bed.
- Growth height: 300 to 400 cm
- Flower colors: white, pink
- Soil requirements: normal to sandy-dry, preferably lean and well-drained
Thousand flower bush, bee tree (Tetradium daniellii var. hupehensis)
A thousand-flower shrub will find its way into your garden with a sunny disposition and a magical attraction for busy insects. Bees, bumblebees and butterflies cannot resist the floral flair that unfolds thousands of times in summer. In fact, in July and August the branches are buzzing when the large shrub is in full bloom with impressive umbrella panicles. Of course, the shapely leaves, up to 30 centimeters long, exude the intense, exotic fragrance. In view of the extensive growth, a bee tree is primarily suitable for the large garden as a valuable source of food for our endangered insect world.
- Growth height: 1,000 to 1,500 cm
- Flower colors: white to greenish-white
- Soil requirements: undemanding
Flowering shrubs for partial shade
Shrub Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
A shrub hydrangea is not stingy with its floral charms as long as it can enjoy at least four hours of sunshine a day. The uncrowned queen of varieties is ‘Annabelle’, whose 25 centimeter large flower balls can be admired from the end of June to the end of September.
- Growth height: 100 to 150 cm
- Flower colors: creamy white to pure white
- Soil requirements: nutrient-rich, moist, slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5
Summer heather, Besenheide (Calluna vulgaris)
Sommerheide is much more than a gap-filling extra of boastful shrubs and majestic bushes. On the contrary, the distinctive small shrub has what it takes to be the main design component for the front garden, heath garden or cottage garden. If a garden is built on acidic soil, the distinctive ornamental trees come into their own. One of the outstanding properties of common heather is a long flowering period from August to December, because the bushes are hardy.
- Growth height: 20 to 40 cm
- Flower colors: light pink to crimson, lilac, white
- Soil requirements: humic, fresh and moist, acidic pH between 5 and 6
Sommerspiere (Spiraea bumalda)
A flourishing tribute to summer, the summer pier lives up to its name. In a sunny to partially shaded location, the flowering period extends from June to September. If the summer comes with mild, plant-friendly weather, the 5 to 10 centimeter large umbels shine in full splendor until October. The wide-growing variety ‘Anthony Waters’, which blooms in summer, also impresses as a colorful groundcover that retains its beauty even without pruning.
- Growth height: 60 to 100 cm
- Flower colors: crimson to crimson
- Soil requirements: nutritious, fresh, well-drained, slightly acidic to lime-tolerant
shrub rose (pink)
The elegant aristocrat of the summer should not be missing in this selection. The wonderful ‘Mozart’ variety is representative of the exuberant variety of shrub roses. Blooming in summer and with insect-friendly cup-like flowers, the rose bush that blooms often causes a sensation in sunny to partially shaded locations that are preferably sheltered from the wind.
- Growth height: 100 to 150 cm
- Flower colors: crimson with a white centre
- Soil requirements: rich in nutrients, deep, low in salt and acid with a pH value of 5.5 to 7.5
Weigelie ‚Bristol Ruby‘ (Weigelia)
If summer is still in the starting blocks, the weigela ‘Bristol Ruby’ heralds the approaching, warm season. Sparkling flower jewels are her most beautiful decoration from the end of May. Strong green foliage enhances the intense long-distance effect of countless funnel-shaped flowers. When the first blooms wither in mid/late July, that does not mean the end of this season. Under the influence of sunny to semi-shady conditions, the autumn rebloom is not long in coming from the end of August.
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
- Flower color: ruby red
- Soil Requirements: Normal, well-drained garden soil
shadow bloomers
Ballhortensie (Hydrangea arborescens ‚Invincibelle Spirit‘)
The ball hydrangea provides convincing proof that not only the sunny side counts in the garden. The premium variety ‘Invincibelle Spirit’ impressively displays its fist-sized flower balls even in poorly lit locations. The name of the variety says it all, because the shrubby to bushy beauty is actually characterized by the invincible floral esprit that doesn’t give up in the shade.
- Growth height: 100 to 150 cm
- Flower colors: pink
- Soil requirements: normal garden soil
Garden hydrangea, farmer’s hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Royalty Collection ‘Schloss Wackerbarth’)
When trees or house walls block the way to the light, the garden hydrangea ‘Schloss Wackerbarth’ provides a decorative dash of color in the bed. The shade-tolerant variety is the successful answer of competent breeders to the frequent request for a farmer’s hydrangea that also blooms in diffuse light.
- Growth height: 80 to 100 cm
- Flower colors: yellowish-green to pink-red with a blue eye
- Soil requirements: fresh and moist, humic, rich in nutrients, slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.0
Goat leaf, goat snake (Lonicera heckrottii ‘Goldflame’)
Among the climbing shrubs, the goat’s noose pulls out all the floral stops to green vertical surfaces with summer blossoms. A semi-shady to shady location is no obstacle for the climbing beauty to present its pretty summer flowers.
- Growth length, climbing height: 200 to 400 cm
- Flower colors: blue-red to purple with a light yellow centre, fading to rich yellow
- Soil requirements: sandy-loamy, not too moist, neutral to alkaline pH greater than 6.5
Red carpet berry (Gaultheria procumbens)
Anyone who claims that shady locations are doomed to be colorless has not yet seen the red carpet berry in full bloom. From July to August, the evergreen tendrils are covered with dainty flowers. Just in time for the beginning of the dark season, red berries shine above the shiny ornamental foliage.
- Growth length: 30 to 40 cm
- Flower colors: light pink
- Soil requirements: fresh to moist, no waterlogging, acidic pH less than 6.0
Silver candle bush, Scheineller (Clethra alnifolia)
Are you on the lookout for a decorative sun-abstinent that thrives in summer and is easy to care for? Then we would like to recommend the silver candle bush to you. If there is no Egyptian darkness at the location, you can enjoy many pretty flower candles from July to September, which exude an intense, aromatic scent.
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
- Flower colors: silvery-white, touched with pink
- Soil requirements: slightly acidic to acidic, fresh-moist,
